10 Controversies That Rocked Game Of Thrones

2. Putting George W. Bush's Head On A Pike

Game Of Thrones Jaime Cersei
HBO

Early in the show - way back in the first season - a very notable figure made an unannounced cameo in Game of Thrones: George W. Bush. Only, it wasn't actually Bush - just his head impaled on a pike.

Game of Thrones uses a lot of props, of course. To save money, not every fake limb is custom made - they basically rent in bulk. Bush's head came from another production, wound up on a pike, and was noticed by eagle-eyed fans with blu-ray players. HBO released a statement saying they were "deeply dismayed." Of course, so was Kim Jong Un after The Interview. 

Still, if that was the end of the matter - a brief glimpse of a recognisable head that is on screen for mere seconds - it wouldn't be a big deal. However, HBO, clearly not aware of the Streisand effect, went so far as to ensure the scene was altered in future DVD releases, ensuring that the incident became an even bigger deal and turned the first run of DVD copies into collector's items in the process.

Contributor
Contributor

Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.