Fans of Game of Thrones are just like fanatics of any other sort. Whether it be your favorite sports team, movie trilogy or your very own hometown, people tend to become defensive over the things they love and enjoy. So when the so-called ‘Ned Stark is a Dumbass’ meme started making it’s way around the internet, Game of Thrones fans harrumphed like never before. Please forgive us for perpetuating these images accross the web, it’s Friday and if you don’t get a chuckle out of at least one of these I’m not sure what to tell you. Take a look at some of the (often amusing) mockups people have made that seem to question the great Eddard Stark’s intelligence. (Click on the images for a larger version)
There are more but I’m sure you get the idea. So what do you think? Is Ned Stark, Lord of Winterfell a numbskull or is he just in over his head? He was hesitant to go south in the first place, mind you. But could be playing his cards differently? Find out at 9PM this Sunday on HBO.
11 comments
But he did do all those things. He was far too honourable, not a political animal at all and indeed “did not belong in that rat’s nest of a capital.”
But he did do all those things. He was far too honourable, not a political animal at all and indeed “did not belong in that rat’s nest of a capital.”
before i say anything, i have to give props to the meme. absolutely hilarious. memes are pretty much always hilarious to me, though, regardless of who/what they’re targeting.
but seriously, would anybody have actually watched GOT without ned’s character? i mean, from what i got, it was basically ‘sex, blood, incestuous sex, oh a horse’s head wtf, NED’S AWESOME HONOR, every woman who isn’t royal is a whore, betrayal is law, NED IS A PILLAR OF LIGHT, weird tribal people with some white people thrown in blah blah blah too many scenes, WOW NED IS STILL CAMPAIGNING FOR JUSTICE, everything just goes to shit, the end.’
i mean, considering how many people rave about the books, i hope that they’re significantly better than the show. half of it was pretty good – basically everything directly involving the starks (minus sansa who i hope chokes on a–). but without ned, not even an entire army of starks would have been able to hold their own against the wall of total asshattery being hurled at them from every direction. he was like father time or some such necessary figure without whom the entire universe would spiral remorselessly into a black whole. i don’t regret watching it (even if i did have to ffwd through basically every sex scene) but i have to admit that i threw my remote at my screen when it ended. anyway, ned is mothereffing hardcore and if GOT teaches you anything, it’s that intelligence is overrated and apparently turns you into a cuntbasket.
“I’m tired of people saying “Ned’s a dumbass.” He’s NOT. There’s a difference between intelligence and political savvy. Ned possesses the former but clearly lacks the latter. People are confusing “smart” for “conniving”. Ned Stark doesn’t have a tainted bone in his body, and that’s his real problem.”
Ned Stark left a tainted bone in Jon Snow’s Mother’s body. Just sayin’.
I like game of thrones and asoiaf a lot, but Neds not a dumbass he is just really honorable and well that ended up (SPOILER ALERT) killing him, although the name should be Ned stark is way to honorable, they are still really funny
Are there more? I’ve only seen these six. I think they were all made by the same person.
They are pretty funny, but people overlook that most of Ned’s actions are dictated by his sense of honor. The reason he told Cersei what he knew was because he believed that because she was a woman she (and her children) needed to be protected, even though he knew she had committed vile treason. Did he underestimate her? Yep. But it was because of his morals, not his intelligence.
I’ve been a fan of the series since 1999. Ned is one of my favorite characters – BECAUSE of his willful nobility, in the face of logic.
But this meme is very amusing and very apt. *This* GoT fan is hardly unamused. I laughed heartily.
I like the character of Eddard Stark muchly. That, however, does not lessen the fact that he’s a noble dunce. He should’ve defused the Tyrion abduction situation. Just sayin’. :)
I completely and 100% agree with Dara. Ned Stark seems to be one of the truly good-hearted people in King’s Landing. I’ve read George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series (obviously not the whole thing yet lol) and Ned was always my favorite character while reading that series. By the way, one of the greatest Sci/Fi/Fantasy series of all time. I hope he writes another 10 of them before he finally ends the Seven Kingdoms universe.
I’m tired of people saying “Ned’s a dumbass.” He’s NOT. There’s a difference between intelligence and political savvy. Ned possesses the former but clearly lacks the latter. People are confusing “smart” for “conniving”. Ned Stark doesn’t have a tainted bone in his body, and that’s his real problem.
I actually agree with all of this. I mean he basically did everything he could to get betrayed at the end.