I can’t help thinking of the other implications of the ability to get one’s leg that high. Particularly considering certain preferences that Ruth and I happen to share.
Or, to dust off this old quote: “I’ll be in my bunk.”
Yep. No women players in the CFL at this time. The most easily noticeable differences between Canadian and American football is that the Canadian field is 110 yards long, versus the 100 yard American field, and there are only 3 downs.
segnosaur
Actually its a myth that Canadian football has only 3 downs. We actually have 4 downs, but we just punt on the 3rd down to be polite.
It’s a Canadian Fact: Contrary to popular belief, Canadian football actually has four downs, not three – but we always punt on the third down just to be safe.
I appeal to the Willis. Is is pronounced AZZ-ma, ASS-ma, or some other way?
glib
Not sure how Willis pronounces it but in Pakistan it’s pronounced more like US-muh. Arab speakers may say it differently.
Rowen Morland
The same Willis who made it Deenah and not Diner?
Emperor Norton II
Probably because “Dina” is a name that originated in a country where they do this thing where each vowel has, more or less one, non-diphthong sound. And in such countries, the sounds [i] and [i:] are thus both represented by the letter i, as opposed to the letter i representing [ai] at mysterious points.
Rowen Morland
It could have sounded like dinosaur, and it doesn’t. There is no logic that can compensate for this unforgivable choice.
Shit rolls down in the world of Ruthless. Ruth needs to take some femurs and that, sadly, is the cycle of abuse. I say this knowing plenty of people who were able to break it and would never do unto others as they had done unto them. It’s just Ruth may not be that person.
Yeah, it’s a good question. How much of Ruthless was just yelling and how much was actual violence? How much damage did the anger and yelling do? If any? I’d like to think aside from Billie, she was just mean and prone to barking orders to her fellow students.
Leorale
She did pick people up by their shirts on a pretty regular basis, in addition to ordering them around. And she tossed Joyce’s stuff out the window and slapped a dick onto Mary that one time. And she threw Billie into a chair in front of everyone so they’d know she was entirely willing to beat them up. So there’s that.
It feels connected to the kicking, but you might be right.
Liliet
It was probably both. It definitely shows us that she didn’t think she was kicking a chair someone was under.
happilychaotic
In Ruth’s defense, I believe most people probably wouldn’t think of that. (Or would they? How many people are usually hiding under cube chairs at an average college campus?)
N0083rP00F
More than you realize, much more than you realize.
Knayt
Who knows? As far as I can tell zero, but that might just mean they’re good at hiding.
Random832
I mean, I would assume that somewhere upward of 90% of chairs that are currently upside down have someone hiding under them. And the remaining 10% would not be pushed together, as they would have been sloppily left in place by someone leaving from under them.
Ruth is lashing out in a surge of uncontrolled negative emotions.
Clint was continuing an unending streak of unprovoked cruelty.
Ruth is not that person. What she’s doing here – while a bad thing and hurtful to people around her – is not what Clint did go her. It’s not anywhere close.
I’m referring more to the fact everyone in the hall hates or fears her, particularly Rachel. Pre-Billie, I wonder how much of that reputation was trying to find some sense of power and dignity by taking it out on others. Which is different from taking it out on your GRANDCHILDREN with such calculated psychological torture.
Well, that doesn’t take into account all of the previous bad things she’s done towards people on the hall she’s supposed to be taking care of. Still not as bad as Clint, but there’s definitely a pattern.
Yeah, she’s mistreated people. N
I never said otherwise.
But the only time she came close to doing to someone else what Clint did to her was when she bullied and harassed Billie because of her DUI. She already brings THAT cycle. While there’s been abuse apart from that, none of it was nearly as bad or seemed to come from the same place as the bile that drives Clint.
Leorale
Ruth was a bully with lots of uncool behaviour, and she shouldn’t be an RA (as Ruth would agree), but she’s nowhere close to Clint’s league of horrible.
