MAC 301

Media Studies 2
Module Leader: Clarissa Smith
Student: Florentina Olaru
Question: Drawing on a drama of our !hoi!e" dis!uss the e#tent to whi!h $ualit %&
drama 'is !on!e(tuall ad)enturous and narrati)el !om(le#*+
%his essa will analse the e#tent to whi!h $ualit drama is '!on!e(tuall
ad)enturous and narrati)el !om(le#*+ %o illustrate this" it will draw on the ,-O show
Game of Thrones+ First" it will define the !on!e(t of $ualit tele)ision .%hom(son:
1//01+ 2e#t" it will a((l the definition to Game of Thrones and it will identif the
elements that ma3es this show !on!e(tuall ad)enturous and narrati)el !om(le#
and to what e#tent+ 4n the end" it will tal3 a5out the !riti!ism that $ualit drama and
su5s!ri(tion !hannels reinfor!e a hierar!h of !ultural )alue+
Defining the term 6$ualit7 in relation to %& drama has (ro)ed to 5e a !hallenge+ On
one side" there is a !riti!al attitude towards tele)ision in general+ 8ohn Corner .1//9"
(+1011 identifies se)eral arguments a5out the negati)e !ultural influen!e of
tele)ision: 1+ time waster : refers to the time s(ent wat!hing %&" instead of engaging
in other !reati)e a!ti)ities or intera!tion with life outside the home; 2+ !ultural in)ader
: tele)ision seen as a 5earer of Ameri!an !ulture es(e!iall in <aster <uro(ean
so!ieties" where the indigenous !ultural norms are seen as endangered 5 the
western )alues" !ausing !onfli!ts of identit; 3+ taste de5asement : tele)ision
entertainment has the effe!t of lowering (eo(le*s taste and de)elo(ing a (referen!e
for this undemanding a!ti)it rather than for more intelle!tual ones .i+e+ reading1; =+
attitudinal influen!e : tele)ision influen!es attitudes" not alwas in a (ositi)e wa; 9+
!ogniti)e im(airment : tele)ision 5rings 6!ultural deterioration7 .i5id1 and leads to
6redu!ed mental !a(a!ities7 .i5id1+
Others argue that there are" without dou5t" $ualit %& (rogrammes" that
differentiate themsel)es from regular tele)ision+ Ashle Saeau refers to Ameri!an
$ualit %& as 6(oliti!all engaged" often inde(endent %& that aims to enlighten" as
well as to entertain7 .!ited in Fri!3er: 200>" ?+1=1+ For instan!e" the show Buffy the
Vampire Slayer would 5e !onsidered a $ualit %& drama 5e!ause it engages with
(oliti!al issues and !hallenges gender re(resentations .i+e+ (resenting -uff as a
strong fighter" a heroine" role whi!h is usuall re(resented 5 men1" while still
entertains+
4n Televisions Second Golden Age" @o5ert 8+ %hom(son argues that 6$ualit %& is
5est defined 5 what it is not7 .1//0" (+131: it 5rea3s the rules of and transforms
traditional genres" it has a $ualit (edigree" it is (rodu!ed 5 (eo(le with $ualit
aestheti! from outside the mainstream tele)ision; it has a large num5er of !ast"
o)erla((ing (lot lines; it !reates a new genre" tends towards the !ontro)ersial and
as(ires toward realism+
Su5s!ri(tion !hannels are the Ameri!an model of alternati)e to !ommer!ial
tele)ision+ ,-O is one e#am(le" with 2A+> million su5s!ri5ers onl in BSA" (aing
C>+//Dmonth" a!!ording to S2L Eagan .Steno)e!: 2013" online1+ ,-O (rodu!tions
ha)e 5ig 5udgets" are narrati)el !om(le#" full of su5te#ts" meta(hors and
interla!ed (lots+ %hese figures demonstrate that $ualit tele)ision has its own
audien!e willing to (a a fee for an alternati)e to traditional tele)ision+
