Lorehaven
  • FREE SUBSCRIPTION: download every issue
  • Find the best Christian fantastic novels
  • Join book clubs and connect with other fans
NEW: Order print issues online!
Advertise Seek Review Library Add a Novel Feedback
Library

Find Christian fantastical novels

fantasy | sci-fi | supernatural and beyond
All novels Search Add a novel
Fate of the Redeemed, Chad Pettit
Valor's Worth, Rebecca P. Minor
Heartmender, V. Romas Burton
Sorrowfish, Anne C. Miles
Babel, Brennan S. McPherson
The Story Raider, Lindsay A. Franklin
Remnant, Daniel Peyton
Light from Distant Stars, Shawn Smucker
Beatitudes and Woes, editor: Travis Perry
Shard & Shield, Laura VanArendonk Baugh
Jordan's World, Allen Steadham
2085: The Rise and Fall of The Sisters, Christopher J. Weeks
Wilding, L. A. Smith
The Treasure of Capric, Brandon M. Wilborn
Daily Articles

Daily articles from SpecFaith

latest articles | archives | statement of faith
News tips Suggestions

The Impossible That God Alone Can Do
| Rebecca LuElla Miller, Dec 9

What’s in a Gift? The Backstory of the Magi’s Presents
| Patrick W. Carr, Dec 6

What Kind of War Does the Devil Fight?
| Travis Perry, Dec 5

Frozen II: They Tried
| Shannon McDermott, Dec 4

Reviews

Find fantastical Christian reviews

All reviews Request a review Share review

Frozen II: They Tried
| Shannon McDermott, Dec 4

‘The Tick’ Season 2 Points Viewers Toward Truth, Love, and Freedom
| Adam Graham, Sep 17

‘Joshua’ Offers Readers a Strange, Unbiblical Alt-Version of Jesus
| Audie Thacker, Sep 10

‘Warm Bodies’ Portrays a Vivid Yet Grotesque Gospel Image
| Marian Jacobs, Jul 12

Other Worlds

Find more from Christian creators

E. Stephen Burnett

Cover Reveal for The Pop Culture Parent: Helping Kids Engage Their World for Christ
| E. Stephen Burnett, Dec 6

Pssst: Christian Endorsers of Bad Books May Not Have Even Read Them
| E. Stephen Burnett, Oct 18

Commenter on Sexual-Revolutionary Allies: ‘They’re Enablers, Not Friends’
| E. Stephen Burnett, Oct 14

It’s Legalistic to Punish Joshua Harris for the Sins of ‘The Purity Culture’
| E. Stephen Burnett, Jul 29

Lorehaven
Magazines
Lorehaven Library
Speculative Faith
E. Stephen Burnett
Lorehaven serves Christian fans by finding biblical truth in fantastic stories. Book clubs, free webzines, and a web-based community offer flash reviews, articles, and news about Christian fantasy, science fiction, and other fantastical genres.
Gift Guide Subscribe to Lorehaven
/ / Articles

‘Sorry Your Dragon Show Ended Stupidly’ Meme May Insult ‘GOT’ Fans

As Christians, our mission is to engage with “Game of Thrones” fans, not call what they enjoy “stupid.”
E. Stephen Burnett | May 21, 2019 | 3 comments |

When I saw these memes trolling Game of Thrones TV show fans, I laughed at first.

One version simply says, “Sorry your dragon show ended stupidly.”

Another one says, “sorry your kinky dragon show sucked.”

Ouch! Hotter dragon-show burn! It references the fact that Game of Thrones really does/did have porn in it, and enhances the diss with gratuitous lowercase.

Again, I laughed at first. In fact, I’ve shared a few similar memes, such as this one:

But then I kept seeing the mockery. And I realized something.

If we share the “sorry your dragon show . . .” meme, with that phrase, fantasy fans might actually hear an echo like this:

  • I don’t care about the stories you’re interested in.
  • Fantasy is intrinsically shallow, absurd, and stupid.
  • By not caring about the stories you like, I care little about you.
  • Hey, nerd! Put down your dopey comics and pay up yer lunch money. Haw, haw!

