Ruby Granger #40 Ruby the linguistic terrorist

[gossip_guy]

Lies, lies, lies...

This isn’t the lottery. There's no reason to hide the identities of winners to protect them. Nobody's going to track them down and break into their house at 4am to rob their crappy Poundland-quality planner. No estranged relatives are going to come out of the woodwork looking for a handout now that they're in possesion of a falling-apart Ponkin Podditiftea Plannaaahr.

People were asked to enter publicly, so announce winners publicly. Otherwise this is blatantly just yet another scam where Ruby announces fake giveaways to look charitable and baits some engagement out of people but never actually sends anything to anyone.

She's also lost track of her lies again. "All winners have already been contacted - apart from for the giveaway on this post!" ...But there's no giveaway on that post. The daily planner giveaways she announced ended 2 weeks ago.

 

[Poguely]

This just makes it more obvious that she does not have an interest in this course because if she did she would have done all of her pre-reading by now. If she thinks that SparkNotes is going to help her with the course then she is in for a rough ride IMO.

Do you think she understands that her research thesis can't just be about childrens books, it has to specifically be about children's literature from the 15th century? Of which I am really struggling to think of any. Even the Grimm bros were mid-late 16th century. She can't just blab on about the secret garden and matilda, she's going to have to dig in deep and spend HOURS digging through the archieves, trying to find pieces she can argue were written for children.

FYI, the Faerie Queene is not a childrens piece.

 

[coldestofspirits]

She doesn’t have to focus on children’s literature - she’s proposed to work on girlhood, which includes older (adolescent) girls, and not just literature directly written for them, but also how they were depicted, whatever they actually did read, etc.

It’s a perfectly okay topic in itself, apart from the sad truth that Rubert isn’t really interested in it (not at that time). I could (but won’t because, as I’ve sometimes mentioned in other posts, I don’t want to help her) give further examples of the kind of thing she might read or talk about in her academic work. As a starting point, she’d be looking at the concept of a “girl”, and what that meant at the time (quite different to now).

 

[emmer_moans]

i know a few ppl mention already, but the whole apple pencil bit lmao? just find it funny how someone with no money problems (that im aware of) complains abt the price of a new apple pencil (the newer ipads are clearly labeled as needing a gen 2 pencil, what did u expect?)... like why get the new ipad then? u got a macbook? or just use that reMarkable thingy that u were gifted a while back if u want the writing experience? like there are so many options, but the complaining just came off a lil.... performative to me?

or just. a physical notebook. those work too. they don't run out of charge either lol

EDIT: also, unrelated to this but is anyone else a huge Inspector Morse/Endeavour/Lewis fan and wondering if that'll become the next aesthetic that is leant into at oxford lol

I love a bit of Morse/Endeavour/Lewis from time to time, it’s like going back to a time where everyone wore beige, and suits, and had raincoats and cheap pints I do love a murder mystery.

I’m surprised Ruby isn’t cosplaying as Lyra Belacqua yet.
---
I think if she does suddenly try to read all her books in September she is going to burn herself out, because those texts aren’t YA that you can rip through in a day. She’ll be tired before she even begins her course. She had the list months ago, she could have easily read through 1 a week, leisurely, giving herself time to absorb and research and be in a good position to start the course. She’s also not going to be used to genuinely being busy, which will tire her. This past year for her has only been holidays and reading for fun and walks. She’s in for a shock. Considering Ruby was so heartbroken about not getting into Oxford for her undergraduate studies, she sure does seem a bit blasé about it now.

 

[Griftwood]

It’s sort of hilarious to watch her try to sound impressive when talking about literature. ”I like to have a character list and plot summary handy, it makes me better in seminar discussion” = ”I’ve copied these out so I don’t have to read the play, and I’ve mined Wikipedia and SparkNotes for talking points.” A question she wants to answer about The Jew of Malta is ”were there many differences between the first and second folio editions”

She’s going to be humbled pretty severely within the first week or so.

 

[coldestofspirits]

She shouldn’t need a character list and plot summary at masters level. It’s an alarming sign of how disengaged she is with the core texts. She ought to know them pretty much back to front - I’m not saying everyone will know them that well (there will be a few others who haven’t prepared brilliantly), but anybody who is interested in academia or literary activities more widely likely will. You’re expected to make detailed analytical points, not just mention the name of a character or refer to the plot…

Does she see the MSt as nothing more than a theatre for the creation of Oxford content? That would explain her lack of interest.

 

[Peony14]

To be fair I know next to nothing about how Masters degrees work at Oxford or the UK in general (a friend of mine studied at Cambridge and her bachelors was automatically upgraded to a masters degree after a while, no idea how that works ), but if I were Ruby I´d focus all my time now on preparing for the course. Nine months is *nothing* for a whole degree, I imagine it to be quite stressful all jampacked together in these few months. Where I´m from uni works a bit differently and most bachlor and masters students already work 10h/week or part-time during their studies.

 

[coldestofspirits]

The Wiki explanation for the honorary/“fake” masters thing is probably the best, tbh:

“In the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin, Bachelors of Arts are promoted to the degree of Master of Arts or Master in Arts (MA) on application after six or seven years' seniority as members of the university (including years as an undergraduate). It is an academic rank indicating seniority, and not an additional postgraduate qualification, and within the universities there are in fact no postgraduate degrees which result in the postnominals 'MA'.”

This is why the degree Ruby’s doing is actually MSt (not MA) and the parallel course at Cambridge is MPhil. But they are similar to MA courses at other universities. The nine-month length does make these ones very condensed and intensive, though.