Liliet
^^^ yes
Sam
Yes, this. Like everything she did was bullying behaviour (mean and people didn’t really like it) but much of it didn’t include specific patterns. Throwing gloves out a window, slapping Mary, and bossing people usually occurred when she was in a bad mood. While she did try to be controlling through threatening people, she never actually went out of her way to control specific people or to make them so fearful that they couldn’t fight back, and she never really tried to make other people behave in ways that were beneficial to her past attending the meetings, which was a reasonable demand as an RA.
Ruth is definitely someone that can be mean and harmful to other people, but I wouldn’t say she is abusive because she doesn’t have the sense of entitlement that drives abusers, she doesn’t act in a very calculated manner and again, much of her behaviour doesn’t have patterns, it is driven more by her current emotions more than actual thoughts in how she can use those emotions to control or harm others.
HMH
I think one of the things people are failing to put together here is that Ruth was forced into a position of authority, against her will no less, for some kind of grand plan that made her continued existence a more convenient burden for her abuser.
The same abuser who was, most likely, her sole influence upon her perception of how an effective authority figure behaves, and maintains control.
The same abuser who, if she does not maintain control of the authority that has been forced upon her to his satisfaction, will unleash fresh hell on her helpless brother as punishment.
Not only does Ruth have no other good example of how she could adequately achieve the goal that she’s been essentially blackmailed to achieve, but this is the methodology she’s intimately familiar with, and she knows first-hand how effective it is. Blaming her for acting the way she does, to me, is extremely unfair. I’d do a lot worse than bully, threaten, and shout down my subordinates in her situation, and I don’t even come from quite the same kind of utterly toxic and abusive background that has left her so damaged and lacking in other skill-sets to perform the task that, once again, has been forced upon her.
thejeff
And yet, the effects on those around her are the same, regardless of how much we can empathize with her reasons.
What saves Ruth, in my mind, is that she can still change. Has been changing in fact. Before today, when was the last time she really did any bullying?
This is a relapse, under extreme pressure and can be excused, but she definitely needs to develop alternate ways of coping. Therapy will hopefully help, but I think she’s already been changing. Probably thanks to Billie (all the problems with codependent alcoholism aside.)
I think one of her really redeeming moments is when she apologized to the whole hall, especially because she said she had done a bad job and the students deserved better. Because, well, she was willing to take responsibility for her shitty behavior (though I would say she had started to mellow out a bit over the comics). Like, the fact she realized what she did was harmful and was fully ready for the consequences was huge. And then, Clint and Chloe took away those consequences, which she actually wanted and still wants. In a way, she feels as robbed of justice as Rachel. There’s also the fact that she legitimately did care about her charges. She was willing to help Dorothy with the break up with Danny, and not being able to keep Carla safe from Mary was devastating for her. Ruth was unprepared, unequipped, and unmotivated for the job, but she still tried to do it the only way she knew how: “Let them hate me, so long as they fear me.” She wanted to keep the students safe from each other, and if that meant being a tyrant she was going to be a tyrant. And she realized that those actions both did not work and were actively harmful. And she apologizes. She feels guilty. And going forward, she’ll most likely do a better job, if (and this is a big if) Clint doesn’t pull another move like he just did. If she keeps taking her medication, keeps going to therapy, and tries to find a better coping habit, she could become a good RA. She didn’t want this second chance, but it’s been placed on her and I’m willing to bet Ruth would rather be damned than let Clint win at this point. Succeeding in order to spite Clint and save her brother could also be a good energizer for her. I know the only reason I completed all of my schooling was solely to spite my father by making it so my family and I would never have to rely on him again. Ruth can do the same. If she is given the proper help.
My personal take is there’s a difference between an abuser and abusive behavior. An abuser purposefully abuses to control or for personal gain, they know what they’re doing and cannot or will not change. A person with abusive behavior may not know they are being abusive, may have never learned a better way, or may not even know a better way exists. A person with abusive behavior can change with the right tools and likely will do so. Ruth is abusive not an abuser, she’s not like Clint, BUT that doesn’t make her behavior any less abusive and harmful.
She can’t go back to her room. Dina’s throwing a wild party with drinking and loud music. The cops have been called several times. Snoop Dogg just showed up. Shit’s cray-cray.
The governor has just declared martial law, and has arranged back-parties in the surrounding area in an attempt to slow its’ spread.
