Wait, if ‘Yellowstone’ is a ‘red state Game of Thrones,’ was ‘Game of Thrones’ a ‘blue state’ show?

by Therese Odell, posted in watch this

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SLAP.

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Here’s A BUNCH OF TV News

The Anti-Defamation League has condemned Dave Chappelle’s monologue on this past Saturday Night Live, writing on Twitter: “We shouldn’t expect Dave Chappelle to serve as society’s moral compass, but disturbing to see SNL not just normalize but popularize antisemitism. Why are Jewish sensitivities denied or diminished at almost every turn? Why does our trauma trigger applause?”

I just wanted to take the time here to say that I had a friend reach out to me about my review of Saturday’s show to take me to task for not condemning Chappelle’s antisemitism strongly enough. And I fully agree. I thought that I was making the point that while most reviews claimed that Chappelle “roasted” Kanye West, what I saw him do was mock West for saying the quiet part out loud, that the “Jews” supposedly “control Hollywood,” and that by speaking out against them, one is risking one’s career. I also believed I was making the point that Chappelle never denounced Kanye for making antisemitic remarks. I regret writing that Chappelle was “playing at the fringes of antisemitic stereotypes” because he wasn’t. He was engaging in age-old antisemitic tropes, and I should have made it clearer that while Kanye’s statements are much more blatantly antisemitic, what Chappelle said on Saturday wasn’t any less offensive or wrong.

The Stranger Things guys said they made the Netflix executives cry when they gave them the season five pitch. GREAT. SO HOW MANY KIDS DIE?

“Ted Lasso” has been putting up billboards across the country in the hometowns of the US Men’s Soccer Team with individual messages to the players and coaches ahead of the World Cup. This is incredibly sweet, by which I mean, incredibly Ted.

Just in time for the premiere of A Christmas Story Christmas later this week, you can now buy the Christmas Story house.

Taylor Sheridan, the creator of Yellowstone, takes great offense at people calling it a “red-state Game of Thrones,” and you know what? I’m actually inclined to sorta agree, but not on the points he makes.

Sheridan says, “The show’s talking about the displacement of Native Americans and the way Native American women were treated and about corporate greed and the gentrification of the West, and land-grabbing. That’s a red-state show?”

And you know, fine, decent point. Except, the Yellowstone audience skews older and does appeal to a much broader audience than, say, HBO shows like Euphoria or The White Lotus. It’s a “red-state” show in that it is broadly popular outside of the coastal areas, not that it promotes conservative values.

Which brings me to the second part of calling Yellowstone a “red-state Game of Thrones,” because that suggests that Game of Thrones was a blue-state show. I’m pretty sure Game of Thrones, HBO’s most popular series ever, and the most popular cable show of its moment — even though it was on an expensive premium cable channel — was popular with a pretty broad swath of America, not just in New York and Los Angeles. But maybe I’m wrong?

There was a fascinating New York Times piece from 2016 that compared the popularity of certain TV shows across different areas of the country, and the NYT suggested that Game of Thrones was more popular in the cities than in rural areas. But take a look at this map. Sure, GoT wasn’t particularly popular in the deep South, but check out how popular it was out West, in Nevada, Wyoming, Montana, Arizona, ALASKA. These are “rural” states, too.

In fact, I would argue that if you compare the Game of Thrones map to the viewing maps of Empire and 106 & Park, you’ll see that it’s not so much a red state/blue state divide, but a white/Black divide. And I don’t think most Black voters would consider themselves “red staters” even if they live in one. (I know I don’t.)

More importantly, it might be a divide based on income. If you overlayed that Game of Thrones viewing map above with this one of median household incomes in 2017 … it’s pretty much the same map. Which brings me back to the point that Game of Thrones was on an expensive premium cable channel which people in the “rural” areas that the New York Times specifically highlighted might not be able to afford, versus a show like Yellowstone which is on basic cable and available to a much bigger audience. It’s not that Game of Thrones has “blue state” values, and Yellowstone “red state” values, it’s simply a matter of demographics.

AND NOW I’VE THOUGHT ABOUT ALL OF THIS TOO MUCH. Anyway, check out the trailer for the Yellowstone prequel, 1923, below.

The Crown recreated this very cringey Prince Charles break-dancing scene which I had managed to go through my entire life without seeing until just now. I might die of secondhand embarrassment.

