game of thrones

Latest Game of Thrones rape scene causes controversy

Popular fantasy TV show Game of Thrones is known for pushing the envelope
when it comes to nudity, violence and sex.

But many fans and non-fans alike have turned their noses up
at one aspect of the latest episode, in which Jaime Lannister rapes his sister (and lover),
beside the corpse of their dead son.

While this undeniably reads as a somewhat shocking scene,
it isn't particularly shocking for those who are used to what this show portrays.
Game of Thrones regularly shows people - sometimes babies - being murdered,
tortured and defiled.

What people have taken issue with in the latest episode is two-fold.

Firstly, the rape wasn't in George RR Martin's book - it was added to the show,
supposedly to make it more shocking and confronting.

However, part of the joy of watching the show is the
knowledge that the TV show's writers do deviate from the original books.

Changes are forgivable, and encouraged. They keep fans of the novels on their toes.

What has the internet abuzz is the fact Emmy-award winning director
Alex Graves (Shameless, The Newsroom, Terra Nova) didn't seem to identify the rape scene as a rape.

Despite Lannister's sister Cersei yelling, "No" and "Stop", Graves had this to say in an interview with Hitflix: "Well, it becomes consensual
by the end, because anything for them ultimately results in a turn-on, especially a power struggle."

Critics of the scene argue that the director's words portray the
dangerous and disturbing notion that at some point during a non-consensual sexual attack,
the victim may still "want it". Or, as Graves said,
it can "result in a turn-on".

Graves has yet to clarify his thoughts since talking to Hitflix.

Websites including Jezebel have heavily weighed into the debate,
user NinjaCate commenting: "It was very clearly rape depicted last night.
And I'm annoyed because it wasn't even in the books, in which case we might have been able
to defend it as part of the story arc. But this universe is already
full of unnecessary rape and misogyny. WHY ADD MORE?!"

As for how the show rated - those results will be out soon.
It's not thought Easter will have made much of an impact on viewing habits.

The season four premiere earlier this month attracted 6.6 million
viewers in the US, making it HBO's most-watched program since the finale of The Sopranos
in 2007, prompting the network to renew it for two more seasons.