Kate Maltby Kate Maltby

Why feminists like me are addicted to Game of Thrones

This post contains spoilers and discussion of the Season 5 Finale.

My name is Kate Maltby, I’m a feminist, and I’m addicted to Game of Thrones.

I’ve known I’ve had a problem for some time, really.  It all started at the end of Season 3. Languidly cat-sitting for a friend (this is what all feminists do on our weekends), I discovered that she had the last three episodes of Season 3 taped. I knew the show was famous for turning woman into nude pin cushions, but this didn’t count as watching, obviously. More like passing the time. Anyway, I had a cold at the time, so I was ill. It was allowed.

When I binged my way through Seasons 4 and 5, counting down the days until each Monday night, it wasn’t really addiction. It was cultural criticism. You have to know your patriarchal enemy. I only went back and watched Season 1 to help me navigate – I’ve never even watched Season 2 or most of Season 3, which I asserted until recently as proof positive I don’t have a problem. And I haven’t read the books, with their limp prose and fan-boy made-up languages: I’m a literary snob. After all, why would you need to either read or watch to catch-up on the storylines, when there are hours one can spend on sites like A Wiki of Ice and Fire (detailing the books) or Game of Thrones Wiki (chronicling the TV show)? Manage your time right, and you can spend more time on either website than it actually takes to read the books and watch every TV episode. Procrastination ground zero.

Naturally, I’ve had high-minded things to say about the show’s problematic gender politics. Every Monday night, I gather with my sister-feminists on Twitter and muse aloud about the show’s treatment of female characters.

Already a subscriber? Log in

Keep reading with a free trial

Subscribe and get your first month of online and app access for free. After that it’s just £1 a week.

There’s no commitment, you can cancel any time.

Or

Unlock more articles

REGISTER

Comments

Don't miss out

Join the conversation with other Spectator readers. Subscribe to leave a comment.

Already a subscriber? Log in