-
Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
We need to talk about the problematic "Rape makes a woman stronger" trope used in the latest episode of Game of Thrones. (SPOILERS for Season 5)
- Thread starter louisacommie
- Start date
So, on point B, myself (male) and others (female) have had conversations about how our various traumas (unfortunately, sexual is one of the most common) have had their effects but the process of overcoming them is strengthening, and you won't touch that? Sounds like you're choosing to speak for other people, all I'm saying is that I've felt and heard similar things in real life.
I'm not even defending the scene in the show, it's pointless. But making it out to be something it's not is pointless as well.
Last edited:
That doesn't really sound like "The rape made me such a stronger person" it sounds like "Everything I've gone through has striped me of my innocence"
Yup, that was mine and my friends takeaway almost to the letter... We definitely hadn't been expecting this conversation to be the big controversy some people are currently treating it as.
Now with that aside, some of you really need to shut the hell up about spoilers. A brief portion of a conversation that happened in the latest episode was spoiled for you. It had no bearing on anything that's going to ruin some aspect of the story for you and it certainly isn't something worth derailing the actual topic at hand over...
The phrase "broken in" is most definitely referring to Sansa being raped, but right now you're basically criticizing The Hound for being rude, who is a fictional character, and who received a cold and curt response for his condescension to her in that scene that includes references to all the other "life changing events." Newsflash - Littlefinger, to whom she refers, never layed a hand on her. In the end, Sansa rose above his piggish remark and walked away owning everything she has been through. That is what actually happened - not a depiction of some kind of perverse female superhero who eats rape to git strong.
And by the way, people need to start separating characters' behavior from "the show's" point of view/endorsement -- it's not bad writing that The Hound spoke that way to Sansa, it's exactly the kind of boorish, sad sack macho nonsense he always says and his attempt to make himself the solution to the "little bird"s problems was rebuked in a victorious moment for Sansa. I mean... Ugh.
I just can't. I'm out.
Goddamn even if it were a spoiler some things are more important than not spoiling a TV show, and this is definitely a case of that.
This isn't a Game of Thrones topic. The trope spans all media and this is just the latest, most visible example. It's worth discussing outside of a show thread where it would get buried under the avalanche of first impressions posts.
How is it a joke? Referencing elements of episodes that have just aired in the title of a forum post is a spoiler. I don't want to see it no matter how vague.
You realize that stuff was added bu the show, right?
No it's not. Have you even read the books?
It's xtremely easy to talk about this topic without even mentioning GoT.
Era is full of people afraid of anything that's a dark topic. Must be the American way of life. Since lots of things are taboo subjects.
Best for those people to watch disney/kids shows about rainbows and unicorns.
Ahh yes... Being a mature adult means being accepting of the idea that the writers thought it would be a good idea to have one of the female leads in their show say that she's glad she was raped because it made her stronger.
Must be the American way of life to look down on sexism. How awful.
It's wasn't rape, it was getting through hardships.
There's a lot to criticize on the show and that scene was poorly written but I'm pretty sure that was far from what they were trying to say.
There's a lot to criticize on the show and that scene was poorly written but I'm pretty sure that was far from what they were trying to say.
I don't even think about the rape.. I think that she meant it as she won pretty much against characters like Littlefinger and Ramsay, against characters that most people who were with them or against them lost or died.. I don't think it should meant that her being raped by Ramsay specifically made her stronger - atleast that's the way I saw that scene and her words.. that she lived and is still alive after being with such characters when those same characters believed are smarter, stronger than her are dead
Varys says he does. But he supported the Baratheons and the Lannisters at the beginning of the show...
Tyrion brought it up how many Kings Varys has served. He changes allegiance based on who he thinks will cause less harm to ordinary people. He even talked to Ned about telling Rob to surrender for the good of the relm to avoid war.
You can read it like that, but I would say that is wrong:
1) Brienne craving cock... well it was Jamie who did the first move, so Jamie was craving?
2) This scene has been handled already
3) I mean, in the context of the show he is right that the Lords of Westeros will serve a male instead of a woman, but he did support Danerys all the way untill now where he think she is going mad
2) This scene has been handled already
3) I mean, in the context of the show he is right that the Lords of Westeros will serve a male instead of a woman, but he did support Danerys all the way untill now where he think she is going mad
I didnt even know it was a common trope. The only other shows that I can think of that had it was The Sopranos and The Shield. I think it is safe to say the OP only wants to talk about Sansa, not the actual trope.
D&D just aren't good writers. How much evidence do people need. I didn't find the line terribly offensive, I would think that being through a series of traumatic events would in fact force you to grow up quickly. But I also get how bad the conversation was handled in such a passing/casual fashion. And there was an implication of being better off for it.
