By Brittany Carpenter
As you may have heard, the hit HBO show Game of Thrones has caused a huge stir this past week. In the latest
episode, a major character was raped on her wedding night by a character whose
reputation on the program has already been well established as sadistic and
villainous.
Fans reacted to this scene in various ways. To fans of the
book series Game of Thrones, this
scene marks the third (!) time the writers of the TV adaptation have included a
rape scene where one didn’t exist for the particular character in the novels.
Additionally, many men and women have been speaking out
about how the scene triggered an extremely negative and unsettling reaction for
them, declaring its inclusion unnecessary and over the line of acceptable
content for television.
However, there has been another contingent of the show’s audience saying to those who were upset by the
scene: “What’s the big deal? Game of
Thrones includes a lot of unsettling content!”
Throughout the existence of the show, characters have been
tortured, violently murdered and even castrated. Children have been burned to
death. An incestuous relationship between a brother and sister is an integral
part of one of the major storylines. Most people would agree that those are
actions are, indeed, unsettling and disturbing.
So…what’s the big deal? Why is portraying rape any different?
While
those other acts of violence do still persist worldwide, sexual violence is
alarmingly prevalent in our society with not enough being done to prevent it,
or even acknowledge its effects on victims.This scene, not unlike the other two previously enacted on
the show, depicts the violent action as a catalyst for a change in plot, but
hardly (if ever) deals with the mental and emotional repercussions for the
victim. While other violent acts, such as castration, are absolutely
disturbing, the fact of the matter is that they simply do not happen as often
or are debated as publicly as is sexual violence.
As a woman, and as someone who has known victims of sexual
violence, the image of rape as portrayed and treated in news stories, in
politics, and in entertainment, is jarring.
Take, for example, Emma Sulkowicz, the student who was
sexually attacked at Columbia University. She carried around her mattress in
protest of the school administration’s lack of response and action to her complaint
for the remainder of her education. Several days ago, Sulkowicz graduated from
Columbia, opting to carry her mattress across the stage despite protests from
university officials. In response, the President of the university refused to shake her hand. By refusing to shake Sulkowicz’s hand, the President chose
not to acknowledge her attack, including any emotional and physical
repercussions that resulted from it.
It is painfully apparent, based on this and many other
instances in both fiction and reality, that people are either not aware or
worse, choose not to acknowledge the frequency and effects of sexual violence
in our society. As a result, when these scenes do stir conversation, people are
surprised at the amount of negative backlash.
It is disappointing to see so many people not understand why
rape is such a sensitive topic. However, I remain hopeful that the more the
issue of sexual violence is portrayed to the masses, the more it will further the
conversation about its frequency and effect on victims. Without that essential
feedback, how can the minds of politicians and scriptwriters ever change?
Image via HBO
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