 

[Poguely]

She doesn’t have to focus on children’s literature - she’s proposed to work on girlhood, which includes older (adolescent) girls, and not just literature directly written for them, but also how they were depicted, whatever they actually did read, etc.

It’s a perfectly okay topic in itself, apart from the sad truth that Rubert isn’t really interested in it (not at that time). I could (but won’t because, as I’ve sometimes mentioned in other posts, I don’t want to help her) give further examples of the kind of thing she might read or talk about in her academic work. As a starting point, she’d be looking at the concept of a “girl”, and what that meant at the time (quite different to now).

I agree. I was thinking about how she even got into Oxford, then stopped to think the idea itself is actually really interesting specifically because there is such little surviving, broadly known information about childhood/girlhood from the time. If I was a tute, and I knew nothing about Ruby beyond what was presented to me on paper, I would probably select her as a candiate, too.

But, alas, her interest of girlhood/childhood is much more contemporary and self-serving than that and I don't think she has the study, research skills, or work ethic to pull it off.

 

[missmina]

I see in the video comments somebody received the planner but it arrived in a damaged state and I have also noticed that when the planners have been shown on videos a number of them look damaged and don't look new at all. Here is the comment that was posted on Ruby's latest video.
Hi Ruby ! I have received the planner (i had to pay more money than i thought to get it to France but that is another story and obviously no fault of yours or the company you work with) and unfortunately it arrived really damaged because the last page was built in as the first but folded to sit as the end page anyway - so of course it is now in a really bad state. It also led to damage to the spine of the planner (which now looks very fragile to me, I do not think I will be able to carry it around). I went to all the shops that help with these kinds of things in my area and none of them have the equipment to fix it. I hope this review can be seen so that hopefully this does not happen to someone else ! I hope they can check for that sort of mistakes.

Her followers should really grow some balls. I cant believe that someone after paying so much money for a crappy damaged planner would waste their time to go around and try to “repair” it instead of demanding an immediate refund. How are people this lame nowadays.

 

[ECH]

The Wiki explanation for the honorary/“fake” masters thing is probably the best, tbh:

“In the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and Dublin, Bachelors of Arts are promoted to the degree of Master of Arts or Master in Arts (MA) on application after six or seven years' seniority as members of the university (including years as an undergraduate). It is an academic rank indicating seniority, and not an additional postgraduate qualification, and within the universities there are in fact no postgraduate degrees which result in the postnominals 'MA'.”

This is why the degree Ruby’s doing is actually MSt (not MA) and the parallel course at Cambridge is MPhil. But they are similar to MA courses at other universities. The nine-month length does make these ones very condensed and intensive, though.

Fwiw it's similar in some Scottish unis. An undergraduate degree in the arts is an MA, so a masters degree in the arts tends to be an MSc.

 

[gossip_guy]

Her followers should really grow some balls. I cant believe that someone after paying so much money for a crappy damaged planner would waste their time to go around and try to “repair” it instead of demanding an immediate refund. How are people this lame nowadays.

This! She's not their friend, she's a shady retail spokesperson who's selling overpriced, defective merchandise for the thousandth time, so she shouldn't be getting let off the hook for £18.50+ just because they like her content.

Just demand a refund or raise a case with the payment provider and don't fall for the same tit a fifth time, kids.

 

[pinkmug]

I miss the days before you could get rich on YouTube. The content used to be genuine.

This. I can't believe the number of young kids nowadays who aspire to be "influencers" when they grow up. It's not a damn job but it's very easy mone if you're lucky enough to get past other twenty gazillion channels who are also trying to be rich from social media. Ruby has lucked out big time, I wonder why she even keeps up this charade of an academic future. Just slap a Notion or a NordVpn spon on your crap video once every few weeks and you're sorted. Makes me angry.

 

[Peony14]

Fwiw it's similar in some Scottish unis. An undergraduate degree in the arts is an MA, so a masters degree in the arts tends to be an MSc.

That´s so odd to me. Here where I´m from you get a BA in the arts and BSc for courses like engineering, physics, economics, chemistry, IT, etc. If you pursue a masters degree in the arts you get an MA, but not a MSc.

 

[jiggy_girl]

Why's she bought a new iPad when she already has one that clearly works? Why did she waste money on one of those smart cases if she wants to use the pencil???

Why didn't she use the Apple trade in and student programmes that they have to get a heavily discounted iPad and pencil in one?

She's infuriating

 

[coldestofspirits]

I think the Scottish universities are a bit different, in that the degree itself is an MA - more like doing an MEng as your undergraduate degree. The unusual thing about Oxford, Cambridge and Dublin is that you do a bachelor’s, graduate with that, and then it is subsequently raised to MA.

 

[Rumblemumble]

Her new instagram post. "... new favorite photo of my desk..." wtf

she's got a favorite wall in the house, doesn't she?

 

[Lola123]

Why's she bought a new iPad when she already has one that clearly works? Why did she waste money on one of those smart cases if she wants to use the pencil???

Why didn't she use the Apple trade in and student programmes that they have to get a heavily discounted iPad and pencil in one?

She's infuriating

Or just get a keyboard case for her current iPad? To me it seems like that’s all she wanted from the new one
Seems wasteful for just one year too!

 

[jiggy_girl]

Or just get a keyboard case for her current iPad? To me it seems like that’s all she wanted from the new one
Seems wasteful for just one year too!

I don't get why she thinks she needs two iPads, she's such a child at times

 

[ariawyn]

I don't get why she thinks she needs two iPads, she's such a child at times

An excuse to then copy yet another to-do list onto another device, successfully spending another 30-60 mins doing nothing of use while kidding herself she's a cut above folk who waste time watching Netflix.