Why the Red Wedding made me like GoT more.

I find beauty in the grotesque, like most artists. I have to force people to look at things”- Alexander McQueen

I remember when I went to see the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the met a few years ago. It was dark, sad and complex, but most of all it was absolutely breathtakingly beautiful. It took us a little over an hour to get through the entire thing, and when we got out of the museum the sunny day outside seemed wrong. I wasn’t ready to come out of the dark yet. The heaviness of the exhibit stayed with me even after we were removed from it. How could fashion do this to me? I had walked through a closet of dresses, shoes, and hats and I still felt completely overwhelmed by emotion.

I thought of my McQueen experience today while I was mourning the death of the majority of the Stark family on last night’s episode of Game of Thrones. I’ve known about the red wedding for months- I read this and I’ve played it out in my mind, but NOTHING prepared me for what I watched last night. In some ways the TV version was less graphic than the book (minus the whole pregnant stomach stabbing thing, that was a bit much), but it was still heartbreaking to watch. I saw a TV show 24 hours ago and I still feel the dark, heavy, sadness of the scene. The internet is full of people who are distraught, angry, and devastated by the fate of fictional characters, myself including. We aren’t ready to come out of our dark place yet.

We do a really good job of shielding ourselves from feeling too much in real life. We build walls and set ourselves up so that when we feel emotion, whether it’s good or bad, it’s never to the point where we can’t handle it. But when we observe art we forget to protect ourselves. We become emotionally invested and leave ourselves wide open to it. Good artists take advantage of this. Shakespeare, Picasso, Edgar Allen Poe- their art wasn’t all sunshine and butterflies- it was dark, and sad. As much as I hate to say it, George RR Martin, a incredibly talented artist of stories and words, has taken full advantage of our flaw, and I kind of like it.

**IF YOU’RE NOT CAUGHT UP ON THIS SEASON OF GoT, DON’T READ ANY FURTHER, SPOILERS**

Last night was disturbing to say the very, VERY least. We all “awwwwed” together when the adorable couple decided to name their unborn child after Robb’s father (who was also ripped from our clutches when we least expected it!!), and before we can even comprehend what’s going on- BAMMM EVERY ONE WE LOVE IS DEAD!!!!! Even freakin Talisa and her unborn baby- WHAT THE HECKKKKKK! Everyone knew something was coming, I mean people were smiling, people were happy- in Game of Thrones that means someone needs to die. As uncomfortable and sad as this made us, THIS IS WHY WE WATCH. We need to feel something, that is what makes us human. Even these horrible, sad, angry, disgusting feelings- we are human because we feel them. Kudos to Martin for MAKING US FEEL THESE THINGS we hate to feel, for showing us that the good guys don’t always come out on top, that every story doesn’t end the way we want it to. That following your heart doesn’t always end up like The Notebook. For bringing us to an uncomfortable, dark place and making us feel everything we are capable of feeling. This is what real art is.

So don’t quit on Game of Thrones just because you felt something you don’t like to feel, LOVE THE SHOW BECAUSE IT DOES JUST THAT. It entertains you in a way you’re not used to being entertained. It forces you to feel things you don’t like to feel, but enjoy it because feeling sad and angry makes you feel just as alive as feeling happy does.

Not to mention, Arya is still out there kicking ass and she’ll avenge her family, and when that happens you’re going to be PISSED if you miss it!!!