Abstract
Much of the existing literature on representations of rape on television focuses on representations of the survivors of sexual violence. In this sense, academia on gender and mediated depictions of sexual assault contributes to the focus on female-identifying bodies and their relation to sexual assault. By virtue of doing so, male perpetrators of sexual assault are further removed from the conversation, thus rendering them exempt from criticism in their contributions to rape culture and making rape culture a women’s issue. This thesis aims to explore the ways in which male perpetrators of sexual assault are represented on Game of Thrones as one example of how television reproduces dominant rape myths, preserves social hierarchies of gender, and perpetuates postfeminist ideals. By closely examining the representations of perpetrators of sexual assault, depictions of rape can be more closely associated with those who most benefit from a culture of sexual violence, addressing the root of the systemic epidemic of sexual violence against women. By shifting the focus from representations of survivors of sexual assault to the representations of perpetrators of sexual assault, television’s role in perpetuating rape culture can be better examined.