As a huge Hunger Games and Game of Thrones fan, I was prompted to question what it was that inspired my own addiction to both series.
It didn’t take long for me to recall sitting on the lounge at the end of Hunger Games 2, making the bold statement that ‘when I grow up I’m going to be just like Katniss!’ My children smirked at the statement coming from their 40-year-old mother; only slightly, however, as they knew I was serious.
They found even more amusement when a week later I declared that I was going to become a mixture of Khaleesi, Arya and Bree from Game of Thrones. My daughter quickly responded with, “you already are!” To this day it was the greatest compliment I have ever received.
In saying this, I have had friends who have refused to watch either show as they believe they are derogatory to woman. As much as I respect their opinion, I whole- heartedly disagree.
As someone who is quite sensitive to the inappropriate portrayal of women in any format, I am delighted with the new age approach these scriptwriters have taken.
It is my experience that these types of strong, stoic woman have always existed in the world and have suffered being misunderstood as a consequence of being perceived as threatening. I can’t begin to tell you how much I can relate to this. It’s been a life long battle and I know I’m not alone.
These programs have also been less than conventional in their depictions of men. Although there are still many sword-slinging heroes there is also a lot of depth shown in the emotional fabric of many of these leading male characters.
As an ex reality TV contestant, Hunger Games was a breathe of fresh air in it’s subtle mirroring of this popular culture.
The parallels it drew were mind-blowingly accurate and brilliantly delivered. The contestants were merely guinea pigs, used as entertainment fodder for the mass audience. I could go on but I’ll stick to the topic at hand.
In a nutshell I have finally found intelligent scripts that have put delicate and intricate thought in to the layered depictions of women and men. I am not blind to the fact that these programs are based on fantasy but I’m well aware that the line between fantasy and reality can become very blurred, especially when presented to the highly susceptible minds of the young.
As a mother of daughters, this is an exciting time and I applaud shows such as these that challenge the myriad of outdated representations of women.
Anyway, with that said, I’m off to practice my sword skills!
