Sexism in Game of Thrones does not rely on humour to make it palatable, nor is it hidden under a veil of nostalgia.
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Warning: this article contains spoilers for those not up to date with Game of Thrones season six.
Now deep into its sixth season, Game of Thrones is in full swing with its most watched series to date. Following months of fan speculation and anticipation, the season opened with priestess Melisandre’s magical transformation into a geriatric crone (after the requisite topless shot).
And yes, the season remains replete with the now predictably unexpected gore, graphic nudity and violence, epitomised in episode one by Ramsay Bolton’s callous dismissal of his dead lover’s body: “She’s good meat, feed her to the hounds.”
Given the pornographic fusion of violence and sexuality and the deliberate absence of moral standards, Game of Thrones is enthralling. But it is also disorientating, leaving many with a sense of unease – I, at least, keep asking myself why I continue watching. Sex is everywhere, so much so that the series seems to revolve around a mandate whereby sex is ubiquitous and compulsory.
One reason for the series’ success can undoubtedly be found in this spectacle of violence and sex. Set in a world divorced from our own, it satisfies audiences’ needs for heightened sensations, but is unconstrained by a moral compass. But more importantly, author George RR Martin’s fantasy speaks to us because it is a poignant social commentary grounded in sexual, economic, cultural and political conditions that reflect contemporary concerns. So despite the fantasy setting, the way in which Game of Thrones engages with social matters such as gender and sexuality is rooted in the here and now.
In some ways, Game of Thrones’ established formula is emblematic of a wider cultural shift that allows for more open-minded attitudes to sex. Yet, the series also parades a liberal, at times blasé, attitude towards sexism.
Sexual violence
Over the past six seasons, there have been copious graphic portrayals of explicit sex and sadistic torture. Violence appears to be entangled with sexual themes as female characters in particular are repeatedly abused and violated. Think of, for example, the torture and murder of the lowborn prostitute Ros at the hands of mad boy-king Joffrey in season three. Or of Sansa Stark’s chilling off-camera rape by her psychopathic husband in season five.
The lives of most male and female characters are structured around this “gotta fuck” principle that typically posits men as the ones who “fuck” and women as the ones who suffer it. This was elegantly summed up during episode seven, in which the High Sparrow tells Queen Margaery: “Congress does not require desire on a woman’s part, only patience.”
Sexism is overt and undisguised and sex is often depicted as painful, most commonly exercised by men upon women. Rape in particular is depicted with complacency and smug indifference as an efficient instrument of power used in times of social unrest and war, but also as a means to cement kinship between men and their families.
Think back to Daenerys Targaryen’s repeated sexual assaults at the hands of her warrior husband. This was addressed again this season with Khal Moro threatening: “We’ll take turns fucking you and then we’ll let our blood-riders fuck you and if there’s anything left of you we’ll give our horses a turn.”
This is not to say that Game of Thrones’ treatment of sex should be interpreted as the same old sexist story, whereby men use rape as a threat and women seek to acquire sexual agency. Undoubtedly, both male and female characters endure suffering, sexual violation and dismemberment – Theon Greyjoy’s castration and psychological abuse in season three being the most prominent example.
The series’ commitment to the visualisation of sex(ism) could be read as a nod to critical and political movements that endeavour to make the structures of sexism and its effects on men and women more visible. Importantly, sexism in Game of Thrones does not rely on humour to make it palatable, nor is it hidden under a veil of nostalgia.
So from one point of view, the series appears daringly cutting-edge, as many have argued. Unlike other banal examples of sexist entertainment that lull us into a kind of intellectual coma, Game of Thrones appeals to our critical capacities, revising narrative expectations and ways of reading and seeing. It challenges us to face sex(ism) head-on: this is sexism visible for all, uncompromising, confrontational and humourless in its relentless portrayal of sexist abuse.
But this may be awarding the show too much. Because despite this heightened visibility, Game of Thrones does not take up a critical stance. As such, it runs the risk of wilting into self-congratulatory introspection.
While paraded before our eyes, sexism comes to be seen as less of a problem. Here, the act of making sexism visible does not undo the problem but recreates it in a sexist liberal guise. For me, this need not amount to a moral blindness, whereby we are becoming numb to the pernicious effects of sexism. But it does highlight the challenges that any form of substantive contemporary critique of gendered, sexist, class and economic power dynamics has to face.
Originally Published on TheConversation.com
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Photo: GameofThrones/Youtube
I’d just like to know why so many ppl WANT to see these rape scenes. Why do so many WANT (and almost enjoy) the sexual violence heaped upon the characters (particularly the women)? Is it a sign of our society having this underlying anger towards women? Is it a sign that ppl aren’t able to recognize rape as rape? I often wonder if the human brain has a difficult time distinguishing rape and “hard sex” if there are no “traditional” identifiers (victim screaming, crying, trying to actively get away, etc) ….and yes, I know that male characters are suffering…..however, my… Read more »
Who says people want to see it? I neither want to see it, nor don’t want to see it. I accept it as part of the story arc for these characters, and as fitting in with the society that is being portrayed. Some people really struggle to understand what fiction is I think. All they do is watch things that offend them and whine about it.
People clearly want to see it or they wouldn’t watch it… they also wouldn’t throw such fits at the mere thought of removing the rape scenes and the nudity. I just want people to own that they get off on it. I want our society to finally acknowledge that we like punishing women with rape and that we (many morw at least than what we think) seek to live vicariously through this show. Go online the next time it airs and read what is being posted….the sheer number of men living vicariously through those who rape women on this show… Read more »
The book and the TV show is set in a medieval, feudal society. Of course it’s sexist. While the Church(s) had a major influence in both the west and in the Eastern Roman Empire as to values, and rape, murder and theft was usually condemned and punished, it was still a patriarchal political system and a society and culture dominated by men. There was never a woman Holy Roman Emperess, or Tzarina of all the Russias, or Queen of France or even a Queen of England during the period 600-1400AD. Women could have major roles as mothers, regents, advisors and… Read more »
Of course it’s sexist, which is why women can’t stop watching it.They make up almost half of the viewership .
Not all women are out there worrying about whether stop signs are too sexist.