Colby Copeland, Rylee Halsted, Carrie Myers

COMM4210

12/10/2019

You Read Or You Watch:

Game of Thrones​ fan consumption habits and preferences

Introduction

For this research project, we were interested in investigating how audiences interact with

and react to television adaptations differently than original properties. An adaptation is any work

that is transferred to a different medium for transmission- for example, a book adapted to film or

vice versa. Adaptations have proven to be quite popular over the last couple of decades,

producing large media franchises such as ​Harry Potter​, ​Lord of the Rings​, and the Marvel

Comics cinematic universe.

With so many different adaptations coming out of literature, film and television, we were

presented with an array of possible research topics. However, we decided to focus on the HBO

TV series ​Game of Thrones​, which is an adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s best-selling novel

series, ​A Song of Ice and Fire​. The series premiered on HBO in April 2011 and immediately

became a cultural phenomenon, winning 59 Emmy awards in the span of 8 years on the air

(Emmys.com) and setting a new standard for fantasy television. The series finale of ​Game of

Thrones​ aired in May 2019 and the “rave” has not died down—which made it the perfect

adaptation to use in our research.

 A Song of Ice and Fire​ and ​Game of Thrones​ takes place on the fictional continent of

Westeros, and primarily revolve around the efforts of the many noble families to claim the titular

throne and rule Westeros’ Seven Kingdoms. The protagonists of the series include the various

members of the noble Stark family, who preside over the North of Westeros, and find themselves

in the middle of the war for the throne; Jon Snow, raised as Stark patriarch Ned’s bastard son,

who joins the Night’s Watch and discovers a supernatural threat coming from beyond the icy

northern Wall; and Danaerys Targaryen, heir to an ousted noble house, who seeks to reclaim the

throne and her family’s honor with the help of her three dragons. The books and show are known

for its ‘gray’ morality, realistic portrayal of a Medieval-esque setting including violence and sex,

and political intrigue. The series’ reputation of these fantasy elements has attracted different

audiences from around the globe.

Research Questions

In light of our interest in the subject and our findings from the literature review, we plan

to explore the following research questions:

RQ1: What does the audience gain or not gain from watching ​Game of Thrones​?

RQ2: What do readers gain or not gain from reading ​A Song of Ice and Fire​ novels?

RQ3: Is there a preference between the book series or TV series amongst audiences?

Literature Review

​ ight interact with the franchise

To gain insight into how audiences of ​Game of Thrones m

and their behavior as TV watchers in general, we looked for existing research on ​Game of

Thrones​ fans specifically as well as research on the behavior of fans of other shows and of the
fantasy genre as a whole. The major themes that emerged in our research pointed at some

potential ‘uses’ derived from fantasy television: affective (and/or social), cognitive, and escape.

Affective(Emotional)/Social

In a study done by Alhayek (2017) an online interview of six administrative members of

the fan group, “Game of Thrones- Official Arabic Page”, was conducted in an attempt to

understand how the Arab culture consumes ​Game of Thrones. ​Fundamentally, the results yielded

emotional realism ​(finding something “emotionally true” rather than “empirically true”,

according to Ang) as the primary reason for Arab consumption of ​Game of Thrones. ​Alhayek

also notes how GoT-OAP has built an online community through their mutual interest and

understanding of the television series. Emotional realism suggests that the affective “needs” were

met by GoT-OAP by providing emotional validation about the world. Furthermore, the online

community observed by Alhayek is parallel to an interpretive community (Katz).

Due to the emotional experience that people can receive from a TV show, it is important

to consider contrasting ways in which people engage with TV. In their study, George (2018)

details how one of the participants watched many of the clips online from an episode that aired

that night. They said that they were “disappointed by the episode’s regular pace, waiting

breathlessly for the scenes I had watched on YouTube to contextualize”(p.285). Since people

might find out spoilers or might watch popular videos online, they can have parts of their

favorite show ruined. This means much of the show can feel lackluster or uninteresting if many

of the plot points or climaxes of the stories are known before the viewing of an episode.

