Just like the media's glamorized serial killers, they've done the same with sexual violence
A month ago, I wrote about Hollywood's horrific love affair with serial killers and such. But that's not the only offensive path Tinseltown's ever taken. As this article points out, Hollywood's also glamorized and romanticized sexual assault and rape, and that's just as chilling:
But this also points to another disturbing problem: white women are considered easy targets for these sensationalized renditions. If a Black/Asian/Latina woman were the subject of these horrors on TV and movies, chances are there would be more backlash from community activist groups. So Hollywood's PC dictates led to a bizarre situation where raping white women for cheap sensationalism is considered acceptable, along with minimizing the issue of rape itself. And they presumably thought nobody would object so long as they stuck to a PC direction. Of course, ever since Harvey Weinstein was busted, some of that might've changed, though it'd be ill-advised to think a place as corrupt as Tinseltown will let go of bad habits that easily.
The following item also tells quite a bit about filmmaker Lars von Trier:
There's even this to consider:
Even horror movies took it took extremes:
Those worried about Hollywood romanticizing and glamorizing violent serial killers should also examine how they've also done the same with sexual assault, to say nothing of how characters depicted as sex offenders are being airbrushed as though it were no big deal. Why, years before, Hollywood sometimes led a double-standard where lesbians were far more likely to be depicted as criminals and mental cases, while male homosexuals were portrayed far more sympathetically. That too is a troubling form of contempt in Hollywood towards women.
Popular shows on Netflix, Hulu, and HBO have played their part in romanticizing sexual assault and violence for a long time. In episode one of Gossip Girl, Chuck Bass attempts to rape young Jenny Humphrey. Throughout the series, Chuck takes advantage of his power and money to objectify women, paralleling the very real case of Harvey Weinstein. Damon Salvator constantly compels women to do whatever he wants and kills them when they are no longer useful on The Vampire Diaries. Both Khal Drogo and Ramsay Bolton rape and abuse their wives on Game of Thrones. Throughout the show, Game of Thrones features over 50 rapes. These characters sound like villains, right? Wrong. They’re bad boys that the audience ends up idealizing and admiring as these series progress, and their character development and redemption relies on their past of abusing women.See also this item for an earlier concern about the topic. I should note, however, that objectification in itself is not an inherently bad thing so long as it doesn't combine sexual violence and normalizing it. It is possible to do sexual depictions without resulting in dehumanization.
Glamorizing sexual violence in the media has resulted in normalizing it for young viewers. Experiencing sexual assault can even be a defining aspect of a victim in television, making cold, “bitchy” characters appear more human because of their assault. Characters that are sexual abusers are often rewarded by getting the girl and overcoming their challenges in television and film. This depicts sexual violence as acceptable and attractive behavior on and off screen. Research indicates that constantly watching abusers in the media instills the idea that sexual assault is normal.
The media has also constructed a social image of what a victim of sexual violence should look like. Nearly all victims of sexual abuse in television and film are innocent weathly or middle class white female characters. This image of the “normal” victim of sexual assault created by the media makes victims of other races, genders, sexualities, and socioeconomic backgrounds appear less important. In fact, one study says that the media has stereotyped Black women as sexual aggressors, Asian women as overly sexually submissive, and women from lower social classes as deserving of sexual exploitation. Meanwhile, male and LGBTQ+ victims of sexual assault are almost left completely out of the picture. The exclusive image of the innocent white female victim invalidates the reality that victims of sexual assault come from all races and backgrounds.
But this also points to another disturbing problem: white women are considered easy targets for these sensationalized renditions. If a Black/Asian/Latina woman were the subject of these horrors on TV and movies, chances are there would be more backlash from community activist groups. So Hollywood's PC dictates led to a bizarre situation where raping white women for cheap sensationalism is considered acceptable, along with minimizing the issue of rape itself. And they presumably thought nobody would object so long as they stuck to a PC direction. Of course, ever since Harvey Weinstein was busted, some of that might've changed, though it'd be ill-advised to think a place as corrupt as Tinseltown will let go of bad habits that easily.
The following item also tells quite a bit about filmmaker Lars von Trier:
To see a commercial film address the topic of sexual violence and identify its mundane, non-sexual roots, is rare, and exciting. By contrast, representations of sexual violence in general and rape in particular are anything but rare in arthouse and independent cinema. Auteurs from Bertolucci and Polanski to Lars von Trier and Michael Haneke have built their careers around making films dealing with sexual violence, particularly against women. The infamous butter sequence from Bertolucci’s Last Tango in Paris sickened audiences well before the nature of its creation came to public attention. The majority of Von Trier’s films have been clouded in controversy – even before Björk’s claims about the director’s on-set behaviour – particularly as regards their endless fascination with women seen suffering and humiliated. But for every scandal, little attention has focused on how dozens of other films dealing with sexual violence against women treat the topic.Which is little different from the current trend of romanticizing serial killers. IIRC, von Trier made a movie called Dogtown, which was laced with anti-American propaganda, and this could suggest it's just like a man with condescending views of the USA to retain a belittling view of women by extension.
There's even this to consider:
Glorification of predatory male behaviour has been condoned in our tv shows, books, and movies. You don’t need to look far to see the trope in explaining female badassery through sexual violence.That's why I just don't understand Martin's vehement adherence to left-wing politics (something which the first website's managers, unfortunately, also do). Worst, this all demonstrates where Hollywood's been heading these days - a situation where no joy is allowed, and no consensual love, if at all.
Let’s take a look at Game of Thrones. The showrunners of the hit TV series, David Benioff and D.B. Weiss (D&D) have corrupted George RR Martin’s fantasy series by turning consensual lovemaking scenes into sexual assault.
In the original series, the wedding night of Daenerys and Khal Drogo is consensual but the two producers decided to drastically change pleasure into sexual assault.
George RR Martin has criticized the deviation from the original narrative. “Why did the wedding scene change from the consensual seduction scene … to the brutal rape of Emilia Clarke? We never discussed it. It made it worse, not better.”
Even horror movies took it took extremes:
For decades, female roles in horror films fall into two categories – the over-sexualized fox or the damsel in peril. The female heroes that are depicted are usually virginal and the female characters that are going to die almost always end up having sex.Yup, that's another way sex is given a bad name, as the ladies destined for the grave are turned into tissue paper. Unfortunately, chances are this'll still continue, and no positive alternatives will be allowed most of the time.
Those worried about Hollywood romanticizing and glamorizing violent serial killers should also examine how they've also done the same with sexual assault, to say nothing of how characters depicted as sex offenders are being airbrushed as though it were no big deal. Why, years before, Hollywood sometimes led a double-standard where lesbians were far more likely to be depicted as criminals and mental cases, while male homosexuals were portrayed far more sympathetically. That too is a troubling form of contempt in Hollywood towards women.
Labels: Europe, misogyny, Moonbattery, sexual violence, showbiz, United States
