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Bloody motherland again.

90 replies

Nottodaysatanugh · 18/01/2025 16:28

Third thread this week where the OP has described someone as “exactly/think Amanda from Motherland”

I’m convinced people think motherland is real and they need to emulate the drama in real life.

Yawn.

OP posts:
denhaag · 18/01/2025 21:40

endofthelinefinally · 18/01/2025 18:52

Margaret Attwood based the book on Afghanistan. Look at the plight of women in Afghanistan today.
I find mumsnet depressing these days.

I don't think this is correct.

mum2jakie · 18/01/2025 22:09

duc748 · 18/01/2025 17:59

BTW is this new series literally called Amandaland? I assumed that was a joke.

No it is genuinely called Amandaland. Coming out some time in February:

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/comedy/amandaland-release-date/

Philippa Dunne, Lucy Punch and Joanna Lumley sat on a sofa smiling into camera

Amandaland release date speculation, cast and latest news

One of the BBC's most celebrated modern comedies is getting a buzzy new spin-off.

https://www.radiotimes.com/tv/comedy/amandaland-release-date

CrowleyKitten · 18/01/2025 23:10

denhaag · 18/01/2025 21:40

I don't think this is correct.

I'm sure I've seen a screenshot of her correcting someone mansplaining on her post that it was about Afghanistan.
it's more than that. like how recent it was in western countries for women not to be allowed bank accounts of their own, or to own a home.

endofthelinefinally · 19/01/2025 00:52

CrowleyKitten · 18/01/2025 20:51

not JUST Afghanistan. everthing in it reflected women's rights breaches all over the world at different points in time. she said none of it was pulled out of the air. it's all based on something that either is or has been a reality somewhere in the world.

Yes. I agree with everything you said. Everything in the book had already happened somewhere in the world. Nothing was just made up. I just didn't have the energy to write a longer, more detailed post. I am so jaded and depressed at the state of women's rights everywhere at the moment. Even more depressed at the number of men and women who either are in denial or actively supporting the oppression, the persecution of women and girls.

duc748 · 19/01/2025 01:01

It's shit, isn't it? I've spent most of my lifetime thinking at least, things were in a generally upwards direction, however imperfectly, as far as that was concerned. But in the last few years, everything seems to have regressed. And the current climate (Trump, Ukraine, etc) has created a perfect storm.

echt · 19/01/2025 01:23

endofthelinefinally · 18/01/2025 18:52

Margaret Attwood based the book on Afghanistan. Look at the plight of women in Afghanistan today.
I find mumsnet depressing these days.

No she didn't. She based it on things that had already happened to women and totalitarian regimes,

dynamiccactus · 19/01/2025 12:49

TwigletsAndRadishes · 18/01/2025 17:46

I think it's a perfect description. Amanda is very much a 'type.' We all know one. If you say someone's Amanda from Motherland, everyone who has ever stood at a school gate or been on the PTA instantly gets it.

I'm not sure why it would irritate or offend you. Unless.....

I guess saying "Amanda from Motherland" is ok.

But people will get lazy and just say "she's such an Amanda" in the same way as Karen. It is offensive. I find it offensive and I am called neither Karen nor Amanda.

It's funny how we only use female names in this way isn't it (not). You'd think that as MNers are mainly women they'd be all over this sort of sexism. But no, they join in and justify it.

SouthLondonMum22 · 19/01/2025 13:02

dynamiccactus · 19/01/2025 12:49

I guess saying "Amanda from Motherland" is ok.

But people will get lazy and just say "she's such an Amanda" in the same way as Karen. It is offensive. I find it offensive and I am called neither Karen nor Amanda.

It's funny how we only use female names in this way isn't it (not). You'd think that as MNers are mainly women they'd be all over this sort of sexism. But no, they join in and justify it.

Karen isn't based off a character though, that's the difference. Amanda is. I've heard people use characters to describe people, both male and female but with Karen there is no male version.

Karen is sexist and I would never use the term but I don't see how describing someone as Amanda from Motherland is sexist, no more than it is to describe a man as Del boy from Only Fools & Horses.

Spirallingdownwards · 19/01/2025 13:09

The reason Motherland is so popular as a sitcom is because we all recognise some of the stereotypes the characters portray from our own lives whether that's the hassled mother juggling kids and job, the husband, the Amanda, the successful neighbour opposite. Using Amanda as a descriptor just gives us a flavour of the type of person the OP was talking h about without having to waste a whole paragraph telling us.

