On Keeping the Fantasy in Fantasy

Anyone with a computer or cable news in this past couple of days will know of the either delight of some or outrage of others of the proud display of an American President on the  “Game of Thrones” DVD set.

I’ve known about this for a few months, because I purchased a set for a friend, and was told about it and didn’t pick it up on the series.  While I thought it was in bad taste, our Presidents are often made fun of by the entertainment industry in non-humor and non-political backdrops. The industry does this sort of thing, and they will do this in the future. When I see Fantasy, I want to see Fantasy.   An American President is not Fantasy to me.

When the story broke, cold water was thrown over “Game of Thrones” and HBO, as I suspected it would, if it ever got out.  So now what is a potential masterpiece is spinning in the piranhas of all political labels cyberspace has to offer and not looking kindly to a great series, great creativity, and seen by several as disrespect for the office of American leaders.  The apology resonated and made it worse; the toothy fishes are in a second frenzy over every word of the press release, dissecting down almost every punctuation mark bringing more negative attention.  As the news cycle moves, so will the story, so hopefully it will move to memory.

This is what happens when Fantasy is taken out of Fantasy.  Meaning, (I can only speak for myself) I want my Fantasy to stay with the story only.  No Presidents, not even George Washington.  I do know about the Lincoln-Vampire story, but that’s written in the story, not just put there.  Why American Presidents?  If the industry wanted to be bold, what about other world leaders?  Other countries in current events? Never mind.

Fantasy stands strongest when the story is told.  Why risk ruining it by throwing in something that may be clever but likely offensive to a lot of fans that is not part of the story.  Writers want to tell a story.  The film industry translates the story into visual entertainment and makes written characters come to life. When that happens, it’s wonderful.  Real world current events and politics is only a click away.  Filmmakers, we viewers can find world leaders and humor about them on our own.

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CC Cole - Gastar

A relatively new blog featuring my "Gastar" book series along with other fun articles/reviews in the dark fantasy and other genres. Please contact me via email for a personal review of short stories or novellas. Indie new authors are encourage, but not exclusive. ebook/kindle versions are preferable, published as a consumer product. I post on amazon, my blog, my FB page and Twitter. Other post requests can be requested by the author via email. Positive reviews are posted, reviews under 3 stars are communicated to the author via email.

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