The newly released Game of Thrones porn parody—titled, naturally, Game of Bones—comes complete with a timely NSA reference and a dildo-wielding White Walker. George R.R. Martin recently commented on this new perversion of his fantasy series, saying that because his novels feature an incest storyline and the porn version does not, Game of Thrones is actually “dirtier than the porn version.”
That’s quite a declaration, but it made for an interesting conversation about the boundaries and reinterpretation of art. There’s no doubt an overlap between Game of Thrones fans and porn hobbyists, and that’s what WoodRocket, the L.A.-based site behind the parody, was betting on.
Lee Roy Myers, one of WoodRocket’s founders, directed the Game of Bones webseries, which is currently up to episode 5 and features performances from James Deen (who famously claimed he’d never seen the show), Dana DeArmond, and April O’Neil, among others. He’s the guy responsible for SpongeKnob SquareNuts, Porks & Recreation, and Sex Toy Story, as well as porn parodies of 30 Rock, The Simpsons, and Seinfeld.
That mix of humor and porn can also be found in original webseries like James Deen Loves Food, in which the actor experiments with culinary curiosities (fully clothed, for the most part), and Memes I’d Like to F**k, in which viral phenomena like IKEA Monkey and the Harlem Shake are re-enacted by adult actors. In March, WoodRocket posted a video in which porn stars congratulate the new pope.
This is coming at a time when attitudes about the industry are changing, and state-by-state search results are a bit terrifying. Instead of a stream of questionably sourced clips, the site boasts free, non-pirated content, and according to Myers, everything is either produced or licensed by WoodRocket.
And he knows his audience. Turning pop culture shrines like The Simpsons and Seinfeld into pornography is going to fuel curiosity and outrage, which is going to get hits.
Myers (above, right) answered a few more questions about the series and WoodRocket’s approach to virality.
Can you tell me a bit about why you chose to parody Game of Thrones?
Because we love the television show. I think I speak for the rest of the WoodRocket team when I say that it is my favorite TV show right now. It’s got all of the major genres covered: action, drama, adventure, fantasy, and dragons burning people’s faces off. It can be a very intense show. And there is no better type of show to spoof than one that has people so enthralled and so devoted in their fandom.
Typically, as you can see just by looking online, people who like this show love this show, and want to talk about this show, and have inside jokes about this show. I know that I do. So I made Game of Bones with nothing but love. And sure, fans of the show have seen most of the characters naked, but not actually having sex. The show can’t. We can. We can take it a step further than HBO, and we can show full penetration. Game of Thrones was made for spoofing.
How long did it take to film?
It took a couple of months of pre-production—writing and casting and construction. And it took a week to film the first five episodes.
How many of the actors had seen the show?
Probably 90 percent. James Deen was probably the exception. Luckily, he wasn’t writing the movie, he was just starring in it.
Is WoodRocket attempting to be YouTube for porn?
WoodRocket is trying to redefine adult entertainment. We believe that the Web needs a place where porn and mainstream entertainment mix. Where people who are over 18 can go to get their comedy fix or their porn fix or both. We want people to come for the entertainment and stay to get off. And we want as many people to enjoy it as possible. So it is all free. We believe that WoodRocket should feel like a mix between YouTube and Funny or Die and online porn. And so far, we feel like we are on the right track. Luckily, people seem to really dig us.
You almost specifically parody TV shows. Are you a big TV fan, or just a fan of pop culture in general?
I’m a pop culture junkie, but TV shows are easier to parody than movies. Television is character-driven. When you describe an episode of TV to your friends, it’s usually, “Hank said this” and “Walt was losing it.” Porn parody is a character-driven medium too. Movies are story-driven. When you describe a movie to your friends, it’s typically, “This guy planned a robbery. It was his last job. He got shot.” Not a lot of, “The guy’s name was Robert, and he said some very insightful things about his life.” And there’s a lot less humor in a storyline than in a character’s dialogue. So I usually stick with television shows.
What are the ingredients for a good parody?
Orgasms and laughing are two of the best feelings a person can experience, so I try to make a movie that may help them experience both. If a porn spoof can do that for a viewer, it is a good parody.
Do you think porn is missing a sense of humor?
I think that porn has a sense of humor. There just happens to be a lot of people in porn that make it for a viewer’s masturbatory purposes only. Crazy, right? How is somebody supposed to get off without the porn star pretending she is sexy Marge Simpson?
What do you think of George R.R. Martin’s comment about his series actually being dirtier than the porn version?
I think he’s partially right. Yes, as is the case with porn, we have to be wary of obscenity laws. This is why we steer clear of themes like incest. Yes, even pretend incest. So, in the aspect of storyline, sure, Game of Thrones is dirtier. With that said, we show full penetration. We have the characters sucking and fucking in the sweatiest and most explicit ways. Do the books? No.
So really, with all due respect, Game of Bones is definitely the dirtiest version of Game of Thrones. But I invite George R.R. Martin to write a script for the next season of Game of Bones that is as dirty as he thinks we should be, to do his writing justice.
Screengrab via WoodRocket/YouTube | Photo of Myers via Wikimedia Commons
