So, my publishers say I have to start trying to appeal to a younger audience… pic.twitter.com/T3BZuw6iqB
— George RR Martin (@GRRMspeaking) April 11, 2017
George R. Martin is not a frequent tweeter. The inimitable Game Of Thrones author may have over 800,000 (!) followers, but he has posted less than 700 tweets during his time using the micro-blogging platform. Despite the dearth of content from the prolific author, this afternoon he did find time to post a pic to his feed that can only be described as an homage to hip-hop culture, an element that some might consider at odds with the sci-fi obsessives who track Martin’s every move in hopes of GoT clues.
The pic is, of course, a quintessential white guy tries to look like a rapper moment, from the meme’d tagline ‘Wazzzzup’ — which is also a send up of Budweiser’s terrible old commercial — to the sideways hat, and even the way Martin has arranged his hands in an approximation (?) of what white people think a gang sign might look like. I highly doubt Martin is even aware that’s why he’s posing this way, he’s probably just seen enough rap album covers and billboards to know it’s a semblance of something “youth culture.” Which, fair enough.
Best of all is the reason why Martin posted the self-made meme at all: “So, my publishers say I have to start trying to appeal to a younger audience…” he caption the photo. Honestly, after watching the “T-Shirt” video I’m pretty sure we could work a Migos subplot into Westeros. Tell Martin’s publishers to call 300.