Gregor Clegane (a.k.a. The Mountain), prior to his competition with Loras Is set up to be a maleficent force through Petyr Baelish explaining the disturbing childhood events that lead to severe facial scarring of Clegane's brother, The Hound. 

Although Gregor is bested by Ser Loras in the actual jousting event, there is a hint that Loras has rigged the game (which is actually the case in the book) and also a strong suggestion of Loras' homosexuality (i.e. the look exchange with Renly Baratheon before the match and, more generally, his flashy/clean appearance, etc.). Gregor becomes unruly from anger after his loss and resorts to violence against Loras in front of the tournament crowd. In this instance of violence, Gregor proves to best Loras and poses a real threat to his life. Gregor, however is interrupted in his pursuit by his brother, Sandor Clegane (a.k.a. The Hound), who steps in to protect Loras from the attack. Gregor, the highest ranking of the masculinities in this group (hegemonic in this particular trio) is essentially attempting to reassert his dominance over Loras after it has been threatened by someone lower than him on the scales of masculinity and The Hound, seeing his brother's vulnerability, steps in to seize an opportunity to prove his own dominance over his brother. This brotherly tiff, however, is quickly put to rest by King Robert Baratheon. This disruption to the usual process of masculine hierarchizing is condemned by one of the highest masculine symbols, the king, and as a result, even the mighty Mountain becomes subordinate.



Episode 1.6

In this episode we are able to follow the plight of Tyrion (a.k.a. The Likable Lannister) while he is being held at Eyrie by Catelyn Stark. Tyrion, in an attempt to free himself from their capture, requests a trial by combat. Because of Tyrion's unique physicality, he is deemed inferior to Lysa's chosen champion and therefore unfit to fight for himself. Tyrion, as a result, must secure himself a champion to fight in his place. Although most in the room are unwilling to risk their life for the likes of a Lannister, Bronn, a rough around the edges rogue with a dirty disposition, agrees to step in for Tyrion and ultimately bests Lysa's champion. However, it is made clear that his participation on the part of Tyrion and his subsequent victory are dismissed by Lysa as lacking honor.



What this tells us:

Although each of the above episode-by-episode descriptions are similar in content, we learn that the order of masculinities is somewhat unstable and often situational. There are clearly attributes that are not favored in this hierarchy of masculinities, such as non-normative bodies**, homosexuality,  or flashy men of the non-rugged variety. Honor is held to a degree of importance in the creation of this structure but only in certain circumstances and, often, at the expense of falling subordinate to others who are less willing to live solely in an honorable fashion. Likewise, legitimacy and family relations are held to a degree of importance. Jon Snow, for example, partially by virtue of his family connections holds some sway over other men.

It is important to note that the hierarchy that is being set up by the show is not necessarily in sync with the way in which the audience is made to feel about this particular social organization. We the audience are set up to feel as though those who step in for the other men are honorable and worthy of our awe, but those who step in (i.e. Jon, The Hound, and Bronn) are, in the narrative world, viewed as a disruptive force within the system that negotiates positions on the masculinity/hegemony spectrum. Whether those who disrupt the system do so out of empathy (such as Jon Snow), a long standing family feud (such as The Hound), or personal gain (such an Brann) is largely irrelevant. The disruption itself and the ultimate reaction or ramifications upon the disruptor, is enough, in the narrative world, to position this person as one that is still not at the top of the masculinity spectrum.

TV Penis

I feel as though one cannot have a full blog post about masculinity without mentioning one of the very things that the hegemonic masculinities tend to hold dear: the penis. This week, the audience finally received a dose of full frontal male nudity from Theon Greyjoy (well...you did if you are re-watching). I do not have a lot to say about this topic, other than there were some, upon this episode's first airing who were shocked (regardless of the weeks of breasts that came before it) that a TV show would depict the male anatomy in such a manner.

Also, I did want to point out the interesting timing of the scene that immediately followed Theon's big moment. Immediately following the reveal of Greyjoy's member, was a scene with Ned Stark and our favorite Eunuch, Lord Varys. Perhaps this is all a coincidence...but I say...witty foreshadowing.



End Notes

**Some may point out that Robert Baratheon is of a non-normative body type and that I did mention him as a model of masculinity. However, I would like to point out that Robert and Ned are constantly joking about the fact that Robert has become "fat." This gain in girth can be looked at as a direct symbol of the deterioration of Robert's power (both hegemonic and authoritative).

References/Suggested Readings

Connell, R.W. Masculinities, 2nd ed. Berkeley, CA: U of California P, 2005. Print.

Connell, R.W. and James W. Messerschmidt. "Hegemonic Masculinity: Rethinking the Subject." Gender & Society. 19.6 (2005): 829-859. Web. 28 Jan. 2016.
________________________________________________________________________________
ADVERTISEMENT