Enjoyment through Analysis

 Often times when watching television shows we receive enjoyment when we start to

analyze a show. Sometimes people can develop parasocial relationships with some of the

characters in the show. A parasocial relationship is a relationship where a real person could feel

like a person in a show, whether real or imaginary, is like their friend or that they are a person

that they know or can be connected with personally. According to Tian, Yan, and Jina (2017),

“the more frequently audience members view a show, the more likely they are to parasocially

interact and identify with its cast members”(p. 5). This means that the more a show is watched

by an audience member, the more likely they are to develop these parasocial relationships from

their enjoyment of the show.

In chapter 3, “Fan Critics” of his book ​Textual Poachers: Television Fans and

Participatory Culture,​ Jenkins describes how fans of TV shows criticize and construct meaning

around various aspects of shows. He differentiates those who engage in ‘fan culture’ from

regular watchers of a show, pointing out that “many fans are regular and enthusiastic viewers of

a program that never motivate them to write stories, share letters, join clubs, or attend

conventions.” (p. 89)

Jenkins also discusses the evaluation and organization of a show by its fan community

into a canon, or the agreed-upon parts of a body of work considered to be authoritative.

Individual episodes are judged on “criteria applicable to any classical narrative” (p. 96)- i.e. on

character development and depth of story- but fans also “[evaluate the show] against an idealized

conception of the series [...] constructed by the fan community through its progressively more

detailed analysis of the previously aired episodes.” (97-98) That is, the type of fan Jenkins
describes gains enjoyment of their object of fandom based on analyzing the existing canon, and

then further derives enjoyment of future episodes from evaluating how closely it aligns with their

theories. This type of engagement with media is almost definitely fulfilling a cognitive need for

this type of fan, and many fans of Game of Thrones do engage in in-depth discussion of series

canon and (while the show was running) projections for future plotlines based on such.

Fantasy/Escapism

Adi (2012) used genre and semiotics approaches to textually analyze the first novel of

George R.R. Martin’s book series, ​A Game of Thrones, ​to further investigate how the series falls

in the fantasy genre. Adi distinguished in her article that elements such as the place, time,

dragons, heroic characters, etc. help distinguish ​A Game of Thrones a​ s an epic fantasy.

Furthermore, she suggests that the primary reason for the sustainability of the epic fantasy

narrative is that it still intrigues readers while the “reason for the invention is the development of

society” (p. 313). The appeal of a different world that we often find in fantasies could be a part

of a bigger appeal of escapism.

Fantasy literature can be split into two distinct age categories. One category is children’s

fantasy which is more geared for children by usually being more simple but also whimsical.

According to Krishnamurthy “Adult fantasy literature, on the other hand, is complex, riveting

and grim” (p. 86). ​Game of Thrones​ and the ​Song of Ice and Fire​ book series, falls into the adult

fantasy category. This category of adult fantasy has been an outlet of escapism for many because

of the complex world that it builds and the grim atmosphere surrounding it. Within the world of

Game of Thrones​ there are a lot of elements that build to create this fantasy. Some of these

elements include political intrigue and a complex narrative as discussed by Krishnamurthy who
also says that “The fantasy element forms the subtext of the novel and lurks in the margins” (p.

90).

There are a plethora of reasons why audiences may consume ​Game of Thrones ​and ​A

Song of Ice and Fire. ​A couple of reasons why audiences consume these series is to satisfy

affective and social needs by seeing their own personal and cultural issues explored as well as

engaging in like-minded fan communities. Audiences may satisfy cognitive needs by analyzing

and forming theories about the show or by their interactions with characters in the show. Finally,

they satisfy needs for escapism through the fantasy elements of the series.

Methods

To gather data, we conducted fifteen interviews. Each of us conducted five interviews.

Overall, we collected an estimated 6 hours and 35 minutes of interview audio; each interview

was an average of 26.20 minutes long. 10 of our interviews were conducted in person, and 5

were conducted by phone or video chat.

