,
11 tweets,
2 min read
Read on Twitter
I have to actually write about this at some point, but the battle between “Daenerys going crazy was GRRM’s plan” and “Daenerys suddenly being too emotional to hold power is misogynistic” tends to ignore the possibility that GRRM’s plan is, itself, deeply misogynistic.
The show AND books were a non-stop cavalcade of rape, abuse, and female bodies used as decoration. The books were arguably worse - every woman in power abruptly had a girl-on-girl scene with a nubile attendant. Rape scenes were more common & graphic. Tyrion plans to rape Cersei?
Cersei’s only two characteristics were “sexy” and “evil,” until the fourth book, when we added an exciting third dimension, “crazy.” Brienne was explicitly described as hideous and unfuckable in every scene. And EVERY female character had the same goddamn arc.
Cersei was traumatized and lost her humanity in a quest for revenge. Arya was traumatized and lost her humanity in a quest for revenge. Catelyn was traumatized, killed, resurrected, and lost her humanity in a quest for revenge. You see where I’m going here.
The reason women put themselves through all this was that the show had female characters who exercised power women typically don’t have access to in the real world, and because there was an implicit promise they’d take control and end the Age Of Constant Rape Scenes.
But instead, what we get is an arc in which Daenerys - please, make sure you’re sitting down - is traumatized and loses her humanity in a quest for revenge. Thus “proving” she’s emotional, hysterical, vain, vindictive, etc, etc, and ultimately unfit.
It’s awful for all the reasons people are saying it’s awful. Tyrion choked out his girlfriend and we’re still meant to trust him. Jaime paralyzed Bran and we rooted for him. Everyone on that show is a murderer, but Daenerys’ two settings are “Hot Virgin Mary” or “Dragon Hitler.”
So GRRM’s plan not only forced us to watch or read about unrelenting, violent misogyny, it’s ultimately wrapped around to provide a JUSTIFICATION for that misogyny - see, women are just nuts! You can’t trust ‘me with power! Might as well sell ‘em all off to Ramsay, I guess?
The thing that looked like a plot obstacle for women to ultimately overcome - all the constant edgy rape and abuse - turns out to just be a manifestation of a story that profoundly mistrusts women and sees their power as monstrous and their subjugation as titillating, even right.
“Oh, all these women are sad their dragon princess got taken away.” No, they’re sad because they thought this show was a relief from being powerless, and now that they see its plan, it feels pretty grim that they watched bodies like theirs get mutilated for sport for a decade.
IDK, guys, something about watching Cersei die in the loving arms of her rapist (remember that one time Jaime raped her? The plot sure doesn’t!) while Daenerys had a genocide tantrum because a boy dumped her made me feel not too great about life in 2019.
