Game of Thrones Rape Scene Backlash: Fans Boycott After Ramsay and Sansa's Violent Consummation Night
Followers of the HBO medieval saga, Game of Thrones, felt violated and disgusted with the ending of Sunday's episode showing a rape scene of the virgin, Sansa Stark (Sophie Turner) and her husband Ramsay Bolton (Iwan Rheon) on their first night as married couple.
According to Mail Online, fans planned boycotting and quitting on watching the next episodes of the show.
US Senator Claire McCaskill is one of the top commenters airing her plan not to follow the show anymore.
'I'm done with Game of Thrones,' she wrote. 'Gratuitous rape scene disgusting and unacceptable," she wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.
Mary Sue, a website offering a feminist view on pop culture also follow suit saying that it will not promote the show anymore.
'The show has creators. They make the choices. They chose to use rape as a plot device. Again.'
Jill Pantozzi, Mary Sue's editor-in-chief also aired her disgust towards the show in her column, The New York Times reports.
"After the episode ended, I was gutted. I felt sick to my stomach. And then I was angry. Not only will there be those who hand-wave the scene simply on the basis of artistic integrity, there will be those who still don't consider it rape."
Other social media users also agreed saying that the last scene is 'unnecessary' and has 'crossed the lines.'
Vulture said that the movie scene has been modified from its original more savage book version. In George Martin's books, Sansa was treated only as a minor character specifically created to be raped.
The news source also said that, in the book, Ramsay Bolton forces Theon to perform cunnilingus on the virgin bride-a scene considered to be far more sadistic than what happened in the movie wherein Theon is just made to stand in the room and witness the rape scene.
Meanwhile, Sophie Turner said she 'loved' the script and is does not mind her character being brutalized.
"I love the way Ramsay had Theon watching. It was all so messed up. It's also so daunting for me to do it. I've been making [Cogman] feel so bad for writing that scene: 'I can't believe you're doing this to me!' But I secretly loved it," Turner said.