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See all MNHQ comments on this thread

Original poster

Advertisers pulling because of swearing

187 replies

Paffle · 19/08/2017 07:55

Fuck me, MNHQ, is this true?

Top brands pull ads as Mumsnet users turn the air blue

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/934464e8-844f-11e7-aad7-35a38ccd3007

I completely get brands not wanting to be associated with racism, sexism, disablism etc - all of which are rightly banned on MN. But are people that bothered by swearing?

Please tell me you're not going to ban swearing, MNHQ!

OP posts:
Sittinginthesun · 19/08/2017 21:00

Bet you're glad to be back, Justine .

You didn't miss much.Grin

MNHQ
JustineMumsnet · 19/08/2017 20:43

@EmpressOfTheSpartacusOceans

Hello Justine! How was your holiday?

Not too bad thanks - bit hot - got Lucifered in Sicily (but I realise that doesn't always illicit sympathy).

Escapepeas · 19/08/2017 20:41

Hilarious. So women posting on MN are vilified for swearing, yet the Haymarket-owned Pistonheads censors all swear words but allows blatant racism, homophobia and misogyny. I don't see any journalists getting their knickers in a twist about that.

franke · 19/08/2017 20:21

And without mn I'd never have come across the excellent "cockwomble".

BankWadger · 19/08/2017 20:07

I would like to thank the Times and some sad sack journo for giving me a laugh and OikyWank today.

Snakeybastardsugarmonkeytits

Dina1234 · 19/08/2017 20:03

It's very odd, I'm not at all sure why they care. Posters are their audience after all, nothing more.

EmpressOfTheSpartacusOceans · 19/08/2017 19:58

Hello Justine! How was your holiday?

ChardonnaysPrettySister · 19/08/2017 19:54

No, MakeupAlley. Blush

I'm that shallow.

noblegiraffe · 19/08/2017 19:49

chardonnay was it TES? They censored Scunthorpe!

MNHQ
JustineMumsnet · 19/08/2017 19:44

@ChardonnaysPrettySister

I used to post on a forum where even Dick Cheney was automatically asterisked out.

I didn't last long there.

Actually I think that's fair enough.

MNHQ
JustineMumsnet · 19/08/2017 19:43

Apologies for multiple apostrophe calamities - am typing from a train with dodge connection and couldn't bear to preview.

ChardonnaysPrettySister · 19/08/2017 19:42

I used to post on a forum where even Dick Cheney was automatically asterisked out.

I didn't last long there.

MNHQ
JustineMumsnet · 19/08/2017 19:37

@noblegiraffe

So the story was made up? What was all that balls about the National Trust and Confused.com if they haven't actually said anything about swearing?

The story wasn't so much "made up" as manufactured in my view. It was generated by a freelance journalist who contacted some brands with examples of swearing on Mumsnet next to their ads. These programmatic ads are bought via a third party and usually (though not always) are bought to reach a demographic rather than a specific site. I'm not sure any of the advertisers contacted actually then said they won't advertise on Mumsnet - more that they'd take a look at it - so the headlines are certainly spurious.

I'd imagine the said journo approached more than one paper with the story and the Times chose to run it. But it's a bit of a non-story imho.

Although I agree with those who've pointed out its a bit sexist. Suspect they think it's a story because of the "shock, horror, mothers have potty mouths" angle. Reminds me of when the Sunday Times ran an outraged piece about sex discussions on MN (as if Mother's ironically should be entirely chaste).

Fekko · 19/08/2017 19:29

It's just not any fun where you are allowed to. Like swearing in front of a nun.

JaimesGoldenHand · 19/08/2017 19:28

Go on, say 'em Fekko, you know you want to!

Fekko · 19/08/2017 19:27

So we can still say bad words?

TheNoseyProject · 19/08/2017 19:21

All that happens on other forums is you put in which is totally pointless. Fuck is fuck whether you write it fuck or fck. we all know what it means, it's no more or less offensive it's just a pain to type make believe way of saying you're not swearing when you fucking are!

franke · 19/08/2017 19:14

The story is really annoying because it's not really about mn at all. The NT etc just buy ad space on the internet and have no control over where their ads appear. It's another excuse to bash us naughty ladies for not being meek and mild. The story being reported could have picked any number of sites to point the finger at for Bad language.

I'm glad the policy here hasn't changed - mn without swearing would be, well, unrecognisable these days. There was a thread called something like "Your expletive of choice" years ago, long since disappeared. It was full of excellent swearing ideas and acquired an extra frisson of nortiness when it was linked to by a minion of swmnbn as a reason why parenting and mn was going to hell in a handcart. And of course the glorious "Cunting Sainsburys" linked to earlier.

PickAChew · 19/08/2017 19:13

Well done to the Times on the fake news. Wankers.

JaimesGoldenHand · 19/08/2017 19:12

Fucking brilliant news, Justine!

MadMags · 19/08/2017 19:05

Ha! Get em told @JustineMumsnet

noblegiraffe · 19/08/2017 19:02

So the story was made up? What was all that balls about the National Trust and Confused.com if they haven't actually said anything about swearing?

user9512736123 · 19/08/2017 19:01

@JustineMumsnet well thank fuck for that then.

MNHQ
JustineMumsnet · 19/08/2017 19:00

Hello all,
We've just responded to the Independent thus:

"We haven't been contacted by any advertisers with any concerns about swearing on Mumsnet and we have no plans to change our policy on allowing swearing on our forums. Mumsnet is after all a site for grown ups which people visit to get advice, support and sometimes to let off a bit of steam."

No plans at all to change our policy on swearing unless it became clear that a big majority of users wanted us to, which right now seems unlikely.

SnickersWasAHorse · 19/08/2017 18:45

Have you heard the amount of swearing on daytime radio 4? I don't know how they get away with it.

Being offended by swearing is nothing like being sexist, racist etc. That means that you are actively disliking someone. Swearing is just words. It's just a series of sounds that you have be taught to dislike. It's not like saying the n-word which is meant with hate for example. There is no difference between calling your annoying DH a wank badger and an unpleasant, dislikable pain in the behind. One you can say in front of children and one you can't the emotion and the sentiment are the same.

Two problems with this. If MN stop us swearing then I would take that as a serious censorship issue.
Secondly if they did censor us what difference would it make. If you read cnt then you read it as cunt don't you? You don't sit their scratching your head wondering what I meant do you? The voice in you head reads 'the Daily Mail are facist cunts' just the same as 'the Daily Mail are facist cnts'. So what is the point?