Expressions of Subversive Gender Roles and Sexual Desires: Reading HBO’s Game of Thrones

Abstract

All forms of cinematic art –ranging from films to television drama-series, advertisement to daily soap shows, and the emerging trend of web-series –influence the public opinion to a great extent. More than any other source, the entertainment industry puts the lasting impact on society and culture. One such drama-series stands apart and above all others –Game of Thrones. In this paper, the focusing lens of analysis is turned towards the representation of diverse and alternative gender and sexual expressions in Game of Thrones. The present paper analyses five specific areas of transgressive and subversive desires (both in terms of gender expressions and sexual preferences) as are portrayed in Game of Thrones –Male-to-Male Same Sex Desire (Effeminate gender and gay sexuality), Female-to-Female Same Sex Desire (Masculine / butch gender and lesbian sexuality), Eunuchs / Castrated Men and their Subversive Gender Expressions, Incestuous and Other Subversive Male-to-Female Sexual Desires, and Sadomasochistic Desires. The incorporation of such transgressive acts highlights the vision of the makers of the drama-series and their liberal understanding of human gender and sexuality.