The fact that I don’t watch Game of Thrones has absolutely destroyed my ability to get a new job.

Seeing how most of my interviews occur on Monday mornings, I have to endure hearing the following phrase, “Sorry if I seem a little tired, I was up late watching the last episode of Game of Thrones. Wasn’t that just crazy what happened?”

“Actually, I don’t watch it.”

“Oh,” they always say. “Well, let’s get this over with.”

And then they get it over with.

I lucked out and got an interview on Friday afternoon, but then was unexpectedly delivered this juicy quote: “How excited are you for Game of Thrones on Sunday?”

“Actually, I don’t watch it,” I said.

“Oh,” the woman said. “You’ve never watched it?”

“Well, I watched the first two seasons.”

“And what happened?” she asked as if I’d just walked into her office with two broken legs and a neck brace.

“It just wasn’t for me,” I said.

“Oh,” she said. “Well, let’s get this over with.”

And then she got it over with.

Another potential employer called and asked me to come in on Monday.

“How about Wednesday?” I suggested.

I lucked out again and booked an 11:00 am interview on Wednesday — primetime. This elation was short-lived, however, when the woman interviewing me said, “I just got back from a long weekend in Napa.”

“I love Napa,” I said.

“Me too. The only problem was, my wife and I didn’t have a chance to watch Game of Thrones until last night. I had to avoid spoilers all week. Can you believe John Snow and…” and then she proceeded to list a bunch of characters I did not know, therefore, could not believe.

“I’m sorry,” I said, interrupting her. “I actually don’t watch it.”

“Oh…”

People’s reaction to me not watching Game of Thrones is like when you’re about to hook up with somebody, and then you both realize you don’t have a condom. “Oh…” Then there’s this awkward pause followed by the mutual shrug of “should we still do this?” before you both agree it isn’t a good idea and then you’re walking out of the room calling for an Uber.

I had an interview last week I swear went like this:

“Do you watch Game of Thrones?”

“No.”

“Thanks for coming in.”

In that box where you check your race and ethnicity on job applications, they should have a separate section where you check YES or NO for “Do you watch Game of Thrones?” After which it should read, “Providing this information is voluntary and has no impact on your employment status.”

But we both know it does.