Emilia Clarke Talks Sexism And Nudity In 'Game Of Thrones'

Emilia Clarke defends against sexism. Photo: Getty Images

Emilia Clarke plays one of television's most bad-ass female charatcers, so it's little wonder she has a lot to say about the controversy surrounding Game Of Thrones and issues of sexism.

"If you look at Game of Thrones on face value—blood, tits, dragons, swearwords—you’re like, Oh, this must be for guys," the 29-year-old actress tells Glamour magazine. "But if you take that away, the story lines are fascinating depictions of the struggle for power. And women are in on that conversation!"

RELATED: Emilia Clarke Insists 'Game Of Thrones' Isn't Sexist

RELATED: Emilia Clarke's Best Red Carpet Looks

Emilia Clarke as Khaleesi. Photo: HBO

In the interview, Clarke addresses the balance of female and male nudity in the hit show and why we see so many females full-frontal, but not the males, and more specifically why we never saw Khal Drogo (played by Jason Mamoa)...

"Oh, I did," Clarke declared. "I saw his member, but it was covered in a pink fluffy sock. Showing it would make people feel bad. It's too fabulous. No, I don’t know why. But I’d like to bring your memory back to Mr. Michiel Huisman [Khaleesi’s love interest in seasons four and five] and I copulating for the first time, which began with me saying, 'Take off your clothes,' and then you got to see his perfect bottom.'"

Jason Momoa as Khal Drogo. Photo: HBO

As for how she handles encounters with fans, knowing they've seen her in the buff? "This gorgeous girl once said to me, 'Watching Khaleesi makes me feel like I can be a strong woman," Clarke shares. "I remember being like, 'That’s proper.' That is a wonderful thing. Then there are times with certain dudes where I’m like, 'You’ve seen my tits. OK, sure, you can have a selfie.' Awkward!"

However addressing the more serious criticism directed at the show over her character, Khaleesi's rape by Khal Drogo in the first season, and the fact that she went on to fall in love with him, leaving many critics unsettled by this worrying storyline.

"Well, Daenerys and Khal Drogo’s arranged marriage, and the customary rape that followed—ask George R.R. Martin why he did that, ’cause that’s on him," Clarke says.

"But I thought the consensual sex she has thereafter was genius. She is physically saying, 'You can’t rape me again. I’m going to be in control and show you something you’ve never seen before.' At the heart of it, we’re telling a story; you need that part of the story to feel empathy for Daenerys. You see her attacked by her brother, raped by her husband, and then going, 'F--k all of you, I’m gonna rule the world.' That’s where we are now."