Entertainment

George W. Bush‘s Severed Head Appears on Spike in Scene from HBO’s ‘Game of Thrones’

The television show “Game of Thrones” is renowned for its unusual combination of epic fantasy with a gritty, cynical, realistic take on political maneuvering. For that reason, some have argued that the show has come to symbolize the increasing disillusionment with the political process which many Americans feel. After all, in Washington, as in the show, honor is seen as a liability, backstabbing and spying are the order of the day, and the stakes can get terrifyingly high. To quote one of the show’s main villains, “When you play the Game of Thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground.”

Until now, the connection between American politics and the show was purely metaphorical. However, an admission by the show’s creators has changed all that. io9 caught the story:

There’s one hell of a dragon egg hidden in Game of Thrones season one. Turns out one of the many heads on a spike decorating King’s Landing belonged to ex-president George Bush.

If you keep your eyes peeled when King Joffrey takes Sansa Stark to gaze upon the spiked head of her dead father around 12 minutes in, you’ll notice that one of the heads looks slightly familiar. Show creators David Benioff and D.B. Weiss explained in their DVD commentary (from Season 1, episode 10) that the decapitated head is actually George Bush.

George W. Bushs Severed Head Appears on Game of Thrones

The fake Bush head concealed by a wig

The creators swear up and down that this wasn’t a political statement. Apparently there was just a shortage of prosthetic severed heads on the set that day, and they had to use the ones that were already available. Why HBO has a prop of George W. Bush‘s severed head is anyone’s guess.

However, we think there is an unintentional political statement here, and it‘s actually not one that’s unfavorable to Bush. For those who want to avoid spoilers for the show, now would be the time to stop reading.

The scene where Bush’s head is seen takes place after two major deaths in the series: the death of the dull-witted, profligate, battle-obsessed and ineffective former King, Robert Baratheon, who despite his flaws as a ruler is portrayed as an essentially decent person, and the wrongful execution of his taciturn, grim and deeply honorable second-in-command, Eddard Stark, who up until this point has been portrayed as the show’s protagonist.

George W. Bushs Severed Head Appears on Game of Thrones

Eddard Stark

The new King is Baratheon’s supposed son, Joffrey, whose parentage is a contested subject. Joffrey is a far less than ideal replacement for his father, being young, amateurish, naive and more than a little too pleased with the idea of putting his political opponents to death or cutting out their tongues.

George W. Bushs Severed Head Appears on Game of Thrones

Joffrey Baratheon

In the scene where Bush’s head appears, Joffrey is showing his intended fiance, who is also the daughter of the dead Eddard Stark, her father’s head, which is sitting next to Bush’s. So at bare minimum, the implication is that Bush was killed by an insane tyrant, through no fault of his own.

However, the parallel goes deeper. Let‘s restate what’s happened up to that point. A former ruler seen by his opponents as a useless, dull-witted, big spender with too much of a taste for war, but who is basically a good person…

George W. Bushs Severed Head Appears on Game of ThronesAnd his second-in-command, an honorable man who is also grim and unapproachable…

George W. Bushs Severed Head Appears on Game of ThronesEnd up replaced by a dangerous amateur with controversies surrounding his birth who shouldn’t be let anywhere near the throne.

George W. Bushs Severed Head Appears on Game of ThronesNow THAT’s an indictment of the Obama administration if we ever heard one.

Now granted, the book the show is based on was written in 1996, so it’s easy to dismiss this as a coincidence. But the inclusion of former President Bush’s head where a less identifiable prosthetic could have been used makes us wonder if maybe the creators spotted this parallel themselves and wanted to push it.

Comments (134)

1 2 3
  • garylee123
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:56pm

    I don‘t watch it and won’t watch it. “Nuff said.

    Report Post »  
    • Meyvn
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:59pm

      Same here.

      Report Post » Meyvn  
    • RSHLUVER
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 7:17pm

      Andy Levy and Greg Gutfeld watch the show. I hope they air it on Red Eye. I’ll tweet Andy Levy.

      Report Post » RSHLUVER  
    • flipp457
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 7:50pm

      what kind christian words from Blazers… Jesus must be proud

      Report Post » flipp457  
    • JACKTHETOAD
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 8:15pm

      Why didn’t you;
      1 Capitalize the word Christian
      2 Claim to know the Mind Of Jesus
      3 I FLIPP you off.

