Scenes From the Decadent Period of the Dying American Republic

dec·a·dence

ˈdekədəns

noun

moral or cultural decline as characterized by excessive indulgence in pleasure or luxury

The Mary-Sue, fangirl comic book nerd site:

Editor’s Note: Trigger warnings for sexual assault. To find out more about support options available for survivors of sexual abuse, visit the official website for RAINN, the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization.

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Those hopes crumbled into a million pieces last night, when Sansa was raped by Ramsey as Theon/Reek was forced to watch.

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Using rape as the impetus for character motivations is one of the most problematic tropes in fiction. Rarely is it ever afforded the careful consideration it deserves. Was there more gravity given to the act on Game of Thrones than in the past on the series? I would say yes; however, it took Sansa from her growing place of power, cut her off at the knees, and put the focus on Theo'’s ordeal, instead.

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After the episode ended, I was gutted. I felt sick to my stomach. And then I was angry. My next thought was, "I'm going to have to spend part of the next six months explaining why this was a bad move over and over."

The Daily Mail, a journal about things that actually happened in the real world:

[no trigger warning included]

Stripped naked and sold to the highest bidder: How ISIS is sending the 'prettiest Yazidi virgins' it abducts to slave markets in Syria

ISIS committing horrific sex crimes against girls, United Nations has found

'They are sold naked to Islamic State leaders and soldiers at slave markets'

Terror group is targeting young girls from Iraq's minority Yazidi community

It has previously abducted hundreds of Yazidis from across northern Iraq

The HuffPo, a website for people to read while folding sweaters at The Gap:

Why Talking About 'Game Of Thrones' Rape Is Important For Feminism

By Emily Tess Katz
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Dr. Michele Polak, an English professor at Centenary College, shares The Mary Sue's reservations, arguing that the rape served more to advance a male character's storyline rather than that of the Sansa Stark, who was raped.

"I think it was there to move the narrative of her brother," Polak told HuffPost Live on Thursday. "I think that really did great for his narrative more than it did for Sansa's."

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Slate contributor Amanda Marcotte and contributing editor to Washingtonian magazine, Hilary Kelly, joined the discussion of what is meant by a "gratuitous rape scene" and whether "Game of Thrones" can depict rape in service to a broader, important cultural conversation.

The Washington Post, a journal of things that really happened in the real world (though they have plenty of She the People bloggers who prefer to talk about things that happen on TV shows):

[no trigger warning provided]

Hundreds of kidnapped Nigerian school girls reportedly sold as brides to militants for $12, relatives say

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The news of the mass marriage come from a group of fathers, uncles, cousins, and nephews who gather every morning to pool their resources, buy fuel, and journey unarmed to forests and border towns in search of the missing girls. They learned this week, they said, that mass wedding ceremonies had occurred on Saturday and Sunday. The insurgents reportedly shot their guns into the air after taking their new brides, and split them into three groups. They were then reportedly moved out by truckload.

"It's a medieval kind of slavery," village leader Bitrus told the BBC.

Jezebel, a fangirl site for fantasy pretend-politics of the sort practiced by White Middle Class Western Women who want to convince themselves they're "informed:"

The incident happened my junior year at Columbia, when Paul followed me upstairs at a party, came into a room with me uninvited, closed the door behind us, and grabbed me. I politely said, "Hey, no, come on, let's go back downstairs." He didn't listen. He held me close to him as I said no, and continued to pull me against him. I pushed him off and left the room quickly. I told a few friends and my boyfriend at the time how creepy and weird it was. I tried to find excuses for his behavior. I did a decent job of pushing it out of my mind....

My friend gave me the name and number of someone at Columbia I could talk to if I wanted to file a complaint. I wondered if what had happened between me and Paul was really sexual assault: there was no penetration, I had no bruises, I got away. But Columbia defines "Sexual Assault—Non-Consensual Sexual Contact" as "Any intentional sexual touching, however slight, with any object without a person's consent." That is exactly what happened to me, and so I decided to file a complaint.

The NY Daily News, another paper chiefly writing about things that actually happened:

[no trigger warning provided]

1 of 2 British school girls in pedophile sex ring recalls being raped by at least 60 men

A British court has heard how a pedophile sex ring raped, drugged, exploited and even "brainwashed" school girls on a "massive scale" over a six-year period.

The disturbing claims against 11 Buckinghamshire men were heard during the first day of trial Monday in London during which statements were read by one of the two young victims, the BBC reported.

That child, who was aged 12 or 13 at the time, said she was passed around and raped by at least 60 men in an Asian grooming gang.

The Independent, writing about the bitter, corrupt feminist Senator Claire McCaskill:

Game of Thrones rape scene criticised as 'disgusting' by US senator Claire McCaskill who says she's 'done' with show

Ok, I'm done Game of Thrones.Water Garden, stupid.Gratuitous rape scene disgusting and unacceptable.It was a rocky ride that just ended.

— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) May 19, 2015

posted by Ace at 07:03 PM

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