The producers of HBO’s upcoming sci-fi epic “Westworld” are on the defensive over the show’s explicit sex and rape scenes.
Promoting the show about a futuristic theme park at the TV press tour in Beverly Hills Saturday, the network showed a trailer containing graphic nudity and the sexual exploitation of the protagonist, played by Evan Rachel Wood. In followup questions, reporters pressed the producers over the issue, much as they weighed in earlier Saturday during a tense question-and-answer session with new HBO programming boss Casey Bloys.
“Sexual violence … is an issue we take very, very seriously,” said “Westworld” executive producer Lisa Joy, who is overseeing the show with her husband, Jonathan Nolan. “So in its portrayal we really endeavored for it to not be about the fetishization of those acts; it is about exploring the crime and establishing the crime, and exploring the torment of the characters within this story.”
“Westworld,” an adaptation of the 1973 movie from the late novelist Michael Crichton, has already landed in controversy for its handling of sex scenes. The series also stars Anthony Hopkins and Ed Harris, who appeared on the panel alongside Wood, Joy and Nolan.
Extras on the HBO production signed contracts agreeing to perform “fully nude” and engage in “genital-to-genital touching,” simulated oral sex and other acts, according to documents leaked last year.
The producers are defending the explicit nature of the scenes by arguing, essentially, that rape is a fact of life.
“Violence and sexual violence have, sadly, been a fact of human history since the beginning of human history,” Joy said. “There’s something about us — thankfully, not the majority of us — but there are people who engage in violence.”
There’s also something about being on HBO that gives the producers free rein to indulge in plenty of sex and violence. The network is not under the same federally mandated broadcast restrictions that censor broadcasters. HBO’s fantasy epic “Game of Thrones” has likewise come under fire for its extreme depictions of rape and sexuality.
Similarly, Nolan said the producers didn’t have to rely on familiar TV tropes, like introducing a different “host” each week into the amusement park to amplify the number of possible stories.
“We didn’t do a ‘Fantasy Island’ version of the show,” Nolan said. “That’s the broadcast version.”
'Game of Thrones' 16 Most Memorable Sex Scenes (Photos)
There have been plenty of times when characters got down and dirty during the last six seasons of "Game of Thrones," although it hasn't always been pleasant. Here's your fully safe for work look at some of the most memorable sex scenes in the show, including at least one that involved leeches. (Note: Spoilers ahead!)
Jaime & Cersei: Season 1, Ep. 1
This scene set the tone for much of the show when the twins were caught committing incest by Bran Stark. From its setting in abandoned broken tower to its ending with attempted murder, the whole thing is pretty gross.
HBO
Tyrion & Ros: Season 1, Ep. 1
We got introduced to the Imp in memorable fashion during this brothel scene. The lovable sex worker Ros was also a part of the moment, before she went on to bigger and better things in King's Landing.
HBO
Daenerys & Drogo: Season 1, Ep. 2
A key turning point in Daenerys taking control of her situation is when she takes control in bed with Khal Drogo. This scene also marks a turning point in their relationship, from arranged marriage to actual love affair.
HBO
Theon & Ros: Season 1, Ep. 5
Long before he became Reek, Theon snuck the ever-present sex worker Ros into Winterfell for this steamy encounter. The stories that Theon was a pretty great lover were part of what led Ramsay to take his "favorite toy" away from him.
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Renly & Loras: Season 2, Ep. 3
The secret lovers faced some turmoil when they argued over Renly's marriage to Loras' sister, Margaery. But it's clear they care for each other, which makes everything that follows so much harder for Loras to bear.
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Stannis & Melisandre: Season 2, Ep. 2
The blood magic the Red Woman, Melisandre, utilizes often has some gross but sexy requirements. The tryst between her and Stannis is necessary to create a ghostly shadow that murders his brother Renly, adding a whole extra level of creepy.
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Robb & Talisa: Season 2, Ep. 8
Robb Stark's downfall began when he broke his engagement to the daughter of Walder Frey in favor of Volantis-born nurse, Talisa. The pair's love isn't enough to save them from betrayal at the Red Wedding, unfortunately.
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Podrick and various sex workers: Season 3, Ep. 3
Podrick proved to be quite the ladies' man when several sex workers refused to take his money -- apparently because he was so good in bed. Bronn and Tyrion demanded details but whatever tips Pod had, they were revealed offscreen.
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Jon & Ygritte: Season 3, Ep. 5
The tender moment in the cave, in which Jon Snow breaks his vows to the Night's Watch, shows real feelings between Jon and Ygritte, despite him being a Crow and her being a Wildling. This is the one moment of happiness the two share before their different worlds tear them apart, with tragic consequences.
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Theon, Myranda & Violet: Season 3, Ep. 7
In this torturous scene, Myranda, Ramsay Bolton's girlfriend, and a second woman, Violet, come to Theon in the torture chamber. He has just enough time to feel like a person again, and for the scene to get hot, before the horrible truth is revealed about Ramsay's plans for Theon.
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Melisandre & Gendry (and leeches): Season 3, Ep. 8
More sexy blood magic times with Melisandre, this time with her seducing the bastard son of Robert Baratheon, Gendry. After the act, she puts leeches on him -- the King's Blood they suck out of Gendry allows Melisandre to see the future. Creepy though that may be, it wasn't a wholly bad deal for Gendry.
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Oberyn & Ellaria: Season 4, Ep. 1
Oberyn and Ellaria not only had each other but several other women and men at the same time at Littlefinger's brothel. The Dornish have fewer hangups than the rest of Westeros, that's for sure.
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Daario & Daenerys: Season 4, Ep. 7
Daenerys took her first lover since Drogo when she slept with sexy sellsword Daario Naharis. The pair had something of a relationship from then on, but Daenerys broke it off when she sailed for Westeros -- and was surprised that doing so didn't really bother her.
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Ramsay & Myranda: Season 5, Ep. 5
Ramsay was creepy enough on his own. But then you add in Myranda, his girlfriend and the daughter of his kennelmaster. Myranda's just as sick as Ramsay when it comes to sadism, and their sexy moment oscillates between pleasure and pain pretty easily.
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Missandei & Grey Worm: Season 7, Ep. 2
The tension between Daenerys' former slaves turned trusted advisers has been ramping up for what seems like forever. Finally, Missandei and Grey Worm had their moment together. The Unsullied are famously eunuchs, but Grey Worm and Missandei found ways to be intimate that got around his limitation.
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Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryen, Season 7, Ep. 7
After teasing romance between Jon and Dany all through the season, it finally happened on the boat from Dragonstone to White Harbor. It wasn't the most ridiculous sex scene of the show, but it was one fans have been waiting for throughout Season 7 -- and for fans who predicted this might happen long ago, years.
TheWrap takes a mostly-clothed, SFW look at some of the steamiest moments from the HBO series across the last seven seasons
There have been plenty of times when characters got down and dirty during the last six seasons of "Game of Thrones," although it hasn't always been pleasant. Here's your fully safe for work look at some of the most memorable sex scenes in the show, including at least one that involved leeches. (Note: Spoilers ahead!)
HBO