      Report Post » JACKTHETOAD  
    • Bluefish49
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 8:33pm

      I tried watching it but found ita big snooze fest…oh course I’m not part of the “Educated Ellite” Now Brave Heart, Gladiator and Kindom of Heaven….those were good flicks.

      Report Post »  
    • yougottabekidding
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 8:40pm

      Thats two reasons to get rid of hbo

      Report Post »  
    • Detroit paperboy
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 9:43pm

      More civility from the left……

      Report Post »  
    • armyofnibiru
      Posted on June 14, 2012 at 12:02am

      bushes head on a pike no problem to the left. put obamas head on a pike even in jest and the govmt and the media would not say a word about the creatores and cast dissapearing off the face of the earth.heck jaun williams would say they deserved it.

      Report Post »  
    • armyofnibiru
      Posted on June 14, 2012 at 12:08am

      hey flip u 457 times pull your head out your arse your eyes are turning brown you hatemonger raceist;troll

      Report Post »  
    • Cesium
      Posted on June 14, 2012 at 12:17am

      haha, they’re proud of themselves for not watching game of thrones series:P The series is a great depiction of what people would have to tolerate living under monarchy even if there is some supernatural themes

      Report Post »  
    • Jaycen
      Posted on June 14, 2012 at 12:20am

      HBO churns out so much hard-left garbage, I just assumed this was more of the same. HBO has been in the tank for Progressives for YEARS. I don’t trust anyone associated with HBO as far as I could spit on one.

      Report Post » Jaycen  
    • Doctor Nordo
      Posted on June 14, 2012 at 3:03am

      Too bad. It’s a good show. The book is better, but the show is great too.

      Report Post » Doctor Nordo  
    • SocialistSlayer
      Posted on June 14, 2012 at 8:42am

      I don’t watch it either but the Secret Service should be looking into this!

      Report Post » SocialistSlayer  
    • inthealpine
      Posted on June 14, 2012 at 8:46am

      It is a really good series. I did not read the books on advice of a friend that did, because the author George RR Martin tends to kill off hero’s you become attached to. The story line makes you cringe because it‘s not always easy to pick a ’side’ in the sub plots, understanding the perspective of characters causes you to be conflicted.
      My favorite character is from the ‘bad family’, partly because the actor is great, but also because I understand why he does what he does.

      Don’t sell it short, it’s from HBO so like Band of Brothers the quality of production is fantastic.

      Report Post »  
    • OniMan
      Posted on June 14, 2012 at 8:51am

      Haters gonna hate, but why, HBO is a commercial power house, how could any good conservative not love such a successful company, its an unamerican statement to not be proud of them, shame on all of you that can’t deal with a plastic head on a spike, esp when no one noticed until HBO pointed it out….shame shame…… :(

      Report Post »  
    • Idontdisagree
      Posted on June 14, 2012 at 11:34am

      The man needs a name. The name the man is given, GaryLee123.
      Game of Thrones!

      Report Post »  
    • stminton
      Posted on June 14, 2012 at 11:54am

      You are all making a mistake – The head that is displayed ( Bush ) is Eddard Stark, the King’s Hand, who is the only HONORABLE and TRUSTWORTHY man in the kingdom. He is killed by the USURPERs who are elitists and liars and have taken the throne by lying to the populace. Eddard was trying to keep the kingdom and the people safe and was betrayed and killed.

      Frankly, This is a compliment to W by showing that he was doing the best he could while surronded by those who only wished power for themselves.

      Report Post »  
    • Go-rin-no-sho
      Posted on June 14, 2012 at 2:18pm

      Damn it, I’ve read all five books, I dislike the TV show but I think the 70% of the posters here who completely miss the unintended ironic compliment to Bush are the blindest friggn idiots.

      Report Post » Go-rin-no-sho  
    • Go-rin-no-sho
      Posted on June 14, 2012 at 2:24pm

      @INTHEALPINE He doesn’t “tend to kill off the characters you’ve become attached to”, it’s supposed to be realistic. Infact, most of the villains don’t end up any better off than the good guys, though it may not look that way. The Starks aren’t the only good guys, and the series‘s focus isn’t solely on the Starks because in reality not everyone is as “holy” as a Stark. Most of the characters who do the most good aren’t even considered good guys for what they do, like Ilyrio and Varys. I implore you to read the books, as that’s a very narrow view of how George R. R. Martin wrote them. They are much better than the TV show which takes out half the plot and keeps the sex levels up, despite the fact that I love Sean Bean and Pete Dinklage.

