WARNING: This post contains spoilers for Game of Thrones, do not read if you're not up to date.
Last Sunday, the popular HBO TV series, Game of Thrones, found itself drowning in controversy again after the disturbing rape scene between Ramsay Bolton and Sansa Stark, which included the added humiliation of her childhood friend, Theon "Reek" Greyjoy being forced to watch the heinous act unfold.
Now let me start by saying that sexual assault of any kind is one of the most deplorable and disgusting things that can ever happen; but I don't think it's something that should be banned from media and I think the backlash of this episode is ridiculous.
Twitter and many media websites went up like a light, talking about how it was appalling and shouldn't have happened and some publications even deciding that they're no longer covering or promoting Game of Thrones in any way on their site. Saying "Rape should never be used as a plot device" - Now that is simply just bullshit and here is why:
Difficult topics such as that have been plot devices in literature and cinema for decades. 53 years ago it was the subject matter of the southern gothic courtroom classic, To Kill A Mocking Bird, which was written by female author, Harper Lee and even before that, it was the subject of the bleak Ingmar Bergman drama, The Virgin Spring. While undoubtedly unpleasant subject matter, it is most certainly important. Cinema and television has dealt with every unpleasant subject that can be imagined, both in serious and exploitative ways; murder, racism, abduction, slavery, incest, torture, child murder, sexual assault; all horrific but important subjects to be highlighted.
In this particular case, we're in the world of Westeros, a dark and merciless world that is filled to the brim with everything I mentioned above and more. The show is no stranger to controversy, a lot of the time due to the extreme violence and death of beloved leading characters, but most recently before this incident, the incestuous sex scene between Cersei and Jamie Lannister in season 4 that truly blurred the line between consent and full blown sexual assault. Oh, and it happened next to their dead inbred son... The main controversy for that was the fact it deviated from the book in which this series is based. In the book, there was no question, it was consensual, but for television, it was perhaps given this for more of a shocking edge? The show has had it's fair share of brutal shocks in the past too.
What happened last week is considered to be done for shock value, which in ways is probably right, but that's a good thing. It was displayed so horribly that you can't help but feel disgusted. You're supposed to feel that way when watching it, if you don't... well, you need some help. Ramsay Bolton is possibly one of the most vile characters ever put to screen. He has kept Theon captive for what feels like an eternity, brutally torturing him both physically and mentally, to the point where he is an obedient slave-dog. Theon has always sought respect and power and to do his father(s) proud, he took control of Winterfell and had plans to be a leader, but is subsequently knocked out by his own men, brought to a torture chamber and tortured for some time, only for him to be rescued by a nameless man, and helped escape through the woods to a secret location. Guess who saved him? Ramsay. Guess where the location was? The fucking torture chamber again! He gave him the taste of freedom and hope and tore it all away just to damage him more. He even castrated him for fun after tricking him into believing that he was set free again and rewarded with beautiful women. Funnily enough, nobody stopped watching and promoting the show after that incident...
In ways, Theon is quite similar to Sansa. She has spent her teenage life being passed around as property, afraid, forced to see loved ones die right in front of her at the hand of TV's most hated cunt, Joffrey Lannister. We knew him as the most unspeakably evil character on the show, certainly the worst she's ever encountered. Once she was free from his clutches she was effectively the property of the sly and scheming Petyr "Little Finger" Baelish, who arranged for her marriage to Ramsay. At this stage, she has seen the worst, she has built character back up, her power, her morality, her intelligence - all at it's highest point. She's face to face with the almost feral Theon and due to his treacherous past, wants nothing to do with him, she saves face by looking down on him and showing no signs of vulnerability or care for what he has become. She will never be at his level. So when Ramsay decides to rape her on their wedding night, he's not only destroying her on an emotional level and crushing what strength she had left, but by having Theon watch, he's subsequently bringing her down to his level, as property and as another victim of his twisted games.
It's clear Ramsay is a full blown psychopath so it's not really surprising that he did what he did. He is a character you are meant to loathe in every way possible and this for many was the final straw. He needs to be under the firm hand of justice and I can see that being the intention for his character, he will not be let off lightly. Most of the time when this happens, it doesn't just end there, there is justice and it is never lenient. That is part of what made the rape/revenge genre so popular through the 70's and even in modern cinema with books and films such as the late Stieg Larsson's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. They're considered as a feminist look at female empowerment. Having a woman brought down to her lowest and rather than remaining there, she fights back and get's revenge on her attackers until she is the dominant one. Films such as Ms. 45, American Mary, Kill Bill Vol. 1, I Spit On Your Grave, Red Sonja and Thriller: A Cruel Picture are all examples of films that are based on a female protagonist being assaulted and sometimes left for dead, only to regain power and have her justified vengeance on the attackers. The initial act is always enough to turn your stomach, but once the revenge comes into play, you feel the character's sense of power and how they regain control through violence.
