I love media and cultural studies because all the best stuff on TV is also the most problematic
Okay that’s not strictly true. Reality TV is the most problematic thing on TV (Wood and Skeggs 2008 seriously amazing article) and also the worst, and I literally don’t understand how it survives. But what I mean is how can Game of Thrones be so amazing and so problematic at the same tiiiime (thus providing endless material for scholarly writing AND a brand new obsession). I guess it’s just illustration of the fact that art and morality are well different.
In light of the fact that Season 4 will be starting soon I rewatched 3 (I have read way past this point in the novels now). And from herein will be spoilers for pretty much all the books because even though I haven't read them all I accidentally learned some of this from people who didn't warn for spoilers. So:
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First, let me say that if I had a daughter, I would far sooner have her watch/read this than Twilight, despite a certain amount of voyeurism from the camera, because a) women are people in this story b) intelligent women rule Westeros, albeit through their husbands, brothers and sons and c) the message to girls is undoubtedly ‘save yourself, because the handsome prince is a vicious brat and your father is powerless to help you’. Also have you noticed how men who use patriarchal power as a weapon get violently, physically punished, and then either die (Robert Bartheon - gutted by a boar --- death), get destroyed (Theon Greyjoy - tortured and castrated - becomes Bolton’s puppet) or change and become something else (Jaime Lannister - gets sword hand cut off ---- redemption???). Whereas alternative models of masculinity that are respectful of women get rewarded (Tyrion Lannister, Jon Snow, Brandon Stark). Tyrion may describe that particular trio as ‘cripples, bastards and broken things’, but I find it really interesting how being barred from conventional male power either via the limitations of their bodies or their birth they learn to perform what are ultimately far better and more successful models of masculinity. Anyway, that was a tangent.
Some people find the TV adaption problematic because of the explicit medieval level of violence. I don’t, particularly. Partly this is because I am Gen Y and pretty much desensitized, but also because I think it portrays violence well, especially in terms of the costs to poor people and the realistic depiction of torture. I HATE televised depictions of torture that justify and glamourize it - 24, looking at you. In 24, when Jack Bauer tortures terrorists, lo and behold - they confess the truth, and Jack saves the day, his unfortunate actions vindicated. Desmond Manderson wrote a great 2010 article on this called ‘Trust Us Justice: 24, Popular Culture and the Law’. In the real world, that doesn’t happen. Game of Thrones depicts the reality of torture - it serves no judicial function whatsoever, but is quite effective at breaking people and getting them to say whatever the fuck you want them to say. Ramsay Bolton is not an agent of law, order and justice. As he admits, he just likes to torture people. *Slow affirming handclap from me*. The only on-screen violence that would actually distress me is against animals, and thankfully Benioff and Weiss keep that pretty much offscreen.
To me, the real problem with Game of Thrones, mostly as televised, but the hints are there in the novels, is the pro-colonialism. The final ten minutes of ‘Mhysa’ were basically me going NOPE. Nope nope nope nope nope. I literally don’t see how in the 21st century, enough people didn’t see the PROBLEM with that sequence where all the mass of brown people are like YAY DAENEARYS OUR ENLIGHTENED BLONDE LIBERATOR YOU WILL BE OUR MOTHER!!!! and pick her up and stuff. MFW:
How can a show so smart, so well-written and edited, so amazingly well acted, NOT SEE THE PROBLEM WITH THAT? And have that epic musical score behind like ‘look at this fabulous scenario sequence, isn’t it awesome? Yes, we are very proud of ourselves’.
So, dear Benioff and Weiss, you are awesome writers, producers and directors. You have an amazing show, and amazing cast, and amazing source material. So just - don’t do that. Please, stop doing things like that. If your show was a pile of shit I wouldn’t even care. It’s only because it’s so good that I care so much. And possibly because it has the second-highest viewing ratings of all time, so a bit of responsibility, yeah?
And I can’t wait for season four. There are things in the second half of A Storm of Swords that need to be onscreen very badly. YOU KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT. But also, just that bit where Loras confronts Jaime and Brienne outside the city (sob sob Renly I miss you bb <3 ).