HBO’s big, new, controversial hit show Westworld premiered this past weekend. I didn’t watch it, mostly because I only subscribe to HBO for Game of Thrones, and mostly because I wasn’t really jazzed about the premise for the show, which is super-confusing and apparently the show leans heavily on violence against women. Or should I say, the story-within-the-story involves violence against women? As I said, it’s confusing. In the premiere of the show, there was a sexual assault within the theme-park/robot world, where Ed Harris’s human character assaults Evan Rachel Wood’s robot. Or something? Anyway, Evan Rachel Wood wants you to know that the show isn’t all about sexual assault.
There’s a duel brewing over a controversial rape scene in Sunday night’s premiere of “Westworld.” A sequence implying Evan Rachel Wood’s human-like robot is sexually assaulted by a human gunslinger (Ed Harris) aired on HBO has sparked condemnation on social media. The National Center on Sexual Exploitation condemned “Westworld,” accusing the cable network of “making sadistic themes of sexual violence against women the cornerstone of its entertainment formula.”
But Wood herself promised in a recent interview with the Daily News that the show “will be flipping (such violence) on its head.”
“It’s a genuine concern that violence against women would be used in a gratuitous manner, to be titillating, for shock value or just for the sake of being there, but I think in regards to ‘Westworld,’ we’re using it as a comment on those very things,” Wood told the Daily News ahead of the premiere. “We don’t actually show any violence against women, although it is implied. (Co-creator) Lisa (Joy) was very passionate about not showing gratuitous violence against women and I think the reason why it’s in the show is to push us to take a look at ourselves and humanity and why this sort of thing is an epidemic that people get pleasure out of it. We’re examining the horrors behind it and how it impacts the victim. I hope people recognize the context and understand that we’ll be flipping it on its head.”
I think people would have been more likely to give Westworld the benefit of the doubt if Game of Thrones hadn’t wielded violence against their female characters so consistently and so brutally for years. That being said, on GoT, men run the show – the show is consistently written, directed and produced by men. On Westworld, at least there are some women behind the scenes, questioning the use of violence against women (or female robots) and what the show is saying. It would have been great to hear from Lisa Joy on this issue, rather than Evan. Evan’s not writing the stories, nor is she a producer on the show. She’s just playing the victimized robot.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.
I’ll never forget how horrid her acting in True Blood was. It was so laughable. But also very uncomfortable.
Most of the acting on that show was so cringeworthy, I barely got past season 2. “Sookeh, invite me in. Soookehh.” I still lmao. I cant imagine how bad she was if she was she worse than the leads of that show.
She’s playing a robot so her acting might be perfect for this role?
Nice one, Spunky.
She was amazing in Mildred Pierce and apparently this so maybe she just couldn’t get past the writing in True Blood (or couldn’t be bothered to)
I am unashamed to say I LOVED True Blood. There was some truly memorable acting, even with silly writing. Such as Adina Porter and Fiona Shaw.
I couldn’t stand her in True Blood. Or in Across the Universe, Just awful.
She was good in this though. So much more range and depth. Ironic, as she’s playing a robot.
@DOMINIQUE
THANK YOU!!! I thought I was the only one who couldn’t stand her acting in True Blood…It was as if the casting director took a random person who happened to be walking by the set, and gave them a part. It was cringe-worthy.
I am also curious about what Lisa Joy will say. As for Evan, she got the ball rolling…. Her statement was a very intelligent way to start the conversation.
Must also say how glad I am that Thandie Newton is in it. One of the best actresses of our time by far, and not seen often enough.
I watched it last night, and it was very interesting conceptually, but…yeah, heavy on the violence, including assault on women. Ed Harris’s character is so awful that you’re already asking yourself, “What the hell kind of park is this?” thirty minutes into it. I mean, robot fantasy all you want, but what does it say about our ideas of humanity if we’re assuming the fantasy for most people is rape and violence?
I think the show will answer that question. As in, why would people choose to indulge those awful impulses at all? I think that was the point of the conversation with the guy talking about going white hat or straight evil.
I don’t have enough faith in humanity to think this show isn’t a realistic expectation of how people would behave.
i still can’t get over the fact that she worked with woody allen yuck
I saw the first episode. The main sexual assault wasn’t really shown; I think it was done really well, you understand the horror of the situation without having to see it. And there are scenes with nude women (as well as nude men) and I think it was supposed to make the viewer realize how effed up that was. The point of the show is that the robots realize what a crap situation they’re in.