Pulp Fiction is an example too from the male side; enemies Butch Coolidge and Marsellus Wallace find themselves held hostage in a pawn shop basement by two rapists, Marsellus is dragged off into a back room and is assaulted. Butch breaks free and goes to leave until he thinks about what is going on. An unspeakable act is taking place and he can't bring himself to leave and allow even his current worst enemy to be subjected to such a horror. So he grabs a samurai sword and takes one of them out, before Marsellus regains his control and shoots his rapist in the balls with a shotgun and calls a gang of his friends up to torture him with pliers and a blowtorch. The whole scene leading up to then you feel horrible for what's happening, but once he gets control of the situation, you feel satisfied and you're glad what is about to take place, WILL take place.
These scenes are vitally important in media and literature as they highlight just how terrible it is, whether it be in history or today. It shows that it is wrong in the most honest way possible by showing you. It doesn't hide it away and pretend it doesn't exist. Think of films like Selma or 12 Years A Slave, highlighting the most disgraceful racism in history that in ways is still relevant today. It shows it in the most bare bones way it can, there's no beating around the bush, no watering down; it's visceral and haunting and that's the way it should be, because it lets you see how repulsive it was and can even remind you of how bad it still is. The same goes for sexual assault and murder; the latter has been glamourised and glorified so much now that movies for kids and teenagers can feature it, albeit in a more teen-friendly way.
It is a device that is used mainly for awareness but also as away to instill emotion in the viewer. Comedy films are made to make you laugh, horror films are designed to make you scared, action films are designed to thrill you and drama can often make you feel all of the above and more, sometimes that means making you feel ill with what you have just seen. A prime example of that for me personally was in the channel 4 mini-series, This Is England '86 - A character is raped by her friend's dad at one point and it was so haunting and handled with such a bleak realism that I actually felt unwell afterwards. I didn't think it was gratuitous, shouldn't have happened or unnecessary, I was glad I had seen it because it was a true wake up call to something that happens every day. It was a wholly necessary plot device.
I feel if it was a constant thing, especially in a series like Game of Thrones, where every week it was happening and was in your face and disgusting, it would be worth complaining about. It wouldn't feel like they're trying to increase character development or raise awareness, it would just seem exploitative. It's a rare occurrence on the show but when it happens, it is necessary for what's going on. The fact that it appears to be the only thing garnering negative attention is ridiculous considering it is filled with merciless and gory killings of adults and children alike on the regular. It's not a show that is designed to be easily watched, anyone who has read the novels can tell you that too, as (from what I've heard off reliable sources) they are far more graphic in every aspect. I think in a way, modern society is too pampered and doesn't want to be subjected to the gritty and harsh realities of the world. Gaspar Noé's nightmarish masterpiece, Irréversible features an infamous 10 minute unbroken rape scene - next to This Is England '86, the worst I've ever seen, only here there is no justice, there is no revenge, and there is no happy ending. Do I think that shouldn't have been made because it used rape as a plot device and was shown in such a foul redemption free way? Absolutely not. Life doesn't always have a happy ending, so films shouldn't either.
I believe that no matter the subject, no matter the content, anything should be allowed be used as a plot device. Not everyone has to like it and a well respected TV series such as Game of Thrones shouldn't be condemned for it. A fictional story on TV shouldn't receive more backlash than reality. Understand that this is the plot and this is the world that we and they live in and move on.
The only people I can agree with being pissed off are the people who read the books. They're getting a completely different set of events than they read so the changes may upset them greatly... and to be honest, fuck them! They knew it was going to change last year so just stop making comparisons to the book and enjoy it for what it is!
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| Game of Thrones Season 5 Episode 6: Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken |
Last Sunday, the popular HBO TV series, Game of Thrones, found itself drowning in controversy again after the disturbing rape scene between Ramsay Bolton and Sansa Stark, which included the added humiliation of her childhood friend, Theon "Reek" Greyjoy being forced to watch the heinous act unfold.
Now let me start by saying that sexual assault of any kind is one of the most deplorable and disgusting things that can ever happen; but I don't think it's something that should be banned from media and I think the backlash of this episode is ridiculous.