Our criteria for participants was that they had seen some amount of the ​Game of Thrones

TV show and read some amount of the ​Song of Ice and Fire​ novels. We reached out to our

participants in a variety of ways- through text to family and friends, by referral of a family

member or friend, and by recruiting on social media and ​Game of Thrones​-centered fan

communities. Of our participants, 5 were men and 10 were women, ranging in age from early

20s to early 40s.

We used semi-structured interviews so that we were able to ask more probing questions

in order to better understand what the participants were trying to say. We asked a series of

questions about how much of the ​Game of Thrones ​TV show and the ​Song of Ice and Fire b​ ooks
they had read or seen, and when they first started to do so. We, then, went into detail about each

by asking questions about their thoughts about the show/books (for example, their favorite

character or storyline), their behavior while watching or reading, and their social activities during

and around their experience. We then asked questions about their interaction with ​Game of

Thrones-r​ elated social media, about other TV-watching habits and preferences, and about fan

works and activities. After conducting the interviews, we transcribed pertinent quotations from

the audio. We then organized the responses by topic according to our questions. Lastly, we

developed themes based on recurring patterns in the interviews.

Results

All 15 participants had watched the entirety of the TV series at least once. Five watched

the show from the beginning of the first season in 2011 or during that year. Three started

watching before or during season 2 the following year. The remaining seven participants started

watching in 2017 or after, during seasons six through eight. Most likely because of the relatively

larger amount of content to catch up on, many of the later arrivals to the show described their

consumption as ‘binge-watching’; as Richard describes, “[I] binged the whole thing in about

two and a half weeks.”

More than half (seven participants) had read the entirety of the novel series so far. Three

had read the books (that were published at the time) prior to the show’s debut. Two started

during the first or second season, and three others started in 2014, during the fourth season. Six

people started reading between 2016 and 2019- similar to the number of people who started

watching the show around that time.

 We noticed three major themes in their responses to our questions: 1) the majority of

audiences enjoyed the TV series because of the fantasy element or mentioned it as a point of

enjoyment, 2) the majority of audiences watched the TV series with at least one other person,

and 3) the majority of readers enjoyed the novels because they provided more detail and insight

into the story and characters than the show provided. Something else that was noted was that

some people related ​Game of Thrones​ to ​Lord of the Rings.​

Fantasy / Escapism

The majority of participants mentioned that they liked the fantastical elements in the

show, as expressed through the world building and visual development. Comparing it to other

​ eslie said that they liked the show because the world of
fantasy series like ​Harry Potter, L

Westeros was “a completely new world to learn about”. Others appreciated how the show

weaves real-life elements into a fantasy narrative. Cory said “A fantasy take on the Wars of the

Roses was something that’s always been interesting to me [...] ​Game of Thrones​ has done a good

job adding that sort of political intrigue to a low fantasy setting.” Ashley discussed how the

show’s characters are “inversions of courtly tropes” which would commonly be seen in fantasy

novels- citing the characters of Jaime Lannister (a dishonorable knight) and Sansa Stark (a

‘damsel in distress’ without a rescuer) among others. These elements contribute to the fantasy

setting while also subverting expectations about the genre and keeping the audience interested;

as both Tessa and Brian said, “you didn’t know what was going to happen next.”

Leslie said that the show was “in a league of its own” in regards to the visual

development which brings the fantastical elements of the show to life. Cory specifically pointed

out the battle sequences, many of which include magic- “They spend a lot of their money making
sure you feel [...] the larger than life aspect of the fights.” ​Of course, no ​Game of Thrones

analysis would be complete without a mention of the show’s largest- metaphorically and

literally- magical characters; as Marie mentions, “So pretty much, like, the dragons.”

These participants’ emphasis on themes from the genre of fantasy agree with Adi’s and

Krishnamurthy’s reasons for its appeal; these elements create a different world and a sense of

escapism. Some fans also liked to explore how more realistic elements were interwoven with the

fantasy, suggesting an enjoyment of textual analysis and fulfillment of cognitive needs from the

show.

