That’s the crux of the matter, isn’t it? The show is very definitely depicting the objectification of women, but is it doing so to reinforce the sense of a grimly unjust and patriarchal world, or is it celebrating objectification as a desirable fantasy? i.e. is the viewer intended to feel comfortable or uncomfortable with the objectification?
It’s an impossible question to resolve, because it’s so damn subjective. One feminist can look at a nude scene and see male gaze pandering, where another might see a dark but poignant observation about the subjugation of women in Westeros. It’s not about the scene itself, it’s how it makes you feel.
But shows like GOT take advantage of this ambiguity to try to get away with “celebratory objectification” while claiming that it’s not intended that way. And since nobody can really prove anything when it comes to art, they can play right at the edge between celebration and critical depiction. This way they can reap the commercial benefits of pandering while maintaining a claim to artistic integrity.
I do think that the depiction of patriarchy as an oppressive reality in GOT is a valuable and legitimate thematic element, and that includes objectifying nudity. I don’t feel right condemning it as strongly as the article does. But it is kind of annoying when watching the show to have to question “is that woman naked because it means something, or just because the producers know that I like seeing tits?”
