A FAMILIAR MEME. A NEW CONTEXT.

Game of Thrones Memes

What this meme means

Game of Thrones inspired a huge number of memes that rework its scenes and characters. A popular format pairs a serious still from the show with a photo of elderly women sitting on courtyard benches.

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The show and its popularity

Game of Thrones was created by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss, based on George Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire book series. It premiered on the American channel HBO in April 2011, and the final season aired in 2019. Over eight seasons the show became one of the most talked-about in the world, and its episodes regularly drew record audiences.

A plot full of twists, unexpected character deaths, and sharp emotional scenes supplied enormous material for jokes. Users quickly started making memes for every season, and sometimes for individual scenes, especially when a character's reaction seemed exaggerated or out of place.

The best-known meme threads

Among the most popular memes are lines about winter, phrases about the throne, and famous scenes where characters stare at others with undisguised contempt. Shots of Cersei Lannister, played by Lena Headey, became one of the main sources of pictures about a cold stare and vindictiveness.

The pictures are often pulled out of context, but viewers understand the reference and recognize the character instantly. That's exactly why memes from the show can live for years and move from one community to another without losing their meaning.

The comparison with grandmothers on a bench

The picture included in this collection is built on a pairing of two stills. On top, a serious-faced heroine from the show; below, a group of elderly women sitting on benches in a courtyard, watching the goings-on closely. The expressions are similar: stern, appraising, and a little distrustful.

The joke works thanks to a recognizable image. In the Russian-speaking internet, "grandmothers on a bench" have long formed their own genre, a symbol of closely watching the neighbors and discussing everything that happens in the courtyard. The comparison with the show's heroine underscores that such a look can be just as fearsome as the one from the show's characters. The people in the photo haven't been identified, and the joke concerns the expression and mood of the shot, not anyone's appearance.

Why memes like this last so long

Game of Thrones memes have remained popular even after the finale, because the show left behind so many recognizable images. Any still can become a caption, and any character can become a symbol of a particular mood. Users appreciate the chance to join two very different worlds — high drama and an everyday scene — and get a funny contrast out of it.

On top of that, the show itself became a subject of irony. Its finale sparked a great deal of debate, and fans were happy to poke fun at their own expectations. Some of the memes are aimed at people who watched the show, and some are understandable even without knowing the plot.

How pictures like this get used

Most often, pictures from the show are used in comments and discussions when someone needs to express skepticism, distrust, or exaggerated calm. Pairing it with a still from ordinary life works as a short caption that needs no explanation.

This meme shows well how the show's aesthetic has crossed over into everyday life. A heroine known for her coldness and ordinary people on a bench end up in the same frame, and the meaning arises precisely from that unexpected juxtaposition.