Very few people were happy with the ending of the epic HBO extravaganza Game of Thrones last Spring—especially most women. Daenerys, the warrior Queen who harnessed the power of dragons to free slaves and liberate the world, ultimately turned out to be as power-mad as the men she conquered. At the pathetic end of the series, she was killed by her perpetually pained and ever honorable lover and nephew—robbing her of the throne, her life and the promise of romantic love.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, not only because I am still bitter over this weak ending, but because our collective inability to imagine women as viable leaders doesn’t only percolate through the fictional worlds of popular culture. It also frames consequential political debates—and elections. Read the full article at Ms. Magazine.