But again these guys aren't good. They never were. Anything not from the book or veering away from the books for the most part has been....not great to be nice about it.
And lol at the spoiler complaining.
But again these guys aren't good. They never were. Anything not from the book or veering away from the books for the most part has been....not great to be nice about it.
And lol at the spoiler complaining.
The exchange was mostly fine until the last line, really. I see the Hound being a fucking prick and Sansa intimidating him by referencing what happened to the last prick who messed with her, the one he seems to be using to get under her skin.
But then the last line doesn't stick the landing. It doesn't intimidate him really. It also doesn't acknowledge that her abuse already started with Joffrey. That's the odd thing. The show doesn't seem to acknowledge much that she was already fucked over psychologically an insane amount in King's Landing. That was a lot of the issue with the Ramsey rape scene. Sansa's arc had already started taking her from being a "little bird" and they backtracked it to get her raped so she could develop more. I think that's why the exchange here sours people. It's basically the writers reinforcing their opinion that they were right to include the rape.
But then the last line doesn't stick the landing. It doesn't intimidate him really. It also doesn't acknowledge that her abuse already started with Joffrey. That's the odd thing. The show doesn't seem to acknowledge much that she was already fucked over psychologically an insane amount in King's Landing. That was a lot of the issue with the Ramsey rape scene. Sansa's arc had already started taking her from being a "little bird" and they backtracked it to get her raped so she could develop more. I think that's why the exchange here sours people. It's basically the writers reinforcing their opinion that they were right to include the rape.
But she was already exposed to horrors of the real world and almost all horrors she's had were literally from being married off as some Lord's Lady.
Clutching at straws.
Isnt just a continuation of the shows theme on destiny.
Just like Bran telling Theon...if he hadn't done what he done he wouldnt be where he is now.
Sansa was continuing that on.
Not getting these reactions at all.
Isnt just a continuation of the shows theme on destiny.
Just like Bran telling Theon...if he hadn't done what he done he wouldnt be where he is now.
Sansa was continuing that on.
Not getting these reactions at all.
I meant a non-Joffrey Lord. A normal Lord, probably somewhere in the north.
This whole topic just seems like looking for outrage where there is none.
The implication that she's happy she didn't escape with Sandor because going through those horrors made her a better person is horrible writing.
The original rape episode was one of the biggest controversies in the show. It was one of the lowest rated episodes of the entire run because of that outrage. Of course the writers referencing that so poorly will garner outrage again.
It's not just the dumb title that says something about an episode than many haven't seen yet. It's also the even dumber people here who react to this topic with even more spoilers about the episode.
Yea, I was watching the scene and saying to myself.
"You know, it would be really, really bad if Sansa turns around and says getting raped and used for the last five years of her life made her stronger.... oh god"
D&D are bad writers
I understood the intention, but it doesn't make it bad writing where you know what she is going to say and still cringe when the line is dropped.
"You know, it would be really, really bad if Sansa turns around and says getting raped and used for the last five years of her life made her stronger.... oh god"
D&D are bad writers
I understood the intention, but it doesn't make it bad writing where you know what she is going to say and still cringe when the line is dropped.
That's how we took it as well and I watched with my wife, my sister and others
You "love" it?
What's your point, that you can say 'I told you so' or something? The smugness some people here have in respect to this show is mind blowing.
Here's the thing. The character exists and talks only because the show lets him. These are choices the show runners made, which is why, if they handle it badly, it comes back to them.
A character can be rude about another's rape, but then you have to ask "why? What is the purpose of this? Did it have to happen in this context? Why about rape, specifically? Hell, why even bother to put these characters together if that's all that you could think to do?"
(I feel like I shouldn't have to mention I'm in a PhD program studying creative writing and literature, but maybe I do? We talk about these concerns all the time)
Last edited:
Have you been to the OT? It's nearly impossible to stay on any one singular topic with how fast those threads move. Go take a look instead thread whining here.
I understand. Not yet since i haven't seen the latest episode yet. I will when i've seen it. But this topic could have easily had a different title and a spoiler warning, since some people here reply to the topic with spoilers. Also, the replies would have been more ON TOPIC. So it's a lose-lose topic now.
My take as well. Knee jerk internet reactions are the worst.
But thats not what was written. You quoted what was actually written and then wrote your own version which is completely different. Its a bizzare read on the scene.
If D&D hate women, what can we then say about GRRM? Because they temper the source material a lot, on this aspect.
Unfortunately a lot of people explain away bad writing in the way the guy you responded to did, especially if they like or are invested in the story.
Every character and detail in writing serves some purpose (or should anyways), so when someone puts something in just to do it or for poor reasons, they should expect criticism for it.