Wait, did Guillermo del Toro just suggest that Bootsy Collins might direct an episode of the second season of Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities? Because I would watch the hell out of that.

The Very Olds are having a slap fight.

Hulu is adding more live TV channels — 14 more, including The Weather Channel and the Hallmark Channels.

White Man actually takes responsibility for ruining things. (Not that White Man.)

Look out, Mousketeers: layoffs are coming.

Nick Wilson, a Survivor winner, won a seat in the Kentucky House of Representatives that season. But he’s a Republican, so I can’t get all that excited for him.

This isn’t a TV story, but a Houston one: Travis Scott is executive producing a film about DJ Screw.

Get better soon, Jay Leno!

Renewals

Cancellations

In Development

Casting News

Mark Your Calendar

  • 1923 will debut on Paramount+ on December 18.
  • Smile will be available to stream on Paramount+ on November 15 (tomorrow).
  • Behind the Music returns on Paramount+ on November 29.
  • Sr. will debut on Netflix on December 2.
  • The Low Tone Club will debut on Disney+ on November 30.
  • Dream Home Makeover returns on Netflix on December 9.
  • The Most Beautiful Flower (La Flor Más Bella) will premiere on Netflix on December 7.
  • Piano y Mujer II premieres on HBO Max on November 29.
  • I Hate Christmas will debut on Netflix on December 7.
  • A Town Called Malice will debut on Sky in 2023.

R.I.P.

John Aniston, Longtime Days of Our Lives actor and father of Jennifer Aniston

Richard Eustis, Emmy-winning writer and creator of Head of the Class

Budd Friedman, Founder of the Improv Comedy Club

Dolores “Mema” Hughes, Star of the reality show Hollywood Hillbillies

Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, Former MMA fighter

Keith Levene, Guitarist and co-founder of The Clash and Public Image Limited

Nik Turner, Member of the band Hawkwind

Mehran Karimi Nasseri, The Iranian man who inspired the Tom Hanks film The Terminal. He died in the Charles de Gaulle Airport.

WATCH THIS

20/20: Breaking with the President: The Mike Pence Interview: David Muir interviews Mike Pence who is finally FINALLY able to admit that the Former Rioter in Chief tried to get him killed on January 6. 9 p.m., ABC

Stutz: Jonah Hill makes a documentary about his therapist who he credits for helping him deal with his crippling anxiety. And look, if this encourages more men to seek out therapy, then this is a win. However, I’m struggling to think of something more navel-gazing than making a documentary about your therapy journey. Premiere. Netflix

E! News: The pop culture news magazine no one was missing is back! Season premiere. 10:30 p.m., E!

Teletubbies: Cue right-wing outrage about gay Teletubbies grooming your children. Netflix

(Sorry if I’m a little grumpy today. I had my COVID booster and flu shot yesterday, and it shows.)

Late Night:

  • Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon: Bruce Springsteen, Chloë Grace Moretz
  • Late Night with Seth Meyers: Chelsea Handler, Martin McDonagh, Arjuna Contreras
  • The Late Show with Stephen Colbert: Michelle Obama, Stromae
  • The Late Late Show with James Corden: Emily Blunt, Jonathan Majors, Murray Bartlett
  • Jimmy Kimmel Live: Chris Hemsworth, Meghann Fahy, Måneskin
  • The Daily Show: TBD
  • Watch What Happens Live: Natalya Scudder, Faye Clarke

MON. 7:00 7:30 8:00 8:30 9:00 9:30
ABC Bachelor in Paradise
(new)		 20/20: Breaking with the President: The Mike Pence Interview
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CBS The Neighborhood
(new)		 Bob ♥ Abishola
(new)		 NCIS
(new)		 NCIS: Hawai’i
(new)
CW All American
(new)		 All American: Homecoming
(new)		 Local
FOX 9-1-1
(new)		 The Cleaning Lady
(new)		 News/Local
NBC The Voice
(new)		 Quantum Leap
(repeat)

One thought on “Wait, if ‘Yellowstone’ is a ‘red state Game of Thrones,’ was ‘Game of Thrones’ a ‘blue state’ show?”

  1. I never thought of a show as being Red State or Blue State before. Maybe we should stop trying to label everything Red or Blue? But I will add that my far right friends do like GOT.
    I just got back from 2 weeks in the middle east for work. Even with everything going on here be glad we live here. Restricted internet, limited apps, limited TV. Although Ellen was aired with a warning.

    Reply

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