Ruthie - Me And My Dad

...in which Ruth is not impressed by boy students weeing in the sink, prompting dad to reveal the secret of Butlin's bum. Ruth and dad discuss initiation rituals in Uni, the upcoming strike, and the class divide among students - if there is one. In the wider world, Ruth nominates Kate Garraway as the most annoying person in the world, and although the de-clutterer Marie Kondo has helped Ruth with sock storage, her latest initiative isn't de-cluttering anything. Musically Girl In Red takes on Billy Bragg.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

...in which Ruth falls asleep on a nightclub toilet at 2am, when she could have been in the University of York's 24-hour library. Also, despite Armistice Day and the season of remembrance, patriotism is not flavour of the month with Ruth. Meanwhile she is chosen as boxer of the week. Musically, youngster Matt Maltese takes on Arlo Guthrie.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

...in which Ruthie, now fully at home at the University of York, dresses up as Hugh Hefner, while her college chums pretend to be Playboy bunnies. Why going home for the first time feels strange, why house-hunting for next year has already started, and how her French teacher is, er, really French  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ruth is settling in at the University of York, coping with a demanding French and Spanish degree course. She's uncomfortable with the banning of a campaign against the crackdown on the Hong Kong protestors by the Chinese government, and wonders what it says about free speech on campus. With an election in the offing she's not sure she and her fellow students will dutifully march out and vote Labour as expected. Meanwhile, back on campus, Ruth reveals the horrors of Oriental Night in the cafeteria!  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Boy George once said of sex that he'd rather have a cup of tea, a metaphor taken up by York University, in their lectures on sexual consent. Ruth also talks of dating rituals and boxing training at Uni as she starts her degree in French and Spanish.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In which Ruth embarks on the difficult business of making friends at University, falls over drunk causing cuts and abrasions, stands up for Leeds in the face of kids from Surrey, a tribe she hadn't previously come across. She reveals that among the societies soliciting members at the Freshers' Fair was a fetish club, and asks dad if he went to University in California or Strathclyde. Musically, 87-year-old Petula Clark takes on 16-year-old Alfie Templeman  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A compilation of extracts of Ruthie Me & My Dad from the last year's episodes; includes Fiona Bruce taking over Question Time, Ruth's views on Piers Morgan, what is OK to make jokes about these days, with reference to Inbetweeners - could that even be made in #MeToo era? Liam Neeson's revenge story, Pride marches becoming too commercial, teenage boys' frightening thoughts on rape, and the Intelligence Trap. Musically, Toots & The Maytals take on Tom Misch.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Trepidation and excitement mingle as Ruth prepares to start university. Meanwhile, as someone who likes a chocolate Minstrel, she rejects sugar-free diets as recommended by influencers and bloggers. Dad picks out some dodgy lyrics in pop songs, and an emailer writes in to tell Ruth not to worry about student debt; 'it's a myth.'  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ruth talks about her uncertainty on the eve of her university career. Also how no-one wants to see a revival of Friends - fiftysomething Ross and Rachel would be in therapy after a toxic relationship and a bitter divorce, how Dolly Parton's doormat lyrics are OK for feminists, and how Ruth bought a newspaper for the first time ever in her life, and what a revelation it was.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ruth believes you can't tell the story of the Pope being stuck in a lift without doing a transubstantiation joke or something similar, she tries a Black Country accent in honour of hero Caitlin Moran, whose Wolverhampton childhood is being made into a movie, but mostly she insists her other hero Margaret Atwood, whose public appearance she went to see, has lots to tell us about the way we live now. Musically, Martin chooses 1950s doo wop, Ruthie a remake of 10CC's I'm Not In Love.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, Ruth reveals she follows the Gospel According to Tom Hanks, gives her views on sandwich toasters and ATM etiquette, and laments the ignorance about women's health issues displayed by the medical profession. Ruth and dad discuss the latest Harvey Weinstein documentary, and dad drops the bombshell that he finds most of Weinstein's highly lauded 'masterpieces' overhyped rubbish.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

After her weekend at Leeds Music Festival, Ruth discusses the drugs death, and the misguided attitude to drugs of festival security. She's underwhelmed by Foo Fighters, and brands Matty Healy of The 1975, pretentious. She also discusses MacDonalds' cheese bite options, and reveals her Dragons' Den idea, while Ruthie and Dad clash over the so-called patriarchy.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This generation gap podcast covers all the important issues; Boris Johnson's narcissism, supermarket pizzas, whether having children enhances your life or do you have to wait till they've left home, 'breadcrumbing,' Freshman flush, and New Yorker Billy Joel's ability to do an English accent.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On the eve of A-level results day, Ruth sympathises with fellow students who, unlike her, don't have an unconditional offer from a chosen university or college and have to sweat it out. She also looks ahead to next year, and doubts a survey indicating students are more responsible, and more often teetotal than previous eras. Dad reflects on how her young mind is being moulded by The Guardian, fears for Paul McCartney's musical version of It's A Wonderful Life, and suggests that the new direction for Ruthie Me and My Dad might be 'true crime.'  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ruth visits Leeds Pride and reports back, while dad questions its relevance beyond giving companies the chance to show how woke they are. He also has advice for the director of Downsizing, currently showing on Sky, and disagrees with Ruth on shoeless Prince Harry's comments on subconscious racism. The finale of Love Island shines a light on the way society is these days, both agree, and musically, Ruth and Dad visit Paul McCartney's wilderness years and Lily Allen's latest work.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

...is Ruth's assessment of our new Prime Minister, as dad brings her up to date with what's been happening while she's been away, where she outraged her parents by getting a tattoo. In this episode she explains to dad why we need three Spidermen, and why Tom Holland is the most Spiderman of the Spidermen. Father and daughter also discuss whether hormone blockers are handed out too freely to children who may wish to transition, and dad worries about the 'lad culture' on campuses as Ruthie prepares to leave for university. Musically, it's Andrew Gold v Sabrina Claudio, and the podcast concludes with some uncharacteristically '70s humour.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ruth and dad have a heated debate on transgender issues, Ruth is accused of anti-Scottish bias, and upbraided for yawning mid-podcast. Also, is Maura from Love Island a feminist icon, and will Boris Johnson do anything to correct the North-South divide?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sympathy for the parents of Jihadi Jack from Ruth and Dad, though Dad thinks over-indulgent parenting may have exacerbated the problem, the new digital Monopoly, and how the cashless society creates particular problems for the poor, especially street dwellers. Meanwhile, what's great about the Brits, says Ruth, is we don't really care about anything. Musically, the Kinks take on Bea Miller.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ruth celebrates the end of A-levels with a trip to the council tip, and in her first post-exam podcast she and dad discuss prom nights, accusations of racism in the Love Island villa, how Michael Gove could be a poster boy for a 'Say No To Drugs' campaign, and, dad says if there were a gift he could pass on to his 25-year-old self it would be dental floss.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Father and daughter literally discuss new speech patterns introduced by the young, dad complains about the feminisation of movies, and is unimpressed by Emma Thompson's latest, while Ruthie maintains comedy is still an all-boys club. Also, dad has good news for Ruth's,Soylent Green solution to overpopulation, Ruth says we romanticise pre-Internet life, and both exult in their discovery of salt and cracked black pepper crisps. All that, and manic pixie dream girls.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.