      Report Post » Go-rin-no-sho  
  • capelady
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:52pm

    I watched season one of Game of Thrones because I discovered I am related to one of the actors, so I was curious. I remember that scene and you are so focused on the young girl seeing her father, Eddard Starks‘ head on a pike that you really don’t pay any attention to the other head… and with all that hair on it, who would have noticed it was George W. Bush anyway until it was shown here and identified. I think this is much ado about nothing. Now, the fact that they made a movie about the assassination of George W. Bush WHILE HE WAS STILL IN OFFICE was far more controversial and disrespectful… and I can just imagine the FBI swat team that would be called out if anyone did that about Obama today!

    Report Post »  
    • MrButcher
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 9:02pm

      Great point.

      “Death of a President” should be resurrected in the blogosphere sometime soon.

      just as a reminder..

      Report Post » MrButcher  
    • Guerrino_P
      Posted on June 14, 2012 at 2:55pm

      @Capelady
      Movies are make-believe. Real people at real Republican events during the last election were calling for the death of Obama. Stupidity doesn’t discriminate. You see it on both sides.

      Report Post »  
  • Joyzee
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:51pm

    Coward’s! thats all

    Report Post »  
  • layla
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:48pm

    so glad i cancelled HBO

    Report Post »  
  • AzThunder
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:36pm

    I’ve BLOCKED all HBO channels on my system. I wouldn’t watch anything on HBO even if they paid me

    Report Post » AzThunder  
    • Cesium
      Posted on June 14, 2012 at 12:18am

      Congratulations! you are superior!

      Report Post »  
    • Jaycen
      Posted on June 14, 2012 at 12:23am

      @Cesium

      Azthunder didn’t mention being superior in any way. It was simply a declaritive statement. You though, have proclaimed your douchery. Congratulations!

      Report Post » Jaycen  
  • affinity
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:31pm

    The lefties are some very sick, psychotic, evil, deranged, freaks and that’s why I feel we do have something in common on a lower level.

    Whenever a leftie tells you there’s no such thing as a war between conservatives and idiots give them a copy of this article.

    Report Post »  
    • emomobile
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 7:31pm

      Did you even read the article, or just the headline?

      Report Post »  
    • socialism.rocks
      Posted on June 14, 2012 at 12:38am

      the founders were also at war with conservatives they were real men through and blasted them in the face

      Report Post » socialism.rocks  
    • Idontdisagree
      Posted on June 14, 2012 at 11:37am

      Looks like a Wildling has gotten past the Wall.

      Report Post »  
    • armyofnibiru
      Posted on June 14, 2012 at 4:13pm

      social rockhead where did you learn your history from,al and jessys justus high school or karl marxs school of rewriteing. maybe you took the fuzzy math course.

      Report Post »  
  • BurntHills
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:27pm

    finally!!, on The Blaze’s The Blog, the gay sofa photo of the college-age gay obama cuddling up to his wormy gay roomie– the doper pakistani Sohale Siddiqi, that’s the same guy obama described under another name as a hunky type in his Mein Kampf.

    Report Post » BurntHills  
  • Laken
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:27pm

    This is RACIST…it is because he is WHITE……right obots??

    Report Post » Laken  
  • allyoucaneatbaby
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:24pm

    Im sorry, I cant come on this site anymore, this is too stupid….this article did it, the blaze is officially beneath me, ill leave you morons to it. May you someday see some sort of truth.

    Report Post »  
  • mountainmover101
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:19pm

    This is artistic license. I may offend some people. It is what it is. I work in an artistic field. I have some illustrations that are beyond wonderful with some similar types of license. I’ll publish them after Romney is sworn in. I have been told repeatedly by friends and ADs that I need to keep such things to myself…“for now”. Yes cvhildren, there is indeed a Herr Goebbles equivalent lurking in this administration.

    Report Post »  
  • JQCitizen
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:19pm

    This must be some of the “Respect” that the Rev. Fred Luter Jr. (soon to be voted the first Black president of the Southern Baptist Convention) remembers being SHOWERED on all our former
    White Presidents.