MatthewTheLucky
When asked for comment, Dina
MatthewTheLucky
The hell?
When asked for comment, Dina stated: “We intend to party like it is 9000099 B.C.E., woo!”, before being dragged into the crowd by an unidentified redhead.
289 thoughts on “Shut it”
Doctor_Who
Wow, Ruth got her leg up super high there. She can do a perfect splits!
Are we sure Billie’s the only former cheerleader in that relationship?
AgentKeen
Maybe Billie’s been teaching her.
Reltzik
I’m sure they’ve been practicing flexibility.
LeslieBean4Shizzle
I… um…
Ahem.
I can’t help thinking of the other implications of the ability to get one’s leg that high. Particularly considering certain preferences that Ruth and I happen to share.
Or, to dust off this old quote: “I’ll be in my bunk.”
tim gueguen
Another hint that Ruth may have studied a martial art in the past.
dn3s
maybe SHE’S amazi-girl!
The Other Mike
But Ruth wears glasses and Amazi-Girl doesn’t!
zoomer296
Don’t be silly, Canadians don’t wear real glasses.
Bicycle Bill
There is such a thing as the Canadian Football League. A wanna-be punter, perhaps?
tim gueguen
Yep. No women players in the CFL at this time. The most easily noticeable differences between Canadian and American football is that the Canadian field is 110 yards long, versus the 100 yard American field, and there are only 3 downs.
segnosaur
Actually its a myth that Canadian football has only 3 downs. We actually have 4 downs, but we just punt on the 3rd down to be polite.
ValdVin
It’s a Canadian Fact: Contrary to popular belief, Canadian football actually has four downs, not three – but we always punt on the third down just to be safe.
http://www.sctvguide.ca/episodes/sctv_s54.htm
(Big SCTV fan from the USA, also big Roughriders fan.)
Tomas
According to Kung Fu Panda, it takes years to master a perfect split.
BrokenEye, True False Prophet
I was more impressed at the strength of the kick. That chair she sent flying looked heavy
Emperor Daniel
Go get ‘er.
Ana Chronistic
“whoops”
Circeus
I’m amazed that Ruth actually looks sorry, or at least sheepish.
N0083rP00F
I think the word is “mortified”
shadowcell
ASMA ATTACK
Doctor_Who
You win.
Maveric1984
Nice word play! Bravo!
Cephalo the Pod
Is it pronounced like “Asthma”?
Bicycle Bill
I appeal to the Willis. Is is pronounced AZZ-ma, ASS-ma, or some other way?
glib
Not sure how Willis pronounces it but in Pakistan it’s pronounced more like US-muh. Arab speakers may say it differently.
Rowen Morland
The same Willis who made it Deenah and not Diner?
Emperor Norton II
Probably because “Dina” is a name that originated in a country where they do this thing where each vowel has, more or less one, non-diphthong sound. And in such countries, the sounds [i] and [i:] are thus both represented by the letter i, as opposed to the letter i representing [ai] at mysterious points.
Rowen Morland
It could have sounded like dinosaur, and it doesn’t. There is no logic that can compensate for this unforgivable choice.
Safgaftsa
My guess would be OZ-ma.
Doctor_Who
Asma is ruler of Oz confirmed.
Tacos
I believe it is pronounced “Throatwarbler Mangrove.” >.>
Morleuca
Well played
Hescotti
That is very silly, and you’re not going to be on television.
Tacos
Asma is not amused.
Halpful
Well, fuck.
fillerusername
What a shitty thing to have in common.
AutobotDen
Asma needs to lay the smackdown on Ruth.
C.T Phipps
Shit rolls down in the world of Ruthless. Ruth needs to take some femurs and that, sadly, is the cycle of abuse. I say this knowing plenty of people who were able to break it and would never do unto others as they had done unto them. It’s just Ruth may not be that person.
Cerberus
She might be. That look of horror when she realized someone was under the inanimate object she thought she took her frustration on is palpable.
But she’s definitely got to break out of her natural habit when she feels at her wit’s end, because that angry lashing out is not good.
