Sexual Violence as Entertainment

⚠️TW⚠️

Content advisory for discussion of sexual violence including rape. I know some days I’m not up for this topic, if that’s your headspace right now it’s one to skip.

Anyway, I’ve been reading a YA series set in the 1800’s and the main character has dealt with several rape attempts. At least one per book, often more. At first I thought, well it’s realistic to the time and particular circumstances I guess, but as the series goes on it seems the author leans on it whenever things get slow. The heroine always just barely escapes though increasingly unlikely methods, and the status of her “virtue” is a topic of constant discussion.

Another example would be the Sansa Stark plot line in GOT that completely diverged from the book plot line. Many fans felt it crossed a line, and told a problematic narrative of rape leading to a positive personality change.

So my questions are:

At what point does the use of sexual violence in fiction cross over from realistic storytelling, into an exploitative narrative with the sexual violence becoming the entertainment itself?

At what do you personally nope out, or is anything on the table in a good story?

Are there any examples from any form of media that felt particularly egregious?