GQ has a very Sports Guy-y interview with Obama, which is no surprise because it was conducted by Bill Simmons himself. In the interview, Simmons asked Obama what his “guilty pleasure” TV show is, which is basically his version of the “boxers or briefs” question, with one caveat: “Don’t say Game of Thrones because it’s a good show.” Obama answered by saying he watched The Big Break, a boring show about golf, on the treadmill, but added, “I do love Game of Thrones.” Here’s what happened next:
Which character do you identify with?
My favorite character is probably … the dwarf, what’s his name?
Oh, yeah. Peter Dinklage’s character.
The problem with Game of Thrones, though, is that I don’t remember the names of any of the characters.
I don’t, either.
I remember the characters, so when I watch it, I know exactly what’s going on. But if you read a review of the show afterwards and they’re mentioning such and such, the only one I remember is Jon Snow, because I can pronounce Jon Snow.
Simmons covered for Obama, but if you don’t know the name Tyrion Lannister (one of the show’s three lead characters), you probably don’t love the show and you might not watch it in the first place. That may be for the best, though. Earlier this year a Game of Thrones director told Obama that Jon Snow was definitely dead. If that’s not the case (and it increasingly seems like it isn’t) then Obama would be pissed for being misled—but that’ll never happen if he never watches the show.