Entertainment

We Don’t Need Fewer Rape Story Lines On TV, We Need Smarter Ones

Pin it

The media's poverty of imagination and poor script writing skills belie the power – and importance – of sexual assault narratives on TV and in movies.

Since its 2011 debut, HBO's Game of Thrones has sparked numerous discussions about sexual violence on television; with critics charging that the show's repeated use of rape scenes is a sign of misogyny, exploitation of female characters, and, at the very least, a ham fisted understanding of the female experience. The conversations sparked by this debut are not new, or even specific to Game of Thrones: Sonia Soraiya's Rape of Thrones makes similar points as Clementine Ford's 2013 essay Can we stop using rape as a plot device which in turn cites a 2012 essay by Alyssa Rosenberg. We've been having this discussion for a while now – and I can't help but think that the discussion we're having is the wrong one.

There is no question that rape and sexual assault are frequently treated as blunt tools of exposition. Too often, writers and directors fall back on rape as an explanation for a woman's anger, frustration, or desire for revenge; and for every well-done, nuanced portrayal of the experience of sexual assault, there are far more treatments that lazily turn to rape rather than coming up with something thoughtful or creative, or play up the sex in sexual assault, turning a protagonist's horrific assault into titillation for the audience. But the media's poverty of imagination and poor script writing skills belie the power – and importance – of sexual assault narratives on TV and in movies.

According to RAINN, one in six, or just shy of 18 million, American women have been the victim of attempted or completed sexual assault. My personal experience suggests the number may be even higher: virtually all of my female friends have experienced some sort of sexual assault in their life times. Even the ones who haven't personally experienced assault live lives that are shaped by the awareness that they are "at risk," that being a woman in America means being ever vigilant against the threat of unwanted sexual attentions. This is, of course, what we mean when we talk about rape culture; and given its pervasiveness, it is hard for me to imagine a narrative of adult female experience that isn't somehow colored by the topic of rape.

In "Breaker of Chains," the third episode of Game of Thrones's fourth season, Jaime Lannister rapes his sister Cersei next to the corpse of their dead son Joffrey. It's a quick, but brutal, scene. After months away at war, Jaime has returned home to find his sister/lover no longer interested in his attentions. When his attempts to seduce her are rejected, he forcibly takes what he wants.

Watching last night's Game of Thrones, the most chilling moment was this: through the course of the episode, I found myself repeatedly cheering for Jaime Lannister. Jaime Lannister, who just one episode prior had held down and raped his sister, was now suddenly my hero: the man who was going to keep his oath to save and protect Sansa, the man who was coming to the aid of his persecuted brother, even if it meant standing against the wishes of his father and sister. But then, this is how sexual assault persists. It’s as if the writers had not just forgiven him, but had completely forgotten it. His rape had no impact on either of the characters.

Towns like Steubenville don't rally around their accused rapists because they want to see their young women repeatedly victimized; they do it because, in their eyes, those young men are far more than just rapists – in the same way that Game of Thrones reminds us that each and every character on the show is far more than the brutal horrors they unleash each other.

This, then, is what we should talk about when we talk about rape on television. Rape as a blunt device to add depth to poorly sketched out female character may have reached the end of its utility. But rape as a plot device to force us to examine the nuance and intricacies of sexual assault in our culture? That would actually be TV worth watching.

Image via Frenetic Geek

free dating sites no sign up

You have to upgrade to a premium membership to get access to great options like limitless photo viewing on the app. hookup in my area Focused on giving you meaningful connections, The League operates to give you the most customized millionaire matches according to your preferences. I think it is the depth of the discussions that stick to each and every film and how a lot effort and time and introspection couples place into these discussions that will predict how effectively they do going forward, said Dr. swinging key party Indeed, some current social policies and applications implicitly and indirectly incorporate social ties as mechanisms for enhancing population health and well being.

best free app for hookups

TCC reserves the suitable to immediately suspend or terminate your access to the TCC service, without any prior notice, upon any breach of this Agreement which is brought to TCC s attention. www.doublelist It caters to individuals who have wild fantasies or desires that are not celebrated on mainstream dating and hookup apps. There are indications folks in their twenties are less focused on marriage but on careers. sell your underwear and socks Once you are signed up, use Bumble s travel feature to alter your location to another city.

datehookup free search

We might get advertising compensation from the websites listed on this web page if you click a link and acquire a product or service. philadelphia gay hookup places No matter how properly you know each other, you are going to under no circumstances be thoughts-readers, so making positive that you are relaying how you are feeling when you're not delighted is crucial. She produced a male profile as soon as and posted some of his images alongside warnings of his sex-offender status to see if the web page would react. dylan albums ranked It appears that Elite Singles provides too a lot relevance to the patented personality test they apply to new-comers.

Comments As the majority of the escort neighborhood is aware of, there are some advantages and disadvantages to hookup online dating over internet dating inside a pub or team. Should you be looking for adore as well as a severe romantic relationship, it might be greatest to find it on an escort web site that is exclusive and able to be a part of. If you would like speedy entertaining and don't mind conference individuals you have never satisfied in person, a no cost to join online dating internet site might be exactly what you are searching for. If you are merely wanting for this special somebody to share your time with this is entertaining and bold, a no cost to sign up for hookup online dating website can be your remedy. adult search seattle rather these are just taking advantage of the opportunity charge all others for your information and facts and solutions they should offer you. Then they change and then sell on the details and solutions to all of those folks that find them online. So you needs to be questioning, "How do I find a free of charge hookup on-line?"