Mormons hesitate to watch captivating Game of Thrones series

Tonight at 9 p.m. Mountain Time many televisions tuned to HBO for the third episode of the third season of Game of Thrones, a magical, medieval series based on the book series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin.

The critically acclaimed series has grown quite popular with many college students across the United States. The season three premiere netted 4.4 million viewers.

“If you don't watch Game of Thrones then you need to rethink your life,” said Sean Cogan, an undergraduate student at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania.

Jean-Paul Zuhur, a student at Bard College in New York, remarked that it is an unpredictable television program.

“It’s is a crazy show,” Zuhur said. “What a storyline. George R.R. Martin’s books have crazy twists and it’s awesome to see them filmed for the screen so well.”

A sophomore at the University of Pittsburgh, Carly Baird had a similar opinion.

“Well at first I was like this is going to be some super lame dungeons and dragons-type stuff, but then I got to watching it and I was really drawn in by the characters,” Baird said. “No other show kills off main characters without warning like Game of Thrones.”

The hour-long program has also crept its way onto the television screens of Utah residents, but not without hesitation from some viewers due to it’s bouts of graphic nudity and violence, especially for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

“I think a lot of Mormons get squeamish because nudity is kind of something that’s shunned in our religion; it’s not really smiled upon,” said Amy Nelson, a Mormon and a Utah State University sophomore. “Often they are super conservative and they haven’t really been exposed to a lot of that kind of stuff.”

Ryan Johnson, a Mormon finishing his junior year at Utah State, said he was a fan of the show until the nudity came on screen.

“It just wasn’t appropriate to me,” Johnson said. “Even though I was really into the show I had to stop watching it.”

Johnson said he hasn't watched a single episode since.

Brian Allen, a 20 year-old lifelong Mormon and native of Sandy, Utah, said although he doesn’t appreciate the nudity it doesn’t stop him from watching.

“When the sex scenes come on I always look away,” said Allen. “It’s such an interesting show I put up with it though.”

Several non-Mormons said they didn’t object to the nudity.

“The nudity kind of intrigues me, it doesn’t bother me at all,” said Baird, a non-practicing christian. “I actually wish they would show some male nudity instead of just female.”

“I could care less,” said Eddie Campos, a catholic sophomore at Utah State University. “I just see the breasts on screen and think, ‘Oh, those are nice,’ then they’re gone. It’s not a big deal to me.”

“There’s a lot of sex in the world,” said Zuhur, an agnostic. “Portraying it actually adds realism and a sort of primal, human drama to an otherwise fantasy series.”