Game of Thrones: A Sexual Playground or Child Pornography

 

Many people find war, kings and queens, sexual scenes and weddings to be interesting, a fantasy, or something that they crave would find this to be rather interesting. This show fits all of those categories, and people almost live for this show. As for me, Game of Thrones is something that I would normally avoid reading or watching. I mean let's be honest, who wants to read a book that involves a medieval time frame, or a country going into a civil war. That is not even the worst part about this television or book series. What is the worst thing? The fact that there is a child, someone who is 13 years of age being forced to marry because of her brother’s craving for power. Like come on who in their right mind would basically sell their siblings for something that can be taken through the act of fighting. However, this is not the main issue with this story line, the main cause is so despicable it is hard to speak of. Well here is something new, a topic most people choose to avoid while I choose to face it head on. Sexual assault, and to be even more specific than that, rape.

 Daenerys, a 13-year-old girl given to her now husband by her brother forced into completing sexual acts with someone who could be her father. Originally this marriage was supposed to be like a contract, or the arranged marriages of that era that were designed to cement into place an alliance between two different parties. There is also the thought that this is taking place during the medieval time period when young forced or arranged marriages are normal for young children. Daenerys has been portrayed as a child, a victim, a wife, a tool, a weakling, and overall an object of little value.          

We’ve seen the wedding turn from what the best day of a woman’s life should be, to a child pornography scene that no person would ever suspect to happen. A child taken from what she knew to be her home, from who she knew to be her family and wedded to some random person. What kind of slave like child trade is this? Nobody in their right mind would sell their child to someone who is going to attempt to procreate with them whether they have consent or not. This story presents itself like a remake of Romeo and Juliet, even though Romeo’s age is not very clear. However, with it assumed that Romeo is somewhere between about 16 and 21 and Juliet is 13.  Prostitution, child endangerment, sex slave, is that you calling? Yeah, it is. Well I need for you to not call here anymore.

As we read through the book you expect this scene to be a graphic scene that has some sort of consent, right? Wrong. Or is it? In the scene you would imagine a girl enjoying her wedding night, prepared to give herself to her husband. But I mean come on, she’s THIRTEEN for Pete’s sake she doesn’t even know what consummating a marriage really is. Let's be real, the creators of this scene decided to make it more sexual and lead the audience to think that it was consensual and let Daenerys take control. I mean come on, who thinks that a man or even a woman is going to take their victim to a beautiful place, spend time with them, and in a way let them take control.

There is even some sort of foreplay involved, this sounds so much like consensual sex that the next words you read are going to throw your mind in a huge loop. Women, men, adult, or child have the mindset to do whatever they have to in order to survive. Think about all the women who have been forced into sexual favors to get ahead in life, misogyny much, do feminist not exist in this time frame? Who in their right mind thinks that a female complying with the demands of a male to get ahead is equality? An uneducated, inequality supporting moron that’s who. This scene of Daenerys and Drogo being involved with sexual activity reminds me so much of a pimp “testing out” his “product”. It is crazy how in this time frame women were seen as more of an object than what they are now.

The main problem with this scene is not talked about, its uncomfortable for the people of the community to discuss. Child pornography. Child pornography according to the U.S. Department of Justice is any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor (persons less than 18 years old). (U.S DoJ) Oh wow, what is this? Exactly what is happening in this wedding scene with Daenerys and Drogo. Jail Time? Check. Charges? Check. Protecting the captor? Check.

Stockholm syndrome is what this relationship is going to develop into at the rate that it is going. This is a psychological phenomenon in which a positive bond develops between the captor and the hostage in spite of the frightening ordeal that the victim endures(Study.com) This plays a huge factor in determining if this series is misogynistic or feminist. With this CHILD being forced into a marriage and consummating it right afterwards over time she is going to come to terms with it and think that it is okay. Daenerys even went on to say “He stroked the soft skin underneath until it tingled. He circled her nipples with his thumbs, pinched them between thumb and forefinger, then began to pull at her, very lightly at first, then more insistently, until her nipples stiffened and began to ache. He stopped then, and drew her down onto his lap. Dany was flushed and breathless, her heart fluttering in her chest. He cupped her face in his huge hands and looked into his eyes. “No?” he said, and she knew it was a question. She took his hand and moved it down to the wetness between her thighs. “Yes,” she whispered as she put his finger inside her”

Does this sound like someone who was forced into a marriage or someone who is really  in a loving relationship that values consent? This is the Stockholm syndrome deciding to show its head in her life. Daenerys feeling comfortable enough to guide the hand of the individual who can be seen as her captor to her private lady parts as a manner of foreplay that is. There was a real challenge when it came to depicting this specific scene because of having to portray Daenerys as if she could give her consent for this to happen.         

After this complete scene has played out you can determine that it is giving off very many misogynistic vibes. There are also hints of feministic vibes, I mean her using what she has to get forward in life is misogynistic yes. However, I will say that her actually succeeding with this act drops a few feministic undertones even though that was not the main goal of her gaining power. With women being like a man’s “accessory” the power, that Daenerys worked to obtain makes her a diamond encrusted crown in my eyes. She can be labeled as someone who demands your attention when she walks into a room because of the authority she can give off even though she might appear as someone fragile.  However, for her to take everything that she had been put through, especially with this sexual assault being the major starting point, along with her brother forcibly selling her into this.

What kind of brother, who genuinely cares about their siblings forces them into a situation to be sexually assaulted? A brother who craves power, the power to take away your happiness, the power to make you suffer, the power to make you feel the pain he feels for blaming you. As you suffer from being taken advantage of, he rejoices with his newfound power. To be raped, in a manner that makes you seem to have given consent is horrific, especially when it happens to a child. This scene in Game of Thrones is child pornography not a sexual playground

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

"Child Pornography." The United States Department of Justice. 28 May 2020. Web.

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