4n the ne#t (art" this essa will analse the wa in whi!h the $ualit tele)ision
drama Game of Thrones !an 5e des!ri5ed as !on!e(tuall ad)enturous and
narrati)el !om(le#+ %his is an Ameri!an $ualit s!ien!e fi!tion tele)ision series
5ased on Feorge @+@+ Martin*s 5oo3 series 6A Song of 4!e and Fire7 .online1+ 4t
started 5road!asting in 2011 on ,-O+
S!ien!e fi!tion is usuall 5ased on te!hnolog" it has its roots in s!ien!e .in
Cornea: 200>" (+21; SF authors !an in)ent things not found in our world .@o5erts:
2000" (+>1+ 4t would 5e relati)el eas to not !ategorise Fame of %hrones as
s!ien!e fi!tion" 5e!ause its a!tion is 5ased in a medie)al time+ %herefore it is not
5ased on s!ien!e and te!hnolog+ ,owe)er" the su(ernatural !reatures that
!annot 5e found in our world .i+e+ dragons" or!s" wiGards and wit!hes1 and the fa!t
that magi! is en!ountered e)erwhere ma3es the show s!ien!e fi!tion+ 4n other
words" Game of Thrones 5rea3s the traditional rules of the genre and transforms
it" illustrating %hom(son*s idea .1//0" (+1=1+ 4t !hallenges the !on!e(t of s!ien!e
fi!tion" with an ad)enturous a((roa!h that ma3es it e)en more a((ealing and
engaging for the audien!e+
Qualit drama is !on!e(tuall ad)enturous in terms of gender re(resentation" and
Game of Thrones fits this des!ri(tion+ <)en though it is 5ased in a medie)al time"
the show (ortras a )ariet of female !hara!ters that !hallenge the women*s
(osition in so!iet+ Cersei Lannister is a (rominent female figure in Game of
Throes. A s3illed (oliti!ian" she marries the 3ing onl to gain influen!e+ She is the
3ing*s heir*s mother" this status gi)ing her (ower of !ontrol+ Queen of the Se)en
Eingdoms" she demonstrates )arious times that she is faithful onl to her !hildren
and herself: she manages to get her son on the throne onl so she !an !ontrol the
Se)en Eingdoms through him+ %he themes of adulter and in!est are tou!hed
u(on as well" with Cersei*s 5rother fathering her !hildren+ She moti)ates her
a!tions 5 tring to 3ee( the Lannister 5loodline (ure+ She is the em5odiment of
the feminist idea that a woman is her own 5od*s master and she !an do what she
li3es with it+
<)en though Cersei Lannister is (ortraed as a s3illed (oliti!ian" she draws all her
(ower from the men in her life: she is in)in!i5le 5e!ause she is the wife and later
the mother of the 3ing+ <)en though the writer tries to draw gender e$ualit" he
manages u( to a (oint+ Cersei is not a true inde(endent leader" enfor!ing
Douglas*s idea that the usual setting of women leaders is !ontrolled 5 men .!ited
in 8en3ins: 2011" (+1021+
Another (owerful female figure in Game of Thrones is Daener %argaren+ She is
initiall (resented as a wea3 and inno!ent figure" sold into marriage 5 her 5rother
and then ra(ed 5 her hus5and+ After the death of her 5rother and her hus5and"
the !hara!ter de)elo(s into a true leader" 3ind and strong at the same time+ On
her wa to re!o)er her home land" she frees nations of sla)es" gi)ing them the
!hoi!e of Hoining her as free men or go their se(arate wa+
%hrough Daeners" dire!tor Da)id -enioff manages on!e again to !hallenge to an
e#tent the traditional (osition of women+ ,owe)er" the fa!t that she manages to
a!hie)e e)erthing with the hel( of three dragons reinfor!es the idea that a