C.T Phipps
Yeah, it’s a good question. How much of Ruthless was just yelling and how much was actual violence? How much damage did the anger and yelling do? If any? I’d like to think aside from Billie, she was just mean and prone to barking orders to her fellow students.
Leorale
She did pick people up by their shirts on a pretty regular basis, in addition to ordering them around. And she tossed Joyce’s stuff out the window and slapped a dick onto Mary that one time. And she threw Billie into a chair in front of everyone so they’d know she was entirely willing to beat them up. So there’s that.
Fart Captor
I will forever maintain that slapping that dick onto Mary was a brilliant piece of performance art
butting
Pour encourager les autres.
It’s immaterial that there are no other Marys to encourage, because Mary got a dick slapped onto her face.
Mav
I don’t think it was horror so much as she was shocked someone was under there and possibly could have heard the exchange.
Cerberus
It feels connected to the kicking, but you might be right.
Liliet
It was probably both. It definitely shows us that she didn’t think she was kicking a chair someone was under.
happilychaotic
In Ruth’s defense, I believe most people probably wouldn’t think of that. (Or would they? How many people are usually hiding under cube chairs at an average college campus?)
N0083rP00F
More than you realize, much more than you realize.
Knayt
Who knows? As far as I can tell zero, but that might just mean they’re good at hiding.
Random832
I mean, I would assume that somewhere upward of 90% of chairs that are currently upside down have someone hiding under them. And the remaining 10% would not be pushed together, as they would have been sloppily left in place by someone leaving from under them.
Dragon_Nataku
She knows Blaine is an abusive shit though so she probably was like, “oh shit I might have unwittingly targeted a fellow abuse victim.”
Fart Captor
Ruth is lashing out in a surge of uncontrolled negative emotions.
Clint was continuing an unending streak of unprovoked cruelty.
Ruth is not that person. What she’s doing here – while a bad thing and hurtful to people around her – is not what Clint did go her. It’s not anywhere close.
C.T Phipps
I’m referring more to the fact everyone in the hall hates or fears her, particularly Rachel. Pre-Billie, I wonder how much of that reputation was trying to find some sense of power and dignity by taking it out on others. Which is different from taking it out on your GRANDCHILDREN with such calculated psychological torture.
Irredentist
Well, that doesn’t take into account all of the previous bad things she’s done towards people on the hall she’s supposed to be taking care of. Still not as bad as Clint, but there’s definitely a pattern.
Fart Captor
Yeah, she’s mistreated people. N
I never said otherwise.
But the only time she came close to doing to someone else what Clint did to her was when she bullied and harassed Billie because of her DUI. She already brings THAT cycle. While there’s been abuse apart from that, none of it was nearly as bad or seemed to come from the same place as the bile that drives Clint.
Leorale
Ruth was a bully with lots of uncool behaviour, and she shouldn’t be an RA (as Ruth would agree), but she’s nowhere close to Clint’s league of horrible.
Liliet
^^^ yes
Sam
Yes, this. Like everything she did was bullying behaviour (mean and people didn’t really like it) but much of it didn’t include specific patterns. Throwing gloves out a window, slapping Mary, and bossing people usually occurred when she was in a bad mood. While she did try to be controlling through threatening people, she never actually went out of her way to control specific people or to make them so fearful that they couldn’t fight back, and she never really tried to make other people behave in ways that were beneficial to her past attending the meetings, which was a reasonable demand as an RA.
Ruth is definitely someone that can be mean and harmful to other people, but I wouldn’t say she is abusive because she doesn’t have the sense of entitlement that drives abusers, she doesn’t act in a very calculated manner and again, much of her behaviour doesn’t have patterns, it is driven more by her current emotions more than actual thoughts in how she can use those emotions to control or harm others.
HMH
I think one of the things people are failing to put together here is that Ruth was forced into a position of authority, against her will no less, for some kind of grand plan that made her continued existence a more convenient burden for her abuser.
The same abuser who was, most likely, her sole influence upon her perception of how an effective authority figure behaves, and maintains control.
The same abuser who, if she does not maintain control of the authority that has been forced upon her to his satisfaction, will unleash fresh hell on her helpless brother as punishment.
