Why Is It Still Surprising to Find Out Someone Watches ‘Game of Thrones?’

There's no doubt that the final season of Game of Thrones is one of the hottest shows that we've seen in years. The season premiere drew in 17.5 million viewers. There was a predictable Week 2 dip, but the ratings were still massive. I attended two different Easter gatherings this past weekend, and every single working adult (with the exception of one—my wife) is an avid viewer and spent time analyzing the show. It never ceases to amaze me just how many people watch the show.

I can't tell you how many times I am engaged in a GoT conversation, but inside my head I am thinking, "SHE really watches Game of Thrones?" Anyone who's watched the show for any length of time knows that it's just about the most graphic episodic show that has ever been created. The violence is nothing short of gruesome, and there are absolutely no limits when it comes to the on-screen "encounters" between the characters (I'm looking at you, Jamie and Cersei).

With the wild popularity of the show comes the unavoidable question from the kids, "Can we watch it?"

"Absolutely not," I say, obviously.

"(Insert name here)'s mom let's HIM watch it," they counter. The oldest one in the book.

"First of all, no she doesn't. Second of all. No."

Then they want to know WHEN they can watch the show. As a rookie parent, I'd answer those kinds of questions. Then, I've realized that ages that seem so far away are really only a blink away.

"Can we watch it when we're 18?" I picture myself as 18 years old and I want to say, yes—feeling like 18 years old in an incredibly long time away—but I remain noncommittal.

Basically, there's no scenario when I'd feel comfortable with my children watching this show under my roof.

This brings me back to my original thought: when you consider the fact that I'll NEVER allow my kids to watch Game of Thrones, isn't it amazing how many millions of people, from so many walks of life, watch?