If The World Of "Game Of Thrones" Were A Matriarchy

Season 1 would be very, very different.

First of all, if Game of Thrones took place in a matriarchal society, then none of the show's events would ever have happened.

Mainly because Lyanna Stark's sexual agency in choosing Rhaegar Targaryen over Robert Baratheon would have been respected and Robert wouldn't have the backing to go to war over his hurt fee-fees. But we digress.

HBO / Via claimfame.com

Our show opens on Catelyn Stark, Lady of Winterfell, teaching her eldest daughter and heir Sansa the noble and respected art of needlework.

"Where is Arya?" asks Sansa.

"Probably with the weapon master, sullying her god-given femininity with swordfights and other brainless work," replies Catelyn.

"Oh."

HBO / Via degrassi.wikia.com

Hark! Catelyn's husband Eddard returns from the hunt with gifts for his daughters. They are to receive direwolf puppies, the care of which will prepare them for divine motherhood.

There are some puppies left over for Catelyn's boy-children, but they have to pick last.

HBO / Via pinterest.com

A page brings Lady Catelyn news that her old friend Queen Cersei is coming to Winterfell with her husband, Bob The Royal Consort.

Catelyn wonders silently why Cersei has not yet divorced Bob, seeing as the right of a wife to dispute and terminate a marriage as long as she gives notice and reason is written in the creed of the Seven Kingdoms.

HBO / Via garethrussellcidevant.blogspot.com

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Can We Guess What You're Like In Bed Based On Your Taste In Books?

Bringing new meaning to the term hardcover.

Thumbnail Images: New Line Cinema // Universal

GamerGate Is Trying To Recruit Beloved Children's Author Judy Blume

The anti–social justice warrior brigade loves Blume for her skepticism about trigger warnings. Will she take the bait?

David Bertozzi / BuzzFeed

Judy Blume is the 77-year-old author of young-adult classics like Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret and Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. For her books — which explore coming-of-age issues with such frankness that they have been frequently banned — Blume has become something of a national cultural treasure, particularly to the several generations of young women who grew up reading her.

In other words, she's hardly the kind of figure you might expect to be championed by an online movement that is best known for its open, sometimes violent, hostility to women.

And yet that's exactly what's happened over the past few days, as the remnants of GamerGate, the incendiary online campaign that wracked internet culture for several months late last year, have seized on several recent Blume interviews about censorship in an attempt to turn her into a new symbol of the cause.

In the June 1 issue of Time magazine, Eliana Dockterman asked Blume, who is promoting a new book, about trigger warnings, statements preceding works of art that alert readers and viewers to potentially distressing content contained within. The practice of trigger warnings, particularly in an academic context, is chronically controversial, and has been the subject of heated debate recently. Blume responded with vehemence: "That is making my blood boil...I mean, please! Let's grow up."

Then, in an interview later last month during the Bay Area Book Festival, Blume went further, facetiously speculating that "all books...need trigger warnings, because in all books there could be something to bother somebody."

Several weeks later, her statements caught the attention of Christina Hoff Sommers, the contrary resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute and self-appointed "Factual Feminist", who regularly writes and speaks about the dangers of overreaching political correctness on college campuses.

Sommers, tireless in her provocations of mainstream feminists online and off, became a hero of GamerGaters last year when she took up their arguments about the undue influence of political correctness on the world of gaming. The Twitter hordes and subreddits that still — months later — devote themselves to uncovering unforgivable lapses in "ethics in games journalism" call Sommers, affectionately, Based Mom.

And they read her tweets. Several influential GamerGaters tweeted about Blume's anti-trigger warning stance, which they see as part of the greater fight against nefarious social justice warriors in every domain of American culture:

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What Email Sign-Off Are You?

Still using Sincerely? You definitely need to take this.

Tiffany Kim

Sometimes the hardest part about writing an email is ending it. Take our quiz to find out which sign-off best suits your ~style~.

?

LINK: Or if you want more options, choose one from this list!

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10 Life-Changing Things To Try In July

Because we tried them for you in June!

The BuzzFeed Life editors are always trying new products, apps, tips, and DIY projects, and we decided it was time to start sharing the best of them with you. Each month, we'll post our recommendations for what's actually worth it. For the sake of transparency, items under "Things We Bought" were purchased with our own money and/or were not the result of a PR pitch. Those under "Things We Tried" are items that were provided to us at no cost for the sake of review. Let us know in the comments what sorts of things you'd like us to review next month!

Jenny Chang / BuzzFeed Life

Putting cut flowers in the fridge to keep them fresh — free

Fresh flowers are the quickest way to brighten up any space. The only bad thing about spending your hard-earned dough on greenery and blooms is that they start to wilt after only a few days. My favorite flowers, like peonies and ranunculus, have an even shorter shelf-life than most, and they tend to be more expensive. After Apartment Therapy tested out different methods for keeping flowers fresh, I decided to try their super-easy solution: putting cut flowers in the fridge. I put my flowers in the fridge every night and they lasted SO much longer! I changed the water once (around day five), and the blooms were still perfectly white and open after almost two weeks. —Jess Probus

Lauren Zaser / BuzzFeed Life

An actual fridge at BuzzFeed last week, featuring 14-day-old Trader Joe's peonies:

Jess Probus / BuzzFeed Life

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25 "Game Of Thrones" Products To Help Ease Your Pain

Winter has already come. :(

A cropped tank sporting the best phrase of all time.

Price: $25

Via etsy.com

Or a tank sporting the saying that will keep all cat-callers at bay.

Price: $24

Via etsy.com

A "Valar Morghulis" ring to always give you strength, and make sure you look cool AF.

Price: $33.21

Via etsy.com

These adorable mugs for the true moon of your life.

Price: $34

Via etsy.com

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This Podcast Will Open Your Eyes To A New, Magical Realm

We had our illustrators draw what they heard in Hello from the Magic Tavern so you could take your own journey to Foon.

Hello from the Magic Tavern is an improvised podcast. Completely made-up. Totally fake. And it's here to introduce you to the magical land of Foon. Each week, new characters are introduced in order to illuminate the world and entertain listeners.

We had our illustration team draw what they "saw" while listening to this episode:

w.soundcloud.com

Andrea Hickey / BuzzFeed

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