Help me be petty

[icantwearjeans]

For reasons too long to go into, an extremely racist, homophobic, internalised misogynist, anti-feminist, fat shaming, classist woman is going to be staying with us shortly (oh ok it's my MIL) and I want to booby trap the house full of things that will offend her delicate (bigoted) sensibilities. Just for LOLs. DH is on board as payback for offering our guest room without asking me first.

Help me with my devious and petty planning. So far I've got gay erotica in the toilet, a Virgin Mary in the guest room (she hates catholics and yes I am one, albeit only culturally), a selection of wonderful 'ethnic' dinners (she counts chilli con carne and chicken korma among these). Also I plan to buy all the snacks from Lidl (she thinks anything but Waitrose is common).

Finally, because she thinks women dressed a certain way are 'asking for it' I need some good (but vaguely plausible) outfit suggestions. Oh and also she believes that all good parents should send their children to private schools - they just need to give up their mobile phones and package holidays- so any good ideas related to this would be much welcomed

Yours in pettiness,
Icantwearjeans

AGREE!

@Catniagara

The beginning of this reminds me of a thing that happened to me. I was invited to visit my husbands family at Christmas. They kept warning me about his racist sexist misogynistic awful granny. Since most of them have made some racist, sexist, or backhanded comment or another in the past, I couldn’t see how she could possibly be worse, unless she showed up in a kkk hoodie and burned a cross in the mashed potatoes.

To my surprise, they all rolled her eyes at this “horrid racist” when she asked where I’m from. I told her I’m from here, I’m mixed race, and she asked about my background and seemed genuinely interested in my family. We were having a nice little chat that was interrupted more than once by one of his family members pulling a micro-aggression I can only assume they thought was “more inclusive” than her “racist diatribe” of…actually caring about my history and who I am as a person.

Listing every black person they know. Talking about that one time they went to a third world country and “really learned to appreciate” what they have. That time they donated money to an Indian scam company. That time they ate in an authentic ethnic restaurant they knew was authentic because it had a brown waiter. Telling each other I might not wash my hands but they are okay with it because it’s “just my culture” and they ACCEPT me.

They were so unaware of their own woke-itude that it was truly awe-inspiring.

As for your mother in law, you can be exactly the unworthy DIL she expects or really freak her out by acting like a kind human being for once. Whatever you choose to do, please don’t increase hatred for already marginalized groups by “tacking up gay erotica” for example. It hurts their cause, contributes to negative assumptions about them, and is generally irresponsible. You may not be as inclusive as you think you are, and you may have a lot more in common with MIL than you think.

Excellent post!

Social justice warriors are just so tedious. And the OP (and the posters supporting her) should be ashamed of themselves. What a ridiculous and childish way to behave.

And no, you don't have to have to be devoid of a sense of humour to not find this funny. I have a perfectly good sense of humour, but find the OP's posts cringeworthy and pathetic. 'I am going to get some Meghan Markle literature.' FFS.

The poor MIL.

Don't have time to read the whole thread but:-

Kids and DH have temporary stick on tatoos.

Chai Tea

Some tribal art

Trevor McDonald and Nelson Mandela biographies on the coffee table.

Ramadan/Eid recipe book in the kitchen.

Any 'non white british' neighbours you could invite round or school friends for a playmate?

Hope you have a great time winding up the bigot!

I'm just going with you've genetically bred with her gene pool and however you behave will be witnessed by her grandchildren.
You either politely, in front of her descendants, manage every encounter.
Or you're creating a whole world of nonsense for another generation to witness.
This is your children's heritage.
They are learning from you.

For those saying this is inappropriate and what will the children think. Well I will tell it from the perception of the child. My mums family were/ are racists but my mum is not. She calls them out everything and I remember growing up learning 1 that this behaviour was not OK and 2. That it was ok to challenge it.

Alot of the suggestions are subtle and fine. I suggested a photo of a gay wedding, if that offends her it's on her. A child seeing a picitre of a same sex marriage is not something that I view as wrong. In fact I used a photo of one of my friends marrying her wife to explain that same sex marriage were absolutely OK and legal when he told me a friend at school told him they weren't.
Going ffs because someone suggested a Megan Meikle book. Why? I personally don't give a fuck about the royal family but if the OP wants to read her book what right does her MIL have to say she can't ( even if she's only pretending).