Women in Westeros (Viewer discretion is advised)

[alishcra]

This is my first post here so bare with me because I need to air my grievances about this show. I wrote this post to get a better understanding and/or a gain a different perspective of what is happening on this show. I am torn because this show does have great portrayals of women(i.e. Brianne,Ygritte,Margaery, Osha) . So I'm not trying to be mean or troll the show but why is it necessary for a story perspective to imply,show,and/or threaten women with rape? Men do not get rape on this show. Can the writers use a different tactic to show someone is a "bad guy" without using rape? I am not a writer, also I am a black woman and don't go outside of my house thinking I might get raped today so why is it necessary?

[B_squared]

The short answer is no, the act and/or threat of rape is absolutely unnecessary. There are lots of way that they could make male evil characters seem evil without rape. It's something that pretty much every one(who is sane) has railed against in the last three episodes.

The fact that the show writers choose to use rape the way to tell if someone is bad or not is nothing more than lazy. Most of us more than understand that Westeros is a patriarchal society where women get the short end of the stick more often than not. The use of rape over and over and over again (polysyndeton used intentionally) is just a sign that the writers either couldn't or were too lazy of to think of anything else that could denote a person as bad or evil.

It's pretty obvious to the most casual of observers that the context of the show/book is one wherein most women have little to no say in life decisions. It's also pretty damned obvious that men act without impunity when it comes to sleeping with who they want, when they want to regardless of consent. The writers' choice to hit the audience over the head with several scenes of rape is not only lazy, it's redundant and insulting to the viewers/readers.

What's worse is that, while it may not have been as prominent as in the episode that aired earlier tonight, the rape scenes in the show fail to show rape for what it really is more often than not: a power struggle The show sexualizes an act that very rarely has anything to do with sex outside of the sex act itself, but that instead uses a sexual act as an act of domination, sadism and anger. I would hate to accuse the show-runners of using rape scenes as an excuse to get the 'necessary tits and ass' into the show, but they've made it hard not to. There is nothing NOTHING sexy about rape; for the sake of the show, and the story it's trying to tell I hope they stop.

I may have rambled a bit, but that's pretty much how I see it.

[StephOKingston]

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Also I have the most feminist boner right now.

[eskimomo]

Agreed! Thanks B_squared!

[Tim]

I am beaming with pride reading this thread! B_squared is on point.

I think I read an interview, somewhere (for the life of me I can't find it or remember if it actually exists) and someone implied that Jamie had lust drive some of his motives in the sept scene. Now, as I pointed out already I may have made this up. But, even folks who defend the show's use of rape as tool seem to miss the mark on the implications of using such a horrific act as just to round out a character's arc. Just a general lack of understanding going on. I remember a reddit commenter saying that Brienne probably wouldn't get raped since she was ugly. Troubling.

[Taunted Kibble]

They have gone above and beyond making Ramsey evil and super creepy without an ounce of rape so it can surely be done.

It is easy, and lazy and honestly, if a guy just smacked a woman in the head it would be bad, but you always know it can be worse.

And Brienne won't get raped, not because she's ugly, but because she's a giant and would not make it worth the struggle. Again, like Tyrion in the books, they gave up on every character being ugly or disfigured so that angle is just gone.

[alishcra]

Thanks for reply B_squared. It was a very in-dept and elegant response. However I feel as though that I am enabling the problem, as the viewer, because I feel as though they will continue to do this. And I will continue to watch, I don't know. But it is pushing my limits. They renewed until season 6, so basically for two years the writers have no consequences for lazy storytelling(but I don't know what their contract is like).

[bloodrider69]

Okay, so I didn't care as much before with other female characters, but now this is Sansa. I know that sounds crass, but before it was a questionable rape (The Circei scene), or off-screen (Lollys), or threats of rape (Brienne), but Sansa?!. Further, it is all made up off-book, which normally I really really like, as someone who put the books down to savor the great show, but now I'm just pissed.

If Peter Balish is such a nut for love, why would he abandon her to this?! That's just crazy! He made every sacrifice to get Cat and now why wouldn't he do everything to keep Sansa!? Ugh. His character portrayal is lost. I feel for the actor, actually.

Sansa?! Really? Everyone with a smudge of a heart loves Sansa. She is the sweetest, loveliest, most wonderfullest creature to come out of the North! Really? Sansa?! And I know they did this just to get people really pissed, and yes it worked, but the cost is too great and I have completely come over to your side on this one (which I wasn't really on before). Previously, I thought it was useful for plot points and generally not overt, but now they are bending reality (time and space), and destroying character principles in order to do what? I am as pissed as at the ending of "The Power of One". Grrrr.

Further, in defense of beauty, what good is beauty if this is what it gets you. I disagree with their treating beauty as if it doesn't matter.