    I remember all those wonderful acts of respect that George Bush enjoyed!

    Report Post »  
  • copatriots
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:05pm

    Would you rather……

    A) Have your head on a stick in a Game of Thrones video?

    or

    B) Be the “crush” from the “boy” in the latest Obama “crush” video?

    Easy choice to me!

    Report Post »  
    • AvengerK
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:09pm

      Sean Bean’s one of my favourite actors. Looks like Game of Thrones gets put on the “don’t watch” list.

      Report Post »  
    • eyestoseeearstohear
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:18pm

      I bet THEY thought that was SO FUNNY…
      OK…turn about is fair play.

      A ) Would you rather have GW’s head on a stick in a Game of Thrones video?

      OR

      B ) Obama’s azz sewed up in November?

      Easy choice for me!

      Report Post »  
    • copatriots
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:27pm

      Sorry, AVENGER, but I do understand. I absolutely refuse to give money to Hollyweird or shop at liberal stores. Was really difficult to give up Heinz for a Pittsburgh-area native!

      Report Post »  
    • rickc34
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:41pm

      Obama has a boy friend? I thought Obama boy looked like Michell without the wig?

      Report Post »  
    • copatriots
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 7:14pm

      Settle down, EYES, you clearly missed my humor……better to have your head on a stick then be 0bama’s boy crush.

      Report Post »  
    • eyestoseeearstohear
      Posted on June 14, 2012 at 8:31am

      @ COPATRIOTS

      No…I got your humor.

      I said I bet “THEY” thought it was funny – “they” meaning those who devised this image.

      YOU and I are straight, OK?

      Report Post »  
  • charles116
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:01pm

    Cool.
    where’s that war criminal Cheney?

    Report Post » charles116  
    • barber2
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:13pm

      Always interesting to hear from the hoodie – parrots from the Obama Re-election Committee. Hopefully the Republicans can improve the economy so you guys could get real jobs.

      Report Post »  
    • EqualJustice
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:20pm

      DOJ drops charges against Edwards? Oh, big shocker.. talk about CORRUPT and CRIMINAL? BO AND HOLDER top the list! Get a clue.

      Report Post » EqualJustice  
    • BurntHills
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:32pm

      God bless the innocent Mr Zimmerman, just trying to protect his neighborhood and had defended his own life after getting ambushed by a younger bigger gold-toothed gangsta-thug-wannabe who already had attacked an innocent bus driver. downstate at the same time an exact same type ”obama son” also already murdered 2 innocent white British tourists.

      Report Post » BurntHills  
    • AzThunder
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:46pm

      @BurntHills

      trayvon got what he deserved. one less thug-wanna-be

      Report Post » AzThunder  
    • barber2
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 7:00pm

      BURNT: Totally agree with you. Have NEVER been as disgusted with any administration as I am with this bunch. The media leaks of classified , damaging information and the Zimmerman witch hunt are shocking and treasonous .

      Report Post »  
  • BETTY CROCKER
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 5:59pm

    Um… A Game of Thrones is based word for word on a book that was first published in 1996. It can’t be about the Bush and Obama Administrations. They did not exist yet. The writer of this article needs to learn how to do research instead of fantasizing bizarre political motives where there were none.

    Report Post »  
    • Dagnabbit5
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:12pm

      So , did you even get to the end of the article or just decide to throw out you comment the moment it entered your head?

       
    • BETTY CROCKER
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:22pm

      So, did you actually read and fully comprehend what I wrote or is that your generic troll-response that challenges the authority of your Lord and Savior Glenn Beck and his propaganda mill called The Blaze?

      Report Post »  
    • rickc34
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:35pm

      It just fits. So don’t get your shorts in a bunch. We all read it . Just the writer had foresight. It was the left HBO that brought Bush into it as the King. So cool your jets .

      Report Post »  
    • 343_Guilty_Spark
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:38pm

      @Betty

      They did read the article and your comment, as did I, including your poorly crafted response. Suggest you pay particular attention to the last paragraph…

      Confucius say: “Better to be thought idiot, than to open mouth and remove all doubt”

      Report Post »  
    • Matrix22
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:43pm

      Could it possibly be that although the parallels were coincidental, they still exist, and therefore, the use of GWB head was intential? Maybe because the parallels were not intended, but existed, the producers used a little thing some call “creative license” to add that little bit in? On the other hand, I haven’t read the book, so maybe in the book there’s a severed head of GWB? Like you said, it was, “word for word,” so, you probably know already.

