Game of Thrones really isn’t the show for anybody who is uncomfortable with nudity. The very first episode made it perfectly clear that this was not a series that would be shy about showing skin when Emilia Clarke stripped down all the way as Daenerys Targaryen. Clarke has had a lot of nude scenes over the years, and recently on Conan she revealed a pitch for some equal opportunity nudity.
There’s plenty of female nudity, myself included, and I feel like… I think we should get some equal male nudity and female nudity… Free the penis.
If there’s anybody on Game of Thrones who has expertise on nude scenes, Emilia Clarke would be the one. Her reveal to Conan O’Brien on Conan that she’d like the actors on the show to strip down as frequently as the actresses is only fair. For a series that spawned the word "sexposition" due to all of the information that the characters tend to conveniently drop with naked people walking around, there really haven’t been too many men showing everything. Even if the nudity goes for gratuitous on the show, it could still be equal opportunity.
Emilia Clarke has actually shown less skin in recent seasons, so it’s safe to guess that she’s a big enough star now that she has some pull over what she will and will not do. In fact, she’s expressed a wish that sex scenes on screen were generally subtler, and she seems to have gotten her way in plots related to Dany. As it turns out, her story has been no less intriguing for having unfolded without Clarke being featured entirely nude on screen. Who knew?
Male nudity on the show is much rarer--especially in regards to full frontal nudity. Game of Thrones has allowed some shots of gents from the back, but the camera panning lovingly up the naked front of a person has been mostly reserved for the ladies so far. Is “free the penis” really such an unreasonable suggestion?
Well, it might be reasonable, but Emilia Clarke’s “free the penis” pitch definitely took Conan and Andy Richter by surprise. Check out the clip the see their reactions to Clarke’s idea for the future of nudity on Game of Thrones:
Unfortunately, Clarke did not mention whether or not “free the penis” hats or shirts would be available for purchase in the near future, but Conan and Andy could probably find a market for Game of Bones merchandise. Now that Game of Thrones is soon to return to the airwaves after a long hiatus, we’ll be able to see for ourselves whether or not Emilia Clarke is getting her wish for equal amounts of male nudity and female nudity.
Season 6 of Game of Thrones premieres on April 24 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO. For a refresher on everything we know so far about the new season, have a look at our breakdown. Plus, to see when your favorite shows will be returning to the airwaves, don’t forget to check out our list of summer premiere dates.