Social

The majority of participants mentioned that they watched or made an effort to watch the

show with at least one other person, and that they discussed the show amongst others. Marie

shared that ​"I actually had a couple of friends that would always come over on Sundays and we

would get together and cook a meal and would literally sit around the TV to watch Game of

Thrones.” Others only participated in gatherings for special events, like premieres, finales, or

major story events- Ashley “[made] a point to watch the ‘Red Wedding’ [season 3 episode 9]

with a bunch of my friends who had never read the books.” Others watched with spouses or

parents. For Nicole and her husband, it was serious business- “If I watched it without him, it was

as bad as cheating.”

Several participants mentioned participating in group texts with friends about ​Game of

Thrones,​ sharing it with people who may not be physically present. Donna mentioned that she

talked about the show with, "All my friends, ya know, like, most of my friends, my brother, it

was like a religious experience for all of us-- texting during the show, when it was over, the next
morning...". Ashley is a member of a large Slack server formed around ​Game of Thrones

discussion which “started as a place to talk about ​Game of Thrones​ [...] but quickly became a

community.”

Most participants said that they interacted with family, friends, and others-- from watch

parties to discussions about the show-- which suggests that the TV series provided a social space

for the audience members of ​Game of Thrones​.

Insight Within the Novels

Many participants discussed that the books had more detail and insight into the story and

characters; the majority even said that they favor the books over the show for this reason. Sandra

said that the characterization was “more in depth than the TV shows.” A number of people

pointed out that the first-person perspective that the books are written in allows for a greater

understanding than the show often provides. Nicole said that she “liked that the chapters were

from different [characters’] perspectives [...] You really got into their heads in the book.” Cory

agreed that the first-person perspective “provides clarity as to what people are thinking in the

moment [...] [In the show] it’s swapped- you see the world around you and you’re questioning

what the motivations are.”

A few participants pointed out that the level of detail in the books is a deterrent to some

people- “We’re not a society that [wants that]- The people who want the details read the book,”

as Mark said. However, Leslie said that “​A couple of my friends read the books and refused to

watch the show because the books were so good.”​ The books provided much more than the show

could provide through more detail and insight.

 Additional Findings

Most of the participants said that they had consumed other fantasy TV or movies in the

past. Most cited well-known fantasy franchises like ​Harry Potter a​ nd ​Lord of the Rings.​ Many

also said that they watched other TV shows with fantasy/sci-fi, supernatural, or historical themes,

like ​The Walking Dead, Supernatural, a​ nd ​Reign.

Leslie specifically referred to the adaptation from book to film while comparing ​Game of

Thrones ​to other fantasy series that have been successfully adapted; she said, ​“The way that the

story is built and the way that the show really does try to honor the author’s intentions...reminds

me a lot of ​Harry Potter​ and what I have seen of ​Lord of the Rings​.” Additionally, Rachel

explains that, ​"In a way it makes me think of J.R.R. Tolkien's style, slightly” when describing the

novels. Ashley said that the “layers of myth and legend” that Martin drew on- like many other

high fantasy authors like Tolkien- were a major element that drew her to the books.

Conclusion

Previous research suggests that ​Game of Thrones a​ udiences fulfilled affective, social,

escape, and even cognitive needs. The results of our study strongly suggested that the

participants fulfilled a sense of escapism through the fantasy elements of the series. The majority

of our participants mentioned watching the TV series with at least one other person-- which,

suggested that participants fulfilled a social need. The sense of escapism through the fantasy

elements felt by participants and the social settings preferred by participants answers our first

research question by suggesting that these things are gained by the audience. Moreover, the

results suggested that participants felt that the novels provided more detail and insight into the

story and characters that was not present in the show. This answers our second research question
by acknowledging that readers gained a better perspective when reading the novels. Lastly, we

wanted to know if audiences had a preference between TV series and novels. From our results

we gather that 9 out of 15 participants preferred the books, 2 out of 15 preferred the show, 2 out

of 15 said both, and one could not decide. According to our study, the majority of participants

preferred the books over the show.

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