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Just feels so outdated now.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?

The tabloids could invent a group of people in the same way the Bible invented demons. Also, the "chav" hysteria was fueled even further by moral panic.

I think there IS a valid point to be made that in the 2000s working-class youths may have be unfairly labelled chavs just for wearing the chav-associated clothing. Criticising that kind of stereotyping isn't the same thing as saying that chavs are the same as working class people.

But knowing OJ, I bet he wasn't making that kind of nuanced critique but just badly claiming that chav behaviour is a myth.

I hadn’t heard the word in a very long time. The other week my 14 year old was going to the park and I said ‘you better not be joining in with the kids who vape’ and he said ‘do me a favour, I’m not a chav’

I was shocked he’d heard the word. Seems to be making a comeback, unfortunately.

Are you getting pays per click on this article or something?

The experts say otherwise.

Yikes.

Apparently TikTok might be to blame for this:

https://www.businessinsider.com/tiktok-popular-videos-mock-working-class-chavs

https://i-d.co/article/how-tiktok-resurrected-the-problematic-chav-stereotype/

https://screenshot-media.com/technology/social-media/chav-tiktok-trend/

https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/tiktoks-chav-trend-fueling-damaging-130000759.html

https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/49858/1/the-british-chav-stereotype-is-making-a-comeback-on-tiktok

Chavs now are the same as when I was 16../l tracksuit bottoms with hoods up, loitering around town on bikes being twats!

You going to tell us if you are working class, or ever been within a mile of living in working class area, or not?

This is a you problem, OP. YOU think 'working class' people are what you consider 'chav.' They are not.

Working class people are working class people.

Chavs are chavs.

The terms are neither interchangeable, nor mutually exclusive.

Yes Charlotte Church talked about being labelled a 'chavvy ladette' for getting drunk in her teens. I think it's fair to say that 'chav' was sometimes u fairly used to demonise loudly dressed teens who weren't violent or criminal. But some dressed that way and were, obviously, not a myth.

They are black British, very few of them were born in the Caribbean. Many of them are of African descent also. And in my DGDs school there are 2 white boys that year 10 describe as road man according to her.

I already said I'm working class earlier on in the thread. Live on a council estate yes.

Debating with the OP here feels as pointless as playing chess with a pigeon.

Experts? What experts? Experts in what?

Exactly.

Preach sister

OP what would you call a loud rough- accented adult wearing a polyester nike tracksuit every day

Come to parts of Huyton, then go to Norris Green, you'll meet the very much council housed and violent.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c8eygpe3ej9o.amp
Scallies aren't what these are, your scallies were the ones selling stolen meat and coffee, they lived off benefit fraud and low level criminality. These are feral rats, bred from feral rats. We've just had another shooting yesterday. Ross Kemp did a program on the ones from Norris Green fighting with the Crocky (Croxteth) Crew, he did get the piss taken out of him. Rhys Jones and Oliva Korbel-Pratt payed the price. So did Anthony Walker and many others.
I understand what you mean when describing clothing, posters love to put down WC style (tan/eyelashes/lips etc), but CHAVs existed. The description shouldn't have been used to describe fashion etc.

Who are the chav experts?!

How in holy fuck do you not recognise what a chav is then??!! 😂 😂 😂 If I was your friend my eyes would be firmly in the back of my head.

Which is nice, in a roundabout sort of way. Interesting to hear the origins though.

Don't be surprised if she distances herself from you.
What a weird thread.

sorry, you are either trolling big time, or incredibly thick?

experts? what experts?
those are opinion articles (if at all!)

Also, what about the ‘lived experience’ of people like me? Or does it only count if we’re the correct, left leaning, kind of working class who don’t believe in chavs cus fucking Cambridge told us so?

A 'scummy fucker' according to what the OP has said multiple times, along with werewolf, vampire, Nessie, and other various whacky things. 🙄