HBO's Game of Thrones has never shied away from tackling controversial subjects but a season five episode went too far for some viewers.
Sansa Stark's rape scene caused uproar among fans and critics alike. Popular feminist website, The Mary Sue, has sworn off promoting the show following the controversial episode. See below statement:
Are there instances in popular television in which sexual assault and abuse has been handled with care and sensitivity? How can writers handle this controversial topic without falling into a TV trope?
Very interesting topic with a lot of potential for exploration. I really hope this ends up being an in-depth article on The Artifice. – Abhimanyu Shekhar9 years ago
There was a recent episode in Season 3 of Orange is the New Black that deals with the rape of a major character, Pensatucky, with great sensitivity. I think if rape is used as a plot device, this episode can be a sort of guide for how it can be dealt with. The way it was depicted in the show was more so a criticism of how society deals with rape and sexual assault, rather than showing it for shock value.
– Emilie Medland-Marchen9 years ago
Very interesting topic! I already wrote something for The Artifice a few weeks ago dealing with sexual assault in Game of Thrones. It was hard to write about, and I am always interested in how other shows succeeded or failed in dealing with such hard scenes. – HeatherDeBel9 years ago
Bisexual people are criminally underrepresented in mainstream media. Bisexuality is often referred to flippantly or treated as a joke, if mentioned at all. But what about the bisexual characters that do exist? How are they portrayed and how does their sexuality factor into their characterization? Examples include Frank Underwood from House of Cards and Oberyn Martell from Game of Thrones. For these two characters, bisexuality seems to be an extension of their personalities (Frank's greed and hunger for power–he uses sexuality to control people; Oberyn's hedonism and laissez-faire attitude–there is also the issue of racist stereotypes at work here). Other series with bisexual characters include Orange is the New Black and Pretty Little Liars.
Another concern: when are we going to call a spade a spade in reference to bisexual characters? Why do writers refuse to actually use the word "bisexual"? Only ever having characters describe themselves/others as being "fluid" sexually, or providing vague descriptions ("I like what I like," etc.) is a cop-out.
What's at stake here? Increased (and better) representation of bisexuality in television and film is necessary. It is vital that bisexual people (especially young people) be able to see and identify with characters like themselves. Being able to see oneself in a fictional character can be comforting and empowering. Increased visibility will help bisexual people feel less marginalized and assure them that their identities are valid.
This is an excellent topic. As a bisexual woman, I find it appalling that there is almost no representation of bisexuality in mainstream media. I think it would be interesting to expand on that concern that you discuss in your second-to-last paragraph; why are people so afraid to say the word "bisexual" on television? – Kathleen Lassiter9 years ago
I think this is a great idea. Perhaps, you could also look at certain elements of bisexual representations which should be avoided or seen as too stereotypical (e.g. Brittany from Glee). Also, maybe, look at comedic characters which are bisexual (e.g. Pam from Archer, GOB from Arrested Development, etc.) and whether comedy originating from a person's sexuality should be considered valid. – Matthew Sims9 years ago
Another character that could be explored is Dorian Gray from both the most recent film as well as the television series Penny Dreadful. He's shown to be bisexual in both instances and he rather uses this to his advantage.
Another course you could take is whether a bisexual character leans toward one sex more than the other. One would expect that if a bisexual character were to be a lead in a Hollywood film they would end up with a woman (as is what (kind of) happens in the Dorian Gray film). – Jamie White9 years ago
On the show The 100, Clarke's bisexuality was a natural evolution of her character as she made an alliance with another powerful female leader and they were forced to learn how to merge their separate followings. The 100 airs on the CW Network which has a primarily teenage audience and Clarke's sexuality is depicted in a very honest way to viewers about a teenage girl growing up. – katrinafowler9 years ago
MTV has evolved over the years from a channel exclusively devoted to music videos to one that features documentaries and reality TV shows in addition to music and celebrity-related news and programming. Nevertheless, it has remained a beloved pop culture phenomenon. It has also made a point of featuring programs that are centered around conversations about race, class, sex sexuality, unique lifestyles, and the like. Explore the evolution of MTV. How has its programming changed? Why have these changes occurred? What does this say about our culture, how our culture influences TV programming, and conversely, how our culture is influenced by TV?
