The explicit scenes in Game of Thrones are "sexplanations" designed included to distract viewers from boring plot expositions, the author whose novels are being turned into a rival blood-and-guts medieval drama has claimed.
But provided he succeeds as mayor, Mr Ebrard may turn into a formidable rival to his former mentor.
How exactly did a little film about teenage bloodsuckers turn into a franchise to rival Star Wars, complete with pencil cases, calendars, fan sites tracking the whereabouts of the stars and a halo audience of mums and boys?
Skype reported revenues of $25 million in 2005, and by December 2006, the company claimed to have more than 100 million customers, which suggests that it may be turning into a dangerous rival faster than incumbents realize.
Telecom Italia is the first former monopoly in Europe to tackle broadband on a large scale in a foreign market, a head start the company hopes to turn into an advantage with European rivals, especially France Télécom and Deutsche Telekom.
Based on a Czech folk tale about a childless couple who "adopt" a vaguely human-shaped tree stump as their "baby," only to see it turn into an all-devouring monster, the film rivals "The Exorcist," "Rosemary's Baby" and "Eraserhead" as a disturbing treatise on the fear of parenthood.
You'd think certain time constraints might have amounted to Bettany's character turning live action, but the actor said Howard had other reasons for the shift: He wanted to turn Vos into a rival that would come between Han (Alden Ehrenreich) and Qi'ra (Emilia Clarke).
His says his ambition is to turn Espanyol into a rival of Barcelona.
"Jeremy Corbyn will inevitably make one compromise or concession that isn't ideologically pure enough for them, and they will abandon him and Labour altogether to turn Momentum into a rival leftwing party," she wrote.
The Russians would like TNK-BP to expand abroad, but that would turn it into a rival to BP.A recent memo from Mr Dudley, seen by The Economist, bars managers from discussing deals in countries blacklisted by America's state department, including Cuba, Iran and Syria.
The heavy presence of McDonald's, Coke and Cadbury among the sponsors gives the lie to any notion that the Games are about promoting healthier lifestyles unless you suffer the delusion that a diet of cheeseburgers, liquid sugar and Mars bars will turn you into a rival to Usain Bolt.
