Discrimination against women in “Game of Thrones” is “based on history” and is better than discrimination in real life, according to the author of the film.

Last Updated on 07/27/2022 by てんしょく飯

George R.R. Martin, author of “Game of Thrones” and “House of the Dragon,” commented on the discrimination against women in his works.

Depiction of misogyny in ” Game of Thrones,” author’s opinion

Game of Thrones, the worldwide hit drama series that aired from 2011 to 2019, is an ensemble drama and includes many female characters. While the portrayal of women from queens to warriors, wildlings, and a variety of personalities has been praised, it has also been called into question for being misogynistic in the way it is portrayed in the story.

The drama “House of the Dragon,” a prequel to “Game of Thrones” that will be available on U-NEXT on August 22, is expected to improve on this point, but before the broadcast, the original author, George R.R. Martin, weighed in on the debate. In a panel talk at Comic-Con, he discussed the creation of stories based on history.

He said, “‘Game of Thrones,’ as many have discussed, is very broadly based on the War of the Roses.” (‘House of the Dragon’) is based on an earlier period, called the Anarchy. King Henry I of England, his only legitimate son, drowned trying to cross the English Channel. He was then left with his only legitimate child, his daughter, Matilda, who became his heir, and the lords swore fealty to her.

When the king died a few years later, the lords said, ‘Ah, that’s it. The oath is meaningless, because her cousin Stephen is still alive. Stephen immediately crossed the straits, stole the treasury, and succeeded to the throne and became king. And the era became the era of anarchy.

Maud, or Matilda, fought Stephen for ten to twenty years, and it was terrible and bloody. （I don’t think Westeros (where the story takes place) is any more anti-woman or misogynistic than real history. And people fear change.”

George’s point is understandable in many ways, as it is difficult to have female characters, for example, in the upper echelons of the military, in a work based on real history. On the other hand, there are fictional creatures such as dragons in the drama. George’s point would be valid in a work that faithfully visualizes historical facts, but in a fantasy story where things happen that could never happen in reality, it sounds like a bit of a bitter argument to pin the low diversity of the characters on history.

There are also some differences between the book and the drama that should be noted. The original book is a creation by George alone, while the drama is a team effort by many staff members, including the writing team and the director. However, of the 19 directors of this film, only one was a female director and only two of the scriptwriters were women. In addition, throughout all seasons of the drama, the “voice” rate of female characters was very low compared to male characters, with the lowest rate being 22% in season 8, the final chapter. The lowest rate was 22% in season 8, the final chapter, and the highest was 31% in season 7.

In addition, there were many scenes of sexual violence and nudity in the film. Whether it is necessary to depict scenes of violence just because a woman experiences sexual violence in the course of the story’s development is a topic that has often been discussed in recent years. And it can be said that unnecessary nude scenes can be criticized, and Emilia Clarke, who played Daenerys Targaryen, has frequently stated that she did not want to be naked. This is connected to the issue of the working environment, which is separate from the storyline, and it has been discussed that even heat stroke measures were more generous to the male actors on the set.

While some of George’s points are understandable, it is also true that there are many areas that could be improved.