HBO's hit fantasy series "Game of Thrones" has been criticized over the years for its treatment of female characters and its excessive female nudity. Though female stars of the show - including Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) and Emilia Clarke (Daenerys Targaryen) - have spoken out against this critique, the viewpoint remains among certain detractors.
But Clarke has an idea for how "Game of Thrones" can balance out the scales. Her ideal ending for the series includes some explicit content from the show's male characters for a change.
Clarke was asked in a recent interview what her fan fiction of the show would look like to viewers. Her answer will have you laughing.
"I want to see Daenerys and her three dragons share the thrones," Clarke responded. "Eat goat they've barbecued. And bring back all the pretty boys, get them to take their trousers down, and be like, 'I'm now the queen of everything! I'd like close-ups of all the boys' penises, please.'"
Well, that's one way to go about it. The balls in your court now, HBO.
But in all seriousness, both Clarke and Turner have come out in support of the show when it has faced backlash for its gender issues.
"There's so much controversy," Clarke said in a separate interview. "Yet that's what's beautiful about Game of Thrones - it's depiction of women in so many different stages of development. There are women depicted as sexual tools, women who are literally unstoppable and as powerful as you can possibly imagine. So it pains me to hear people taking Thrones out of context with anti-feminist spin - because you can't do that about this show. It shows the range that happen to women, and ultimately shows women are not only equal, but have a lot of strength."
Turner echoed Clarke's statements, saying:
"I think the depiction of women in Game of Thrones is really...nice. I think back then, women didn't have half the power that they do in the show. This isn't a popular opinion, but it's definitely a feminist show, I believe.
"Back then, women didn't have powers to control kingdoms and they weren't the strongest characters in life. And in the show, some of the strongest characters are the female characters. Obviously, we have to cater to the times that they were in, and so there are those social boundaries put upon them, but they break out of them in the show, and that's why I think it's quite feminist."
"Game of Thrones" will return to HBO for its sixth season on April 24.
Follow Brandon Katz at @Great_Katzby
