Apparently, we needed this statistical answer: women make up 42 percent of the HBO series’ total 4.8 million viewers. Not a big number compared to True Blood’s 52 percent female viewership, but still big enough to stomp out Breaking Bad’s 36 percent. What’s even more interesting is the fact that women make up half of the show’s online conversations and it’s pretty much all positive talk. I’ve tweeted countless times about my observations on the ominous drumming during most GoT sex scenes, so this really doesn’t come as a surprise to me.
And neither do reports regarding the show’s strong female following. Women love Daenerys Targaryen’s firey spirit and Tyrion Lannister’s quick-witted humor. Why is this news again? Well, in a world where fantasy and sword-fighting is still considered to be “boy fiction” (as described by this New York Times article), the pure belief that women were actually into the show’s overt nudity and mind-boggling drama just wasn’t enough. That’s right, ladies. We need numerical proof that we are indeed into “boy stuff.”
It’s a sad argument I heard not just when I first started watching Game of Thrones, but when I first got into Lord of the Rings, too. You can add Star Wars and Star Trek to my increasing list of sci-fi/fantasy favorites only meant for the boys.
What’s important now is that numbers don’t lie. The proof is in the hashtags, percentages, and persistent commentary from viewers like me. For example, can we talk about what happened last night right after I finish picking up the pieces of my poor, broken heart? I died about a thousand times, and I know you did, too.
Needless to say, I got into Game of Thrones because it rocks. Daenerys Targaryen rocks. Arya Stark rocks. The entire, diabolical show just rocks. For once, just take my word for it.
Source: Wired
Photo via New York Daily News