woman !ould 5e this (owerful onl in an unreal setting .i5id1+
%he re(resentation of disa5ilit is another element through whi!h Game of
Thrones aims to 5e !on!e(tuall ad)enturous+ %rion Lannister" one of the main
!hara!ters of the show" suffers from dwarfism+ Cum5er5at!h and 2egrine argue
that 6the wa in whi!h tele)ision (ortras (eo(le with disa5ilities fails to tou!h on
their 'ordinariness* and humanit as well as u(on so!iet*s role in dis!riminating
against (eo(le with disa5ilities7 .1//2" (+AA1+ ,owe)er" one !an argue that %rion
Lannister is an ordinar !hara!ter" with 5oth $ualities and faults+ ,e (ro)es great
intelligen!e" arguing that 5oo3s and wisdom are his most (owerful wea(ons+ <)en
though he and Sansa Star3 ha)e 5een o5liged to marr" he res(e!ts her wishes to
not !onsume the marriage 5e!ause she did not lo)e him+ ,e demonstrated
integrit and !ourage on )arious o!!asions+ At the same time" he is a regular
)isitor of the 3ingdoms* 5rothel+
%rion also !ondu!ted an arm of men when their !astle was 5eing atta!3ed+ Iith
a wea3 3ing and no other hel(" he had to ta3e the lead and defend the !astle+
Moreo)er" he showed intelligen!e and !reati)it in finding a !hemi!al solution to
atta!3 their o((onents+ ,owe)er" 5 em(loing him in this a!tion" the dire!tor
made %rion*s !hara!ter into the stereot(e of the 5ra)e disa5led (erson" who
e)erone admires not 5e!ause his !hara!teristi!s .i+e+ intelligen!e" !reati)it"
!ourage1" 5ut 5e!ause he (erforms an a!tion usuall not made 5 disa5led
(eo(le: 6- em(loing !ertain stereot(es" for e#am(le" the !ourageous disa5led
(erson fa!ing u( to ad)ersit" it does not gi)e an ade$uate a!!ount of the
e)erda e#(erien!e of the maHorit of (eo(le with disa5ilities7 .i5id1+ On!e again"
Game of Thrones ado(ts a !on!e(tuall ad)enturous attitude towards
re(resenting disa5ilit" 5ut it does not manage to 100J refle!t the realit+
Qualit tele)ision is narrati)el !om(le#" with a large 6ensem5le of !ast7
.%hom(son: 1//0" (1=1 and 6the )ariet of !hara!ters allows for a )ariet of
)iew(oints sin!e multi(le (lots must usuall 5e em(loed to a!!ommodate all of
the !hara!ters7 .i5id1+ Iith more than 00 !hara!ters s(lit in A no5le houses
.online1" Game of Thrones has had multi(le (lots" usuall ta3ing the audien!e 5
sur(rise+ -e!ause of the large num5er of !hara!ters" the show does not ha)e onl
one stor" 5ut a multitude of narrati)es+ Some of the narrati)es in!lude: Daeners
%argaren*s Hourne to re!o)er her father*s throne" 8on Snow*s ad)entures as a
2ight Iat!h 5rother at the Iall" Ara Star3*s initiati)e Hourne" when she is
transformed from the daughter of a no5le man to a fighter" the Lannisters* stor"
tou!hing u(on in!est" disa5ilit and (atriar!hal authorit+
Game of Thrones has offered its audien!e multi(le (lots" some of them )er
une#(e!ted+ <)en from season one" we witness the e#e!ution of 2ed Star3" a
(rominent (atriar!hal figure" the 3ing*s hand and one of the most im(ortant
!hara!ters+ Moreo)er" in season three the show offers one of the most sur(rising
(lot twists: %he @ed Iedding" when Cateln Star3" her son @o5 Star3 and his
wife are 3illed+ Iith this death" the introdu!e a new !onfli!t: Sansa" Ara" -ran
and @i!3on Star3 remain or(hans and Iinterfell remains without defense+
%he fa!t that im(ortant !hara!ters are 5eing eliminated fre$uentl in Game of
