Game Of Thrones Season Five Controversy: ‘Nipplegate’
Season Five of Game Of Thrones is getting hyped for its upcoming premiere this spring. As previously reported in the Inquisitr, so far there has been a new Game Of Thrones microbrew beer, a preview teaser of the new season, a new Game of Thrones video game, and a new Game of Thrones season five website, ThreeEyedRaven.com. Now, to go along with the excitement, comes a bit of controversy.
The fifth season of Game Of Thrones introduces the Sand Snakes, who are the bastard daughters of Prince Oberyn Martell, complete with “nipple armor.” Nipple what? Yes, you read that right. Nipple armor.
New York magazine calls the controversy about the Sand Snakes’ armor, “nipplegate.” Writer Jennifer Vineyard sought out Game Of Thrones’ costume designer Michele Clapton for answers about how, and why, the Sand Snakes characters’ costumes feature prominent nipples on their breastplates. Clapton told Vineyard,
I’m not terribly keen on it. I don’t see the necessity for it. You don’t do it on men.
Of course you have to have the woman’s shape. That’s fine. But [nipples on armor] is almost from a man’s point of view, and there’s something slightly cheesy about it.
It turns out that the “nipple armor” was a mistake — the result of the molds that were used to produce the costumes. Clapton said that the nipples were sanded off to a certain degree, but they didn’t take off as much as she would like. Because of the rush to get Game Of Thrones season five into production, Clapton said she didn’t notice that the sanding hadn’t been completed until shooting had begun. Even at that point, she said, the effect wasn’t very noticeable on set. It was the lighting in the stills that were taken on set that made the nipples appear more prominent than they do on film.
Fansided’s “Winter Is Coming” website observes that George R.R. Martin uses the phrase “as useless as nipples on a breastplate” repeatedly throughout the Song Of Ice And Fire novels that form the background for the Game Of Thrones TV series. Martin is apparently not a fan of the nippled breastplates, and Fansided says it would be a shame if “nipplegate” is all fans talk about when Game Of Thrones season five premiers this spring.
In addition to the nipple armor, Clapton says that the Sand Snakes’ clothing will share its “beaten leather” look with Oberyn’s attire. This will give them a “sense of family.” But each of the three characters will have her own look, as well as her own weapon of choice. There will be snakeskin in their outfits, but New York says the look won’t be “too literal.”
Game Of Thrones season five arrives on HBO this spring. In the meantime, Game Of Thrones fans will have plenty to discuss and keep them occupied as they wait for the new season to begin.
[Image via Watchers On the Wall]