Actually I listened to a keynote speech from the guy that voiced/came up with Ed the Sock. He said a lot of the major changes that occurred in MTV came from the Canadian MTV trying to copy what American MTV was doing years before hand, as opposed to focusing on things that Canadian viewers were asking for at the time. – Sunbro9 years ago
There are already several articles and YouTube videos that fully address this topic. – T. Palomino10 months ago
Being unable to replace actors of the calibre of Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey? A mystery somewhat lacking in the pervasive "yellow king/carcosa" mythos? The (rumoured) fallout between showrunner Nic Pizzolatto and star director of all of season one, Cary Fukunaga.
I think we should not completely pass judgement on the season until it has finished, but I agree that it does not have the power that the first season had. I think it is a mixture of too much exposition of characters, rather than actual real plot development. Boring cinematography. Granted the shoot out scene was sort of impressive, but was really just another detour towards a dead end for the plot to take, rather than the bridge that was the long shot of Season 1. All in all, I think this is a great idea, but should wait until the season is finished to see if it can redeem itself. – Matthew Sims9 years ago
I have only watched the first couple of episodes, but to me it seems that season 2 is lacking in its focus compared to season one. Also it seems that the first season reached such a high appeal that to do it all again seems nearly impossible, comparisons to the first season are unavoidable and as such makes it much harder for the season to stand on its own. – Tyler McPherson9 years ago
When it's time for a popular series to come to an end, the decision is sometimes made to extend the story by creating a new show using secondary or background characters. Sometimes these efforts are a success ("Saved by the Bell" was a bigger hit than "Good Morning, Miss Bliss"); sometimes they could/should have worked but didn't ("The Lone Gunmen" from "X-Files"); sometimes they were ill-conceived from the start (why was "The Raven" spun-off from "Highlander" and not, say, "The Joe and Methos Show"?).
Why do some spin-offs work and others crash and burn? How do the elements of setting, story, characters, and actors combine to create something fresh and exciting from a fading star? Are there spin-offs that might have been successful on their own merits if they weren't being compared to a beloved predecessor? Are there examples of shows that were more successful than they merited, due to the reflected glow of their source material? Are there spin-offs-in-name-only that bore so little resemblance to their original shows that they were unrecognizable as being part of the same world?
Great question! Unfortunately I haven't seen any of the mentioned spin-offs or original shows. Though not equally successful I've heard good reviews for Torch Wood made from Doctor Who (but it's obviously impossible to compete with such a classic long going show). It might be interesting to look at spin offs in the new light of Agents of Shield, a tv show based on the lives of agents in the Marvel world. Is it a spin off of the comics or the newly produced Avengers movies... or both? And does coming for two backgrounds give it a better chance of success? Maybe spin offs are more or less successful because they draw from an already well established universe? – Slaidey9 years ago
This is very timely, especially with Girl Meets World and the new Vacation movie coming out soon. I don't understand the need for spinoffs, so this would be an interesting topic to raise! – Samantha Brandbergh9 years ago
There's also the new "Walking Dead" spinoff that's coming out soon. A good question to consider would be whether certain spinoffs are meaningful additions to popular stories, or if they're merely the recycling of preexisting ideas to make money. – Nicole Williams9 years ago
Explore how Whedon created strong female characters in Buffy, Firefly, Dollhouse, Avengers ect.
I'd say Whedon is also good in creating well-rounded woman characters, as well as the 'strong female' character e.g. Buffy being a teenage girl and having emotions / flaws as well as being a kickass vampire slayer. – Camille Brouard9 years ago
Whedon's track record here is not what it necessarily could be though. If you look around the Internet you'll find a fair amount of criticism of his work from a feminist perspective, some of it a little out there, some of it right on the money. Just as an example, the fact that Buffy and Angel having sex nearly causes the end of the world is on the decidedly uncomfortable side. – Winter9 years ago
This topic is a no-go in 2022. – T. Palomino2 years ago
I would be interested in an article detailing the influence of groups like Anonymous on the moral precepts of the hacker characters in Mr. Robot. There are clear in-show influences and references to movements like Occupy Wall Street so it is obvious that recent hacktivist efforts are an influence on the show. For this article specifically it would be interesting to look at any parallels with Anonymous or other hacktivist groups.
