Rape in Period Drama Television

Consent, Myth, and Fantasy

Katherine Byrne, Julie Anne Taddeo

• Publisher: Lexington Books
• Year: 2022
• Edition: 1
• eBook ISBN:
  9781793625861
• Topic: Scienze sociali
• Subtopic: Televisione

Rape in Period Drama Television considers the representation of rape and rape myths in a number of the most influential recent television period dramas. Like the corset, has become a shorthand for women's oppression in the past. Sexual violence has long been, and still is, commonplace in television period drama, often used to add authenticity and realism to shows or as a sensationalist means of chasing ratings. However, the authors illustrate that the depiction of rape is more than a mere reminder that the past was a dangerous place for women (and some men). In these series, they argue, rape functions as a kind of "anti-heritage" device that dispels the nostalgia usually associated with period television and reflects back on the current cultural moment, in which the #MeToo and #Timesup movement have increased awareness of the prevalence of sexual abuse, but in which legal and political processes have not yet caught up. In doing so, Rape in Period Drama Television sets out to explore the assumptions and beliefs which audiences continue to hold about rape, rapists, and victims.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Acknowledgments
• Introduction
• 1 Rape Fantasy and the “Lawless” Eighteenth Century: Poldark and Banished
• 2 Rape Responses, Romance, and Rape-Revenge
• 3 “Dismissed, Ignored, and Woefully Underreported”: Male Rape in Bridgerton and Outlander
• 4 Rape as a Weapon of War: Das Boot and A Place to Call Home
• 5 Procurement and Period Drama: Rape for Money in Harlots
• 6 “If You Can’t Rape Your Wife, Who Can You Rape?”: Marital Rape in The Forsyte Saga and Poldark
• 7 Rape and the Older Woman
• Conclusion
• Bibliography
• Index
• About the Authors