Today in fine art snickery:

Don't think about it, just get out
your goddamn credit card.

Look, I like Game of Thrones as much as the next nerd, but this is going to far, right? Yeah, I know, you're a busy person and don't have time to click on links, so let me sum it up for you before you have to go off to go scrub in for surgery or head to your board meeting: HBO® officially licensed Game of Thrones™ fine art prints. And before you ask, this is a strictly limited special edition thing so don't even think about-huh? You weren't going to ask? Oh, well they are. Strictly limited I mean. It says so right on the website.

The prints-sorry, the fine art-is made by a company called Classic Stills Fine Arts Gallery, who sell framed still shots from movies and TV shows. Each one is numbered which, according to the website "ensures that [thier] artworks remain rare and are likely to appreciate in value over time." They even come with certificates of authenticity.

You know, in case the authenticity or provenance of your print
of The Dude from The Big Lebowski is ever called into question.

Move over Justice Coin...wait, anyone
want to check and see how much the
Justice Coin is worth now? No? Ok.

Are you ordering some of these right now? No? What's the matter, aren't you a fan of the show? These are limited edition prints meaning once they arbitrarily stop producing them, the artificial scarcity is guaranteed to ensure these increase in value. Well, I mean, I assume they're going to increase in value. Like, they're already pretty expensive. Did you click on the link? No? Because they range from $145-$1,000. Of money. For a still shot from a TV show. Which...

Pictured: typical goons.

Huh...look, I'm not saying you should do this, but couldn't you-couldn't one-like, just grab a still off the show, print it out, maybe even go take it to a professional printer and then frame it for a lot less than what they're asking for these? I mean, it'd still be kind of spendy, but not thousands of dollars. Again, I'm not saying anyone should actually do this. Anything you make yourself would obviously not be licensed by HBO® and you don't want to cross them. They probably have goons. But you could do this is what I'm saying.

I don't know if it's art but-wait,
no, I do know. And it's not.

And am I being a dick when I suggest that they're taking some serious liberties when they describe these as 'fine art?' Well, yes. A dick and a snob. A snick if you will (you might). But I looked it up-yes on the internet. Do people even own dictionaries any more? Sorry, there I go again, being a snick. Anyway, fine art is defined as: "art concerned with the creation of beautiful objects" or "an activity requiring fine skill." And, I don't think these apply here. I mean for one thing, I'm not sure how selling you screen grabs of a TV show requires skill. And for the beautiful object thing..well, I mean, see corpse pile at left.

I don't want to yum yuck here, but for real? If this is something someone really wants on their wall, more power to them, but I kind of think maybe HBO or Classic Stills Fine Arts Gallery needs to dial it back on the suggestion that these things are both fine art and they they will one day be worth something.

I mean other than as a valuable object lesson in
making smarter decisions when it comes to money.