Not only does Ruth have no other good example of how she could adequately achieve the goal that she’s been essentially blackmailed to achieve, but this is the methodology she’s intimately familiar with, and she knows first-hand how effective it is. Blaming her for acting the way she does, to me, is extremely unfair. I’d do a lot worse than bully, threaten, and shout down my subordinates in her situation, and I don’t even come from quite the same kind of utterly toxic and abusive background that has left her so damaged and lacking in other skill-sets to perform the task that, once again, has been forced upon her.
thejeff
And yet, the effects on those around her are the same, regardless of how much we can empathize with her reasons.
What saves Ruth, in my mind, is that she can still change. Has been changing in fact. Before today, when was the last time she really did any bullying?
This is a relapse, under extreme pressure and can be excused, but she definitely needs to develop alternate ways of coping. Therapy will hopefully help, but I think she’s already been changing. Probably thanks to Billie (all the problems with codependent alcoholism aside.)
Rukduk
I think one of her really redeeming moments is when she apologized to the whole hall, especially because she said she had done a bad job and the students deserved better. Because, well, she was willing to take responsibility for her shitty behavior (though I would say she had started to mellow out a bit over the comics). Like, the fact she realized what she did was harmful and was fully ready for the consequences was huge. And then, Clint and Chloe took away those consequences, which she actually wanted and still wants. In a way, she feels as robbed of justice as Rachel. There’s also the fact that she legitimately did care about her charges. She was willing to help Dorothy with the break up with Danny, and not being able to keep Carla safe from Mary was devastating for her. Ruth was unprepared, unequipped, and unmotivated for the job, but she still tried to do it the only way she knew how: “Let them hate me, so long as they fear me.” She wanted to keep the students safe from each other, and if that meant being a tyrant she was going to be a tyrant. And she realized that those actions both did not work and were actively harmful. And she apologizes. She feels guilty. And going forward, she’ll most likely do a better job, if (and this is a big if) Clint doesn’t pull another move like he just did. If she keeps taking her medication, keeps going to therapy, and tries to find a better coping habit, she could become a good RA. She didn’t want this second chance, but it’s been placed on her and I’m willing to bet Ruth would rather be damned than let Clint win at this point. Succeeding in order to spite Clint and save her brother could also be a good energizer for her. I know the only reason I completed all of my schooling was solely to spite my father by making it so my family and I would never have to rely on him again. Ruth can do the same. If she is given the proper help.
Fox
My personal take is there’s a difference between an abuser and abusive behavior. An abuser purposefully abuses to control or for personal gain, they know what they’re doing and cannot or will not change. A person with abusive behavior may not know they are being abusive, may have never learned a better way, or may not even know a better way exists. A person with abusive behavior can change with the right tools and likely will do so. Ruth is abusive not an abuser, she’s not like Clint, BUT that doesn’t make her behavior any less abusive and harmful.
CleverTrousers
Wait, that’s not even a library? Amber’s just hanging out in her own lobby two minutes from her actual dorm room?
Nono
I figure being a social recluse, Amber would most likely be in her dorm than hanging out doing anything in anywhere public.
But maybe she needs Streetpasses.
Doctor_Who
She can’t go back to her room. Dina’s throwing a wild party with drinking and loud music. The cops have been called several times. Snoop Dogg just showed up. Shit’s cray-cray.
Dean
The governor has just declared martial law, and has arranged back-parties in the surrounding area in an attempt to slow its’ spread.
MatthewTheLucky
When asked for comment, Dina
MatthewTheLucky
The hell?
When asked for comment, Dina stated: “We intend to party like it is 9000099 B.C.E., woo!”, before being dragged into the crowd by an unidentified redhead.
Tom T.
She crept home from the library with the privacy chairs on top of her, scuttling like a pillbug.
missilentmurmur
The chairs were in the lobby all along
Sunny
So a comfier version of the cardboard box has been invented. This is good news.
BBCC
Yes? We’ve seen those chairs in the lobby before.
newllend(Henryvolt)
Sorry Asma it’s not her she’s just….lashing out.