Analyzing 'Game of Thrones'

I recently got into a long discussion with some former classmates over Game of Thrones. I like the books and I like the series. Both mediums provide a lot of space for analysis. (The books more so as they're all +1,000 pages.) And I'm cool with things changing from book to film. That's the nature of adaptation, and I love looking at the changes because they're very telling. I like the books, I have some critiques/issues. I like the show, I have some critiques/issues. I like them independent of one another and in comparison.

But the one change I detest that the TV series made from the book is how Drogo and Dany's wedding night was portrayed. It skeeves me out to discuss which is better: the forced arranged marriage of a 13 year old with dubious consent or the forced marriage of an 18 year old with rape. (The moral ambiguity that Martin deals with is one of the things I like most about the novels.) So I'll just post some links to my favorite analysis/critiques of the series as a whole, but which concentrate most specifically on the Drogo/Dany change and how it does and incredible disservice to Dany, Drogo and the Dothraki as a whole.

(These won't spoil you for things past Book 1, which you pretty much know if you've seen through the season finale.)

• Game of Thrones, Adaptation, Women by Isaac Butler
  
• The Flattening of Westeros by Stokes
  
• Can I Just Watch A Game of Thrones in Peace? by Latoya Peterson
  
• GoT; first pass: yes, but... wait, what? by hth
  
• My feminist response to Game of Thrones by mkpheartsnyc
  
• Don’t Believe Your Eyes: Game of Thrones, Narration, and Adaptation by Matthew Wrather

ETA: I also can't tell you how many people have tried to convince me the TV show's version is 'better' and the rape 'makes more sense.' For the record, all of these people have been male.

Conversations At Work

So sometimes I have to field the most ridiculous calls. People who think they can sneak past me, the Gatekeeper, and get to the Big Bosses. Rarely, they succeed (like the woman who told me she was calling from the National Library, for example; and she was, quite litterally, calling from the National Library). Most of the time, the conversations fail for obvious reasons:

Caller: Hi, Phil please.
A guy names Phillip has not worked here for over 2 years. No one who has ever called up for him has ever called him 'Phil.'
Me: I think you have the wrong number.
Caller: No I don't. This is [Company] International Film Distribution, isn't it?
There are 4 different companies with the same [Company] name, but different tail ends; they all do different things.
Me: No, this is [Company] Film.
Caller: Oh. Is there a Polish guy that works there?
No, no there is not.
Me: No, there isn't.
Caller: Yeah there is. John. John [Boss's last name, which is an Anglicized Polish last name from when his GREAT GRANDPARENTS immigrated.]
Me: Well, yes, he does work here, but he isn't Polish...
Caller: Great.
Silence.
Me: Can I help you?
Caller: Can you put me through to him?
Me: No. He's not here. May I take a message?
Caller: No.
hangs up.

O.o Really? No, he never gave his name. Yes, he tried to act like he was buddy-buddy with both execs. Yes, he failed spectacularly at convincing me he actually knew either of them.

I love my job, especially the moments that make me laugh.