“Game of Thrones” creator George R.R. Martin doesn’t think the series is as sexist as real life. The prequel of the popular show was previously announced and will premiere on August 21 on HBO and HBO Max.
“GoT” was dubbed sexist because the female characters were, according to some, depicted as sexual objects. It also faced backlash concerning how Daenerys Targaryen was portrayed as a Mad Queen at the end of the series.
In response to the claims, the show’s creator, Martin, revealed that he got the inspiration for the series from historical events, and if anything was anti-woman, it was history. He also mentioned the actual life events that inspired the series and its prequel.
George R. R. Martin Said ‘Game Of Thrones’ Plot Is Historical
“Game of Thrones” prequel, “House of the Dragon,” is getting ready to be released, and the show’s creator, Martin, gave some insight into why women in Westeros faced difficulties in their attempts to grasp power.
The creator appeared at a Comic-Con panel hosted in San Diego on Saturday and revealed that despite what people thought, the show got its origins from history. According to Entertainment Weekly, Martin explained that for the plot line, he took actual events that happened and finetuned them.
He explained, “I get inspiration from history, and then I take elements from history, and I turn it up to 11. I don’t think Westeros is particularly more anti-woman or more misogynistic than real life and what we call history.”
Martin further revealed that while “Game of Thrones” was “very loosely” based on the War of the Roses, “House of the Dragon” drew its origins from a historical period called the Anarchy. This referred to a civil war that broke out in England after King Henry I left his throne to his daughter, Empress Matilda.
‘Game Of Thrones’ Was Called Sexist
The HBO series “Game of Thrones” previously faced criticism for being sexist and misogynistic. The accusations were mainly because the female characters were treated most of the time as sexual objects. An instance was when Ramsay Bolton, played by Iwan Rheon, raped Sansa stark, played by Sophie Turner.
Another instance that drew the public’s concern occurred in the penultimate episode of the “Game of Thrones” when Daenerys Targaryen, played by Emilia Clarke, destroyed King’s Landing. Viewers felt like the descent of the strong character into the “Mad Queen” troupe was nothing short of sexist.
While “House of the Dragon” has fewer sex scenes, there is strong opposition to a woman ruling, and some viewers are expressing concern over this. The main plot of the series follows a civil war aimed at stopping Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen from becoming ruler.
Emilia Clarke Defended ‘Game Of Thrones’
In a 2016 interview with Entertainment Weekly, Clarke spoke about how “Game of Thrones” was labeled as sexist and how the accusation pained her because most of it was taken out of context.
When asked how the Game of Thrones team handled the controversy surrounding their female characters, she said, “There’s so much controversy. Yet that’s what’s beautiful about Game of Thrones — it’s depiction of women in so many different stages of development.”
Clarke proceeded to talk about the different ways women were depicted in the series, from being sexual tools to being “literally unstoppable and as powerful as you can possibly imagine.”
She concluded, “So it pains me to hear people taking ‘Thrones’ out of context with anti-feminist spin — because you can’t do that about this show. It shows the range that happens to women, and ultimately shows women are not only equal but have a lot of strength.”
‘House Of The Dragon’ Will Premiere In August
“House of the Dragon” will reportedly be released on HBO and HBO Max on August 21. The highly anticipated prequel is set around 200 years before the story of the “Game of Thrones” began and is based on Martin’s 2018 book, “Fire & Blood.
The series starts with the friendship between Princess Targaryen and the daughter of the Hand of the King, Alicent Hightower. In the next few years, the friendship eventually falls out, and Viserys’ son is born.
Both events give rise to the Dance of the Dragons and the beginning of the end of the House Targaryen. The Dance of the Dragons was a civil war that flared up in the House Targaryen concerning the next successor of the throne.
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