Thrones demonstrates the narrati)e !om(le#it of the series+ <)en though 2ed
Star3 died" and then his heir" @o5 Star3" the stor was strong and it had enough
im(ortant !hara!ters to !ontinue without his (resen!e+ 2ot e)en the 3ing*s death"
8offre -aratheon" in season four ends the stor+
Qualit %& also 6has a memor7 .%hom(son: 1//0" (+1=1" the e(isodes referring
5a!3 to the (re)ious ones+ %his is another (arti!ularit of narrati)e !om(le#it
and" 5e!ause of that" there is enough time and s(a!e for the !hara!ters to
de)elo( and !hange+ One of the e#am(les illustrating this !hara!teristi! in Game
of Thrones is 8amie Lannister+ 4n the first season he is shown as the !ruel 3ing
slaer+ ,e fathers his sister*s !hildren and tries to 3ill an inno!ent 5o who
in)oluntar dis!o)ers their in!estuous relationshi(+ ,owe)er" in season three he
starts his Hourne 5a!3 to Eing*s Landing" 5eing a!!om(anied 5 the (owerful
-rienne of %arth+ At first" we see him (ro)o3ing an insulting her with e)er
o!!asion he has+ ,owe)er" when she is in danger" 8amie defends her and he
e)en fights a 5ear and loses a hand" tring .and managing1 to sa)e her+ - the
end of season three" we see another side of 8amie" a softer and more humane
one+ ,e is 5e!oming one of the audien!e*s fa)ourite !hara!ters+ ,owe)er" at the
5eginning of season four" at the funeral of 8offre" he ra(es his sister near the
!offin of their own son+ As <ri! Dodds .201=" online1 argues"
6this is the Fame of %hrones uni)erse that weKre stu!3 with: the one where the
Eingslaer is at 5est one of the most war(ed antiLheroes on tele)ision" and at
worst a )illain Hust as morall 5an3ru(t as his mani(ulati)e father and e)il son+7
-e!ause the e(isodes ha)e !ontinuit and the refer 5a!3 to ea!h other" $ualit
drama draws !om(le# !hara!ters+ 4n the (re)ious e#am(le" we saw two )er
different sides of a 8amie Lannister+ And when we 5elie)ed he finall !hanged" he
showed his true nature again+ %his is the result of a )er !om(le# narrati)e that
offers enough s(a!e to see !hara!ters de)elo( and !hange+
%he su5He!t of $ualit drama usuall refers to the !ontro)ersial and as(ires
towards realism .%hom(son: 1//0" (+191+ <)en though Game of Thrones is
s!ien!e fi!tion" it has its roots in realit+ 4t tou!hes u(on !ontro)ersial su5He!ts
su!h as in!est" adulter" ra(e" murder+ 4n this show" no !hara!ter is entirel good
or 5ad: 2ed Star3" the great father and leader" has a !hild from outside his
marriage" %rion Lannister" one of the wisest and most !reati)e !hara!ters" is a
fre$uent )isitor of 5rothels" Ara Star3" the fair girlLfighter" 3ills unmer!ifull" 8amie
Lannister" the 3ing slaer" the e)il son" loses a hand (rote!ting -rienne of %arth"
8on Snow" the wise and 5ra)e man" 5rea3s his 2ight*s Iat!h oath of not e)er
ha)ing se#ual relations+ Feorge @@ Martin" the author of the 5oo3 on whi!h
Game of Thrones is 5ased" argues that: 6Male or female" 4 5elie)e in (ainting in
shades of gre+ MNO All of the !hara!ters should 5e flawed; the should all ha)e
good and 5ad" 5e!ause thatKs what 4 see+ Pes" it*s fantas" 5ut the !hara!ters still
need to 5e real+7 .2013" online1+
4n tring to 5e !on!e(tuall ad)enturous and drawing to the !ontro)ersial" Game
of Thrones often shows women as se#ual o5He!ts+ Com(aring to men" women are