I kid with that last bit. But honestly, the “dragon show” part could sound like plain bullying. I see those non-fantasy “jocks”—possibly wearing ’90s faded-denim cutoff shorts and backward-turned baseball caps—harassing the “nerd” with thick glasses and knee-high socks.

Disclaimer: Yes, we know about the porn parts

Yes, Game of Thrones has actual porn in it. Here on Speculative Faith, we’ve condemned this porn and think you should too. We’ve quit watching Game of Thrones (and The Walking Dead). And we’ve explored how sex scenes aren’t just “awkward,” but actually violate these actors who are created in God’s image, and the fact that high fantasy can too easily become porn fantasy.1

But.

I know plenty of Christian fans who enjoyed Game of Thrones. In their view, the gratuitous nudity isn’t a feature; it’s a bug.2 These fans say they have grown attached to characters, plot twists, and what’s-gonna-happen-next. Some fans likely resonated, at least for a time, with the series’ commitment to high fantasy.

In other words—all controversy about the porn (sigh) aside—they’re behaving just like fans of any other series.

And if we dismiss their interest as mere enjoyment of a “dragon show,” we may end up saying, “I don’t care about what you like.”

Do we really want our neighbors to hear, ‘What you like is stupid’?

In principle, real Christians shouldn’t behave this way toward people created in God’s image.

Here’s why I say this. As I’ve announced, two coauthors and I—Ted Turnau and Jared Moore—have signed to release a new book next year from New Growth Press. It’s about how Christian parents can engage popular culture with their kids.3

In the book, we frequently recommend that parents show natural interest in the stories and songs their children enjoy. We’re not talking mainly about bad shows or straight-up evil content (such as pornography). Instead, we’re talking about the shows that people might call “useless.” Like a Disney channel sitcom. Or a weird-looking anime series about a boy who wants to be King of the Pirates.

Sure, we don’t always have time to watch or engage with every story in the world. But for parents who want to connect with their children, and explore their children’s hearts as revealed by the stories that capture their hearts? Well, you don’t have time not to engage this way.

At the very least, parents ought not erect walls between themselves and their children by saying, “Your show …” is stupid.

But this is exactly what grown-ups do, to other grown-ups, when they say, “Your show …” is stupid.

This makes even less sense about Game of Thrones. We’re talking about a very controversial show. It has proven to have culture-making power. It’s gained millions of fans. And these fans’ heart-level desires—both good and idolatrous—can be revealed by this story’s commitment to epic fantasy mixed with political intrigue, moral “gray areas,” and lotsa lotsa porn.

Fantasy isn’t stupid, but idols are

As a Christian, your mission is to engage with fans you know as their neighbor. That means we don’t minimize their favorite story as a “dragon show,” as if fantasy is always that silly. We also don’t sneer out fake apologies. And we don’t call our neighbor’s favorite story “stupid.”

Pornographic? Sure.

Controversial? Absolutely.

Self-defeating, like all idols are? Likely.

Something I wouldn’t myself watch? Definitely.

But not “stupid.” Please don’t put up that wall. Please don’t risk mocking fantasy fans just for being fantasy fans. Such mockery is not only absurd, because fantasy is the genre-of-genres in the real world. It’s also beyond foolish, because we risk getting distracted by our own human preferences rather than focusing on biblical rationale. As Scripture warns us, the worst challenge in popular cultural works is not particular genres of stories. It’s the evils of idolatry in stories, and in the hearts and actions of people who make them.

