Friend still believes in "chavs"?

[waytoooldforthisshite]

Had a funny (well, slightly depressing) conversation today. my friend came round all flustered, telling me that she'd been "harassed by chavs" outside the shop. One was some teenager who asked for her number 🙄

Tried to explain that "chavs" aren't even real, it's a tabloid invented stereotype/myth from the early 2000s that was basically used to demonise working class people. But she just went on about it like she was quoting The Sun from 2004. I ended up showing her this article. She's 39.... and I expected her to know a bit better but what can ya do eh?

Just feels so outdated now. You don't really hear anyone say "chav" anymore (thankfully), and it's weird how those old class-based stereotypes still linger. I honestly felt like I'd timetravelled back to the Little Britain era 😂

Anyone else still know people who talk like that?

Oh you’re ever so earnest OP

😆 that you lectured your friend… I bet her eyes glazed over

Obviously you haven't read many threads on here

Lol - bet you’re great company

The term is outdated, but those people did and still do exist.

Lol chavs definitely still exist.

Yep, more and more.

I agree that it’s not something said that commonly anymore.

But I’m not sure how a widely understood concept can not be “real”. If someone says “that’s chavvy” everyone knows what they mean. Even if they disagree, find it offensive, would never use it etc they understand what the person is saying. So it doesn’t really make sense to me to say it doesn’t exist.

Working class people exist. both good and bad but what were referred to as "chavs" at least in my experience were just normal working class people who might've dressed in a certain way

Like seeing a fish and calling it "Nessie"

Ok I’ll reword it, your friend was harassed by an intimidating group of teens/ young adults hanging around shops. Dependant on the area she was in they could also be rude boys, scallies, charvers, neds, hooligans, ruffians, louts or yobs
my takeaway is you are more bothered with her vocabulary than an intimidating experience?

It’s definitely not what I class as working class! It’s a different type of person all together (many having never worked a day in their life!)

Of course they exist. When I was growing up in Edinburgh in the 80s they were referred to as schemies. In Glasgow they are called neds. Relatives in Liverpool call them scallies.

It's one thing to disapprove of the use of the term but trying to pretend that this sort of person does not exist is just laughable.

It's an insult word used to describe people who look and act antisocially and appear to be working class. I mean such people do exist. But it doesn't mean you should call them 'chavs'. No more than you should call travellers rude names.

This too. Your friend was harassed and you were more bothered about policing her (perfectly fine) language?

You might not believe chavs actually exist but I could definitely point out a few to you. The term might have been misapplied at times but for some it's appropriate.

Are we also not allowed (in the OP’s mind at least) to describe someone as a “Hooray Henry”?

Good point

I bet the friend was left thinking “WTF”?

I think the term 'chav' is usually used to describe people who have never seen a day's work in their lives, ie not " working class."
A good example is a delightful lady who used to live a couple of streets away from me who is infamous for kidnapping her own daughter and trying to scam The Sun for reward money.

“Yobs” is my preferred term

Do you even know what a Chav is? It’s not an obnoxious council dwelling Charlie, if that’s what you think?

give your definition

Funny, I see them frequently.

The term has fallen out of use.But the people they refer to still exist

This

Lol...I live near Rochdale..trust me they exist 🤣

How do you describe someone that’s maybe a guy in a shop, shirtless in the summer with a staffie outside, a woman screeching ‘Kayden!’ at her toddler who’s dressed in head to toe knock-off designer gear, a woman with visible hair extensions, Russian lashes and fake tan?

We use ‘chav’. Our sons (early 20s) certainly have it as part of their vernacular. They also say ‘road-men’ as a derogatory term, not sure what that means. Is there an alternative if you just want to judge a certain type? Obviously, we could say being non judgemental is the way to be. But in the real world, most people judge and name-call.

"Chav" isn't a good word, it's a slur that was made up to demonise the working class. More about the chav myth here if you don't mind a bit of a read https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-social-policy/article/owen-jones-2011-chavs-the-demonization-of-the-working-class-london-verso-1499-pp-298-pbk/1F6232EE711CD669AB339522C12FDEC0

"Chav hate is class hate" https://www.socialistparty.org.uk/articles/12930/05-10-2011/chav-hate-is-class-hate/

Lots of good sources on how the chav myth came to originate, its usage and its decline

It's not a slur. Working class and chav are not the same thing. The chavs near me call themselves chavs!