Twitter and many media websites went up like a light, talking about how it was appalling and shouldn't have happened and some publications even deciding that they're no longer covering or promoting Game of Thrones in any way on their site. Saying "Rape should never be used as a plot device" - Now that is simply just bullshit and here is why:
Difficult topics such as that have been plot devices in literature and cinema for decades. 53 years ago it was the subject matter of the southern gothic courtroom classic, To Kill A Mocking Bird, which was written by female author, Harper Lee and even before that, it was the subject of the bleak Ingmar Bergman drama, The Virgin Spring. While undoubtedly unpleasant subject matter, it is most certainly important. Cinema and television has dealt with every unpleasant subject that can be imagined, both in serious and exploitative ways; murder, racism, abduction, slavery, incest, torture, child murder, sexual assault; all horrific but important subjects to be highlighted.
 |
| A man being defended in court for an undeserved rape charge in To Kill A Mocking Bird |
What happened last week is considered to be done for shock value, which in ways is probably right, but that's a good thing. It was displayed so horribly that you can't help but feel disgusted. You're supposed to feel that way when watching it, if you don't... well, you need some help. Ramsay Bolton is possibly one of the most vile characters ever put to screen. He has kept Theon captive for what feels like an eternity, brutally torturing him both physically and mentally, to the point where he is an obedient slave-dog. Theon has always sought respect and power and to do his father(s) proud, he took control of Winterfell and had plans to be a leader, but is subsequently knocked out by his own men, brought to a torture chamber and tortured for some time, only for him to be rescued by a nameless man, and helped escape through the woods to a secret location. Guess who saved him? Ramsay. Guess where the location was? The fucking torture chamber again! He gave him the taste of freedom and hope and tore it all away just to damage him more. He even castrated him for fun after tricking him into believing that he was set free again and rewarded with beautiful women. Funnily enough, nobody stopped watching and promoting the show after that incident...
 |
| Ramsay taunting Theon with a pork sausage after castration. Pretty clear he's insane. |
It's clear Ramsay is a full blown psychopath so it's not really surprising that he did what he did. He is a character you are meant to loathe in every way possible and this for many was the final straw. He needs to be under the firm hand of justice and I can see that being the intention for his character, he will not be let off lightly. Most of the time when this happens, it doesn't just end there, there is justice and it is never lenient. That is part of what made the rape/revenge genre so popular through the 70's and even in modern cinema with books and films such as the late Stieg Larsson's The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. They're considered as a feminist look at female empowerment. Having a woman brought down to her lowest and rather than remaining there, she fights back and get's revenge on her attackers until she is the dominant one. Films such as Ms. 45, American Mary, Kill Bill Vol. 1, I Spit On Your Grave, Red Sonja and Thriller: A Cruel Picture are all examples of films that are based on a female protagonist being assaulted and sometimes left for dead, only to regain power and have her justified vengeance on the attackers. The initial act is always enough to turn your stomach, but once the revenge comes into play, you feel the character's sense of power and how they regain control through violence.
 |
| Uma Thurman as the unstoppable heroine, Beatrix Kiddo in Kill Bill Vol. 1 |
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| Marsellus about to get "medieval" on his rapist. |
It is a device that is used mainly for awareness but also as away to instill emotion in the viewer. Comedy films are made to make you laugh, horror films are designed to make you scared, action films are designed to thrill you and drama can often make you feel all of the above and more, sometimes that means making you feel ill with what you have just seen. A prime example of that for me personally was in the channel 4 mini-series, This Is England '86 - A character is raped by her friend's dad at one point and it was so haunting and handled with such a bleak realism that I actually felt unwell afterwards. I didn't think it was gratuitous, shouldn't have happened or unnecessary, I was glad I had seen it because it was a true wake up call to something that happens every day. It was a wholly necessary plot device.
 |
| Moments before the distressing scene in This Is England '86 |
I believe that no matter the subject, no matter the content, anything should be allowed be used as a plot device. Not everyone has to like it and a well respected TV series such as Game of Thrones shouldn't be condemned for it. A fictional story on TV shouldn't receive more backlash than reality. Understand that this is the plot and this is the world that we and they live in and move on.
The only people I can agree with being pissed off are the people who read the books. They're getting a completely different set of events than they read so the changes may upset them greatly... and to be honest, fuck them! They knew it was going to change last year so just stop making comparisons to the book and enjoy it for what it is!
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