I am not going to sit here and dismiss the fact that I have been watching Game of Thrones since it aired on HBO or the fact that I have never read any of the books. Yet, I have been weighing my decision whether to continue watching it simply to not be a hypocrite.
Look, I have done oodles of research on the history of rape and how a rape culture was born. Susan Brownmiller's book, Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape, made it quite evident that rape was a spoil of war. So am I surprised that there has been sexual violence against women in GoT, considering it is portrayed in a time that rape was prevalent and ignored as a crime? No, I am not.
But I have a bone to pick, and I'm gonna effing pick it clean
Game of Thrones is on its fourth season, and has had a few depictions of rape (before this season), but they were spread out over the previous three years. There was a scene in the beginning of the series where Daenerys had just been forced to marry Khal Drogo and wasn't exactly excited about him having sex with her. History has forced marriages all throughout, and marriage does not cancel out the fact that it was rape. What lightens the blow to viewers of the show, is the romance between them, and how tender Khal Drogo became once Daenerys "tamed" him.
There has been multiple attempted rape scenes, and sounds of rape throughout the series as well. A couple examples are the scene with Sansa getting ganged up on by soldiers, but saved. Also with Brienne, right before Jaime intervenes. However, nothing has been quite as disturbing as what has been shown in this season.
When I sat down to watch episode 3, "Breaker of Chains," with my husband I was not expecting to get sideswiped by what was shown. One minute Jaime is conversing with a distraught Cersei, and the next he is forcing himself on her. Despite her struggles, slapping him, and saying "This isn't right" and "Stop it," he said "I don't care." I couldn't believe what I was watching. Even Greg was appalled as he said, "What the hell? He's gonna rape her?" I said, "Yes...yes he is" then looked away, cheeks burning, hot tears in my eyes, and bile in my mouth.
Like I said, albeit being extremely uncomfortable, I am not surprised by the fact that sexual violence was depicted, in fact, after the scene Greg asked, "Are you okay? I know that scene probably hit close to home, we can stop watching." He was right, but I shrugged it off saying, "If I were to turn a blind eye to the prevalence of rape in these times, I am just as ignorant as those who do it in today's world." Plus, there usually wasn't clear depictions of rape in the show, so I figured it was probably not going to happen often, as it hadn't during the shows entirety.
But then episode 4, "Oathkeeper," was aired and I was brought to tears. The reality portrayed was so heart-wrenching, I was filled with rage for the women of that time who had no way to fight back. This scene showed multiple women getting raped in a house overtaken by a man whose exact words were, "Fuck 'em till their dead."
So now, half of the episodes of this season included sexual violence against women, and as a rape/sexual abuse survivor and advocate, I am losing my mind at the nonchalant reactions to these depictions. If people were to say, "Holy shit! That was rape, and that is wrong!" it would be one thing. But no, this is what people are saying, in particular to the rape of Cersei by Jaime.
"Well she gave in at the end, so it wasn't rape."
Are you effing kidding me? How uneducated can you be? She said no multiple times and fought back. If she gave in it is because, like most rape victims, it is easier to give in than to fight, especially if there is a threat of death. I gave in to my rapist eventually, does that mean I wasn't raped? There is scientific research to support there isn't just a "flight or fight" reaction , there is also a "freeze" reaction and it is more common than one would think.
"They were consensually involved in incest before, so it wasn't rape."
Yea, no. 28% of rape is intimate (rainn.org). So lets be real. How many times do people have to hear that rape is rape!
"Well Cersei is a bitch, so she deserved it" (yes forums have been filled with this statement)
Okay, no one deserves to be raped. No one. I don't even think rapists deserved to get raped, but that is only because it does no good to solve the issue at hand.
What is surprising is even some people who work on the show are saying similar things. This is where the problem lies.
I'm not going to say Game of Thrones has to hide the reality behind war-time and rape's prevelance, because that would just be a ridiculous request, but I am not going to accept how nonchalant the creators are over it, acting as if it is isn't rape. It certainly was, and to say otherwise is just living in the same ignorance that existed back then as it does now through rape culture.
Additionally, I think it would be wise to warn viewers of "Sexual Violence" through content descriptors preceding the show just as a courtesy to those who may be triggered. "Nudity" and "Strong Sexual Content" doesn't mean rape.
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