How Female Fans Make Sense of Gender, Power, and Gendered Violence in HBO’S Game of Thrones
Abstract
Violence and abuse towards women are common themes in media today. HBO’s television series, Game of Thrones, is filled with scenes of women being tortured, raped, and abused. Yet, Game of Thrones was one of the most watched shows of the 2010s (Hibberd, 2014). In this study, I explore how women view the relationship between power and gender in Game of Thrones and how they make sense of justify gendered violence. Interviews were conducted with 20 women who had seen more than one season of the series. The goal of this research is to gain insight into these perceptions in order to dispel internalized sexist ideals and create more understanding of internal biases. Results suggest female fans demonstrate feminist ideas in their critiques of the series’ portrayal of women but assess characters and plotlines in a way that values masculine qualities and masculine forms of power.