I stopped watching GoT two seasons ago bc of how they treated women. I liked the first episode of Westworld though.
I was excited for Westworld since my beloved GoT and OITNB are on hiatus right now, it’s definitely violent but wasn’t graphic on the actual rape. Ed Harris plays an excellent villain, yikes. I’m interested to see where the story goes and glad I have something to look forward to on Sunday nights again.
Same feeling about Sunday nights here Jess✨ Wasn’t the music amazing?!
The music, particularly the use of Black Holr Sun and Paint it Black, was fantastic
Loved it! I think it has great potential, and yes, great choice of music!!
Didn’t see it, but I did see the 70s era movie upon which it was based, starring Yul Bryner. Violent movie is all I can remember & a lot of movies from that time period were horrible to women.
We all know that these things happen and that there are people out there that would pay for a chance to be violent against a woman- right?! It’s icky & gross and I hate the fact that this stuff happens but would appreciate a female’s take on it & a conversation rather then just the violence put up on the screen for sh&ts and giggles. It sucks that GoT use of violence affected this show but am glad we are talking about it.
I watched the show. Ed Harris also scalps a male Native American in the show; violence isn’t reserved for women. Harris is far and beyond the most evil character we’ve met without getting too spoiler-y.
Most humans that visit the park come to see prostitutes, participate in Wild West shoot outs, drink whiskey, ride horses, etc.
The show is very good. I’m a huge GOT fan, and a huge skeptic of new shows. My husband and I enjoyed it so much we’ve watched it several times already.
Well, Priscilla Stratton’s violent demise was enough for me. I can’t watch any more of our robot alter egos suffer on screen to teach us Humanity 101. RIP Pris and Roy Batty.
i haven’t watched this show (yet? i might check it out idk, we’ll see), but if the violence was implied and not shown a la game of thrones, it’s another kettle of fish. violence against women should most certainly be a topic and spark discussion, as long as it’s done respectfully and not as a shocking device to attract attention.
Problem is that in 90% of the cases it’s done to titilate the male audiance a la GOT showing no aftermath for the victims and it’s all about how it affects the men in the lives of those women.
I loved the first episode. I’ve looked forward to the show since I’m a huge fan of Jonah Nolan(loved his first tv show Person of Interest) and can gladly say I’m already loving the show. And no, I didn’t find anything particularly confusing about the concept. It’s something that Nolan Brothers have visited time and time again .
The violence (to both men and women) was off-putting but it was meant to be off-putting. We’re supposed to see these people as monsters who use these robots for their own twisted gratification. I didn’t find anything titillating about the violence or the nudity.
SPOILER Alert:
The last scene where Dolores(Evan Rachel Wood) shows us what she can do was spine-tingling. Never like Wood in any other show but her acting in Westworld has made me a fan.
I watched the first episode and did not feel the violence towards women was exploitative. Actually, the scene where Evan Rachel Wood’s character is raped could have been much worse-the scene cut away before anything graphic was depicted-the rape was implied. It’s a violent show but it seems as if they are trying to make a more significant point. People really should hold off on jumping to conclusions until more episodes are aired.
All of the robots got treated violently since most guests There seemed to go there to act badly and play out their dark fantasies. Compared to Game of Thrones, the assault scene leading up to the implied rape was restrained.
The original Westworld was great, understated. The new series looks a bit dated already, especially the lab scenes. I knew they would try to do too much and I’m disappointed. But I love Ed Harris.
I liked the first episode. My husband picked it as a show to watch together and since he never watches TV, I went along with it but expected to hate it (western? Ick. sci fi? Ick). But it hooked me in and I enjoyed it a lot. We also watch GoT and that show is WAAAYYY more violent towards women. The rape scene they are talking about was nothing compared to what they show on GoT. Evan did a tremendous job in that scene being terrified, I think that is what people are responding to. Her screams were horrifyingly real.
I saw an ad for this but didn’t watch. Is it based on those old 70s movies (there was wast world with yul brynner & future world, I think)?
One of the most disturbing movies I ever watched was “gamer” with Gerard butler. Similar premise, similar take on violence against women. I think my take away from it was, if people had no consequences, what would they do? And it forces us to really consider what humanity is capable of if they think the people they’re doing it to aren’t really “people”…and that’s horrifying.
Yeap, no gratuitous violence here. The rape scene was implied, in never showed anything graphic and besides, it is be,i.e. fed something else happened other than a rape. I’ve been reading theories online about what really might have happened so, I guess we’ll see.
Great show, though. I’ll tune in next week for sure !