  1. At this point some wag cleverly observes that I’m focused on the nudity/sex instead of the violence. This is an almost annoyingly easy “point” to rebut: Actors aren’t actually beheading and stabbing one another. But actors are actually getting naked, often under bounded reasons, like, “I represent the pervert side of the audience, okay?” (actual quote) or, “You need to show how much you are willing to do anything to Commit to the Character” (paraphrased quote). This short-daggered criticism has worn dull. Next. ↩
  2. Again, I disagree with them, but this article isn’t about that. Suffice it to say, my opposition to Game of Thrones and other porn-prone series is not based on “it will make you sin” arguments. It’s based more on, “People have to sin, or be demeaned and exploited, to make these shows” arguments. ↩
  3. Our themes in the book also translate well to any Christian who wants to engage popular culture while building relationships with their neighbors. Yes, people often abuse this theme (e.g., to self-justify bad or immoral media content). But it’s still a biblical theme. It has plenty of precedent set by the apostles, by Christians of the past, and by Jesus Christ himself who spoke the language of his first-century culture. ↩
E. Stephen Burnett
E. Stephen Burnett is coauthor (with Ted Turnau and Jared Moore) of The Pop Culture Parent: Helping Kids Engage Their World for Christ, which will release in spring 2020 from New Growth Press. He also explores biblical truth and fantastic stories as editor in chief of Lorehaven Magazine and writer at Speculative Faith. He has also written for Christianity Today and Christ and Pop Culture. He and his wife, Lacy, live in the Austin area and serve as members of Southern Hills Baptist Church.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter |
  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Print
  • Pocket
  • WhatsApp
  • When Pastors Criticize Popular CultureWhen Pastors Criticize Popular Culture
  • Game of Thrones'Game Of Thrones' Sex: It's Not Just Awkward, It's Violation
  • When High Fantasy Becomes Porn Fantasy, Part 1When High Fantasy Becomes Porn Fantasy, Part 1
  • Rejected Realm Makers CosplaysRejected Realm Makers Cosplays

3
Leave a Reply

Connect with
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
avatar
Pleased to meet you.
Help fans find you.
Just in case you subscribe to anything.
Connect with
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
avatar
Pleased to meet you.
Help fans find you.
Just in case you subscribe to anything.
  Subscribe  
Notify of
Autumn Grayson
Guest
Autumn Grayson

We shouldn’t be rude or dismissive, but one reason these memes come out is because people get annoyed by some of the ways GoT fans act sometimes. Same goes for similar memes put out about Marvel. Supposedly, a lot of people are annoyed that a lot of fandom and media talk seems to revolve around those two franchises, especially when some GoT and Marvel fans act like everyone needs to see those shows. Or like something is wrong with those that dislike those shows.

On the other hand, it’s understandable for people to go on and on about shows they like. I probably annoy people to death on this site by using Naruto and Fate Zero examples over and over. To be fair, both stories are awesome and complex enough to be example fodder.

I can see both sides of it, and I don’t think it’s a huge deal per se, so long as both sides are reasonably self aware and don’t take it too far.

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
6 months ago
notleia
Guest
notleia

I dunno, I would totally send a homemade “sorry your waifu died” card with purposely crappy drawings to a friend. Depends on the type of friendship you have with ’em.

Aside: I read these stories on Tumblr and don’t know if they’re true but kinda wish they were.

Apparently the first time Jason Momoa and Emilia Clark met, he yelled “Wifey!” and hug-tackled her. Also when they were doing a sex scene, he came in with a sock puppet on his [censored] and she couldn’t stop laughing for 10 minutes.

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
6 months ago
Autumn Grayson
Guest
Autumn Grayson

Friends don’t say anything when their friends’ fave chars die. BEST friends send cruddy ‘Sorry about your waifu’ cards… 😛

Vote Up1Vote Down  Reply
6 months ago
  • FREE SUBSCRIPTION: download every issue
  • Find the best Christian fantastic novels
  • Join book clubs and connect with other fans
NEW: Order print issues online!
Advertise Seek Review Library Add a Novel Feedback

Daily articles from SpecFaith

latest articles | archives | statement of faith
News tips Suggestions

The Impossible That God Alone Can Do
| Rebecca LuElla Miller, Dec 9

What’s in a Gift? The Backstory of the Magi’s Presents
| Patrick W. Carr, Dec 6

What Kind of War Does the Devil Fight?
| Travis Perry, Dec 5

Frozen II: They Tried
| Shannon McDermott, Dec 4