more fre$uentl seen full na3ed+ <)en the most (owerful women leaders are
shown in s!enes of ra(e" (ortraed as (owerless in front of men+ 2o5le .2013"
online1 noted that s!enes of nudit were featured in 10D10 e(isodes and AD10
e(isodes in the first two seasons" while in the third the were redu!ed at 9D10+
Feorge @@ Martin argues that featuring se#ual )iolen!e in Game of Thrones
mans that the show is honest" 5e!ause Qra(e and se#ual )iolen!e ha)e 5een a
(art of e)er war e)er fought" from the an!ient Sumerians to our (resent daQ
.201=" online1+ 4n other words" showing nudit and se#ual )iolen!e towards
women in Game of Thrones is" in fa!t" (art of the $ualit le)el of the show that
as(ires towards realism+
,owe)er" there is also !riti!ism 5rought to $ualit drama+ So!iologist ?ierre
-ourdieu argues that 6the !ultural (rodu!ts regarded as the 5est are in fa!t those
that are (referred 5 the most edu!ated and wealth segment of the (o(ulation7
.1/A=" !ited in -ignell" 8+ and Orle5ar" 8+: 2009" (+121+ @eferring to Ameri!an
$ualit drama 8ane Feuer su((orts this idea" saing that 6the term $ualit
des!ri5es the demogra(hi!s of the audien!e7.200>" (+1=>1+ 4n other words"
deli)ering $ualit" in the !ase of su5s!ri(tion !hannels" means attra!ting an
audien!e with enough in!ome to (a the fee to wat!h these tele)ision shows+
,-O has a mu!h smaller audien!e of su5s!ri5ers than networ3 %&" 5ut the are
the small demogra(hi! that are willing to (a e#tra to ha)e a!!ess to $ualit
tele)ision .i5id1+ %his as(e!t raises !on!erns that $ualit %& drama reinfor!es a
hierar!h of !ultural )alue; it !onsolidates the idea that whate)er is e#(ensi)e"
(rodu!ed with a 5ig 5udget and therefore ha)ing a high su5s!ri(tion fee
.C>Dmonth in the !ase of ,-O1" has a high (rodu!tion )alue and $ualit drama
!annot 5e (rodu!ed with a small 5udget and released on a (latform to whi!h the
maHorit of (eo(le ha)e a!!ess+
,owe)er" M!Ca5e and A3ass argue that ,-O !an afford to 5e !on!e(tuall
ad)enturous as a result of ha)ing an elite" high edu!ated audien!e+ 4n their
o(inion" $ualit tele)ision" su!h as Game of Thrones" is aimed to (eo(le who are
not easil !orru(ted and who !an analse and figure out what las 5ehind the
surfa!e in a drama: 6MNO ,-O draws into this (u5li! de5ate another so!ial
grou(ing not so easil !orru(ti5le 5e!ause" edu!ated and so(histi!ated" MNO the
want something !hallenging" different from the usual tele)ision fare" and are
(re(ared to (a for it7 .200A" (+/11+
%o sum u(" the $ualit drama show Game of Thrones is ad)enturous" tou!hing
u(on im(ortant and !ontro)ersial !on!e(ts" e)en though it does not alwas
manage to re(resent them fairl and realisti!all+ 4t re(resents women in
leadershi( (ositions" 5ut their !ir!umstan!es are either !ontrolled 5 men or
drawn from su(ernatural (owers+ 4t shows disa5ilit" 5ut at times it falls into
stereot(ing the 5ra)e disa5led (erson+ %he narrati)e is !om(le#" with multi(le
)iew (oints and (lot twists and e(isodes referring to the (re)ious ones+ 4n
!on!lusion" Game of Thrones manages to show more realisti! !hara!ters" to draw
on ta5oo su5He!ts and to intrigue the audien!e more than mainstream tele)ision
does+ -ut it still has issues with women*s re(resentation and gender e$ualit+
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