Noone thinks Motherland is real but most of us can identify with it in that we all have similar characters in our lives either through school playground or work.

TwigletsAndRadishes · 19/01/2025 13:49

dynamiccactus · 19/01/2025 12:49

I guess saying "Amanda from Motherland" is ok.

But people will get lazy and just say "she's such an Amanda" in the same way as Karen. It is offensive. I find it offensive and I am called neither Karen nor Amanda.

It's funny how we only use female names in this way isn't it (not). You'd think that as MNers are mainly women they'd be all over this sort of sexism. But no, they join in and justify it.

We don't only use women's names and female characters or stereotypes this way. That's just not true. Insistence that this sort of thing is always sexist doesn't actually make it sexist. For every Hyancinth or Amanda or Karen or Margot there is a male equivalent if you care to look for it.

'He's turned into such a Victor Meldrew' is the most obvious example that springs to mind. In the 80s if a man was described as a Timothy, we knew it referred to the spineless middle aged man who still lived with his domineering mother from the sitcom Sorry!

There are plenty of others. Being described as a Scrooge, a David Brent type, a Walter Mitty character, Macchiavellian, Little Hitler, jumped up little Napolean, Short Man Syndrome, Mummy's Boy, Grumpy Old Man, White Van Man, Wide Boy, Barrow Boy, Lager Lout, Entitled Old Etonian, Second-hand Car Salesman, or the insult of all insults to describe men who behave a certain way 'he must have a very small dick.'

All those less than complimentary descriptors rely heavily on the negative stereotyping of certain types of men or male characteristics, which have become well-worn tropes. If Amanda is misogynist then these are all misandrist, surely.

QuimCarrey · 19/01/2025 14:00

Yeah, Karen has certainly been used in misogynistic ways, and there isn't a male equivalent of that. But it differs from the 'Amanda' thing because we absolutely do use male names in that way. Tim Nice But Dim, Victor Meldrew, we all know what those mean.

Allthebrokenplaces · 19/01/2025 14:46

dynamiccactus · 19/01/2025 12:49

I guess saying "Amanda from Motherland" is ok.

But people will get lazy and just say "she's such an Amanda" in the same way as Karen. It is offensive. I find it offensive and I am called neither Karen nor Amanda.

It's funny how we only use female names in this way isn't it (not). You'd think that as MNers are mainly women they'd be all over this sort of sexism. But no, they join in and justify it.

I'm all over Karen, as that is only used as a put down for women, and not of definite origin.
It's definitely not true that only female names are used though, any strong and clear character can be used as a descriptor. I knew a few Joeys, a Monica (that might be me) a couple of Victor Meldrews and a Father Dougal, it's just a quick way of giving background to a story.

WiddlinDiddlin · 19/01/2025 16:38

SouthLondonMum22 · 19/01/2025 13:02

Karen isn't based off a character though, that's the difference. Amanda is. I've heard people use characters to describe people, both male and female but with Karen there is no male version.

Karen is sexist and I would never use the term but I don't see how describing someone as Amanda from Motherland is sexist, no more than it is to describe a man as Del boy from Only Fools & Horses.

Karen is based off a character as far as many many people are concerned (me, for example. This is the first 'Karen' and the Karen I think of when people call someone a Karen)...

But what has happened with Karen will happen with Amanda, Hyacinth, Margot etc eventually... the origin becomes less current, gets lost.

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music that you love, upload original content and share it all with friends, family and the world on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0ULWbTyUgw

SouthLondonMum22 · 19/01/2025 16:43

WiddlinDiddlin · 19/01/2025 16:38

Karen is based off a character as far as many many people are concerned (me, for example. This is the first 'Karen' and the Karen I think of when people call someone a Karen)...

But what has happened with Karen will happen with Amanda, Hyacinth, Margot etc eventually... the origin becomes less current, gets lost.

Using Karen as an insult started way after Will & Grace ended, did it not? It doesn't make me think of the character from Will & Grace because of that reason.

Motherland has ended but fairly recently and Amandaland will be out soon.

It's just incredibly different to me, especially since there's male alternatives.

WiddlinDiddlin · 19/01/2025 16:45

I don't think so, I was certainly using it to reference that character at the time as were my friends/social group - however, memes weren't really a thing then, its usage was more verbal than written.

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