      Report Post »  
    • yiska8
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 8:33pm

      The make-up artists are union represented just like actors have SAG union representation. Of all the masks in the business, they had to use W’s? C’mon now Betty Crocker. How could we here on the Blaze think anything else, when the Hollywood industry gives standing ovations during Oscar ceremonies in praise of being anti-war, therefore anti-Bush. I haven’t seen any anti-war speeches at Oscar ceremonies in the last three years against King Obama. Have you? And they even made a movie about ASSASSINATING GWB while he was still in office!!! HELLO, anyone home, Crocker? You are not there yet Betty Crocker. You keep your high intellectual morale like our Prez and blinders on like Barry wants. Keep on as you have been. Go back to sleep. We are not crazy or paranoid. We’re just AWAKE!!!!

      Report Post » yiska8  
  • theorybattledotcom
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 5:58pm

    if you have a theory on what is behind all this, put it on http://www.theorybattle.com so the topic can have some traction and resolution.

    Report Post »  
  • RLTW
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 5:57pm

    It’s quite a reach, but whatever it takes to make yourself keep watching this cr @py show drive on.

    Report Post »  
  • Anonymous T. Irrelevant
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 5:57pm

    “The creators swear up and down that this wasn’t a political statement.”
    ——————————————————
    Riiiiggghht. They lie about as well as their anointed one. Not that I watch that crap, anyway.

    Report Post » Anonymous T. Irrelevant  
    • Bad Kitty
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 7:41pm

      and if this was a fake obama head how would you react?

      Report Post » Bad Kitty  
  • BuzzardSays
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 5:55pm

    It appears the writers of that piece of dung epic need a bung-hole exam from Secret Service. Oh! Thats right it is not illegal for jerks on the left to insinuate any vile act they can dream up or have visions of while ingesting their new drug “du jour” bath salts.

    Report Post » BuzzardSays  
    • DIR
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 8:33pm

      Article: “The creators swear up and down that this wasn’t a political statement. Apparently there was just a shortage of prosthetic severed heads on the set that day, and they had to use the ones that were already available.”

      In all fairness they needed to put a huge steaming cow pie on a stick as a prosthetic severed liberal head. Everyone would be wondering which liberal’s head they were displaying. Nancy Pelosi would think she knows and be up in arms, fighting over the honor, with such luminaries as Joy Behar, Al Gore, Keith Olberman and many others. After all is said and done they could all claim the honor. I sure wouldn’t be one to dispute them. In any event, the producers would get great media coverage and millions would be tuning in to see if they could identify the suspect pile.

      Report Post »  
  • Red Max
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 5:54pm

    Wow! Score another point for the loonies. http://www.zombietime.com/zomblog/?p=621

    Report Post »  
  • biffo
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 5:54pm

    I like it. Although Joffrey Baratheon comes off much smarter than obama. And obama has a proven cruelty far exceeding young Joffrey. No heads on pikes yet, but more than a few bodies.

    Report Post »  
  • 0Troy
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 5:54pm

    *shrug* Amusing article.

    Report Post »  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 5:52pm

    Sounds a little too close to what Obama intends with his political enemies.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • allyoucaneatbaby
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:21pm

      ya, one guy starts 2 wars….the next guy ends them, and somehow hes the bloodthirsty one?

      Report Post »  
    • barber2
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 6:40pm

      ALL: No. I wouldn’t call him “bloodthirsty.” But I would call him stupid and heartless to wasting so many American lives before achieving a manageable ending. Leaving a battle before it is over, is usually a sign of capitulation.

      Report Post »  
    • gpk
      Posted on June 13, 2012 at 7:37pm

      Will never happen. We are many.

      Report Post »  
  • rickc34
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 5:52pm

    At first I thought leftist b__terds but after reading on it was a bust on Obama. Haha Obama HBO sold you out.

    Report Post »  
  • FreedomPurveyor
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 5:49pm

    I love the interpretation in this article

    Report Post » FreedomPurveyor  
  • jhaydeng
    Posted on June 13, 2012 at 5:49pm

    Did anyone notice?

    Report Post »  
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