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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Text message "banter" apparently

190 replies

hmmmm01 · 10/06/2014 08:08

Hi all. Could really do with another opinion or two on this. My husband (38) works with amongst others, a young-ish lad, 21, who sent my husband a pic of the girl he's been seeing a few times to his work phone with the caption "nice ay?" My husband replied "nice. is she dirty?" and the lad's reply was "quite, v flexible she did gymnastics. had a pierced nipple too". My husband then put "did u get a pic of that?" and he replied "no, but I will" to which my husband said "do it!" Now apparently "do it" is a reference to a clip from Starsky & Hutch with Ben Stiller which he's been saying at work- looked it up on youtube this morning, and it is a big clip. There have been trust issues between us before, although we are fine at the mo- but old habits die hard and I can't help looking on his phone from time to time. Not because I actively don't trust him but but more out of nosey-ness. I know this isn't ideal...
When I asked him about it he went mad and said I was over reacting and it was just lads banter. I know he does get on well with this lad who looks up to him. He says he never expected him to reply about the nipple, and has admitted that if this lad goes on to send a pic of that, he knows I wouldn't like that. But still says "do it!" wasn't effectively asking for a picture. Am I over reacting?

OP posts:
DoJo · 10/06/2014 09:10

'Is she dirty' is worse than the request for the picture to my mind. Who asks that about a friend's girlfriend? He's a twat for even considering that kind of 'banter'.

TeaJunky · 10/06/2014 09:13

Creepy and disgusting. The lad only sent a pic to begin with asking 'nice ay'. Your dh could have replied saying 'nice/pretty/gorgeous/beautiful and left it at that.

Fcukfifa · 10/06/2014 09:14

Ugh, a 38 yr old man asking if a young girl 'is dirty' makes me absolutely cringe.

Canthisonebeused · 10/06/2014 09:17

I think it's neither here nor there wether he is expecting to see a picture or not.

I think his behaviour is vile towards the woman and I wouldn't have any reect for someone who banters and shows total disrespect like towards a young woman.

As for the boyfriend totaly out of order and disrespectful too. Hope she dumps him.

ShakesBootyFlabWobbles · 10/06/2014 09:19

YANBU, as another poster has mentioned, this is a local woman who you could easily come across at a work's event or out shopping. It is quite ugly language about someone that his friend supposedly cares about. He's 38 not 18.

I can't see how he wasn't asking to see a picture, the other guy doesn't need one, he sees her pierced nipple in RL - or for at least until the time she finds out she's dating a knob.

Objection · 10/06/2014 09:24

I'd have been out the door if I'd read something like that on my DPs phone.

Just reading it makes my skin crawl.
It shows a lack of respect for you, the girl and relationships in general.

Urgh.

bigdog888 · 10/06/2014 09:26

Standard blokey banter! Every single man I know is like this - it's just how we are!

peggyundercrackers · 10/06/2014 09:27

hes not asked to see the pic, only told him to take one. I think your over-reacting massively. if he wanted to see a nipple he would only need to look in the sun or spend 3seconds online to find one.

CoffeeTea103 · 10/06/2014 09:30

Yanbu. Horrible, the whole 'do it' explanation what a joke! Really does he think you're that stupid. He's 38 not 18. Sorry this not how all men have conversations.

Guitargirl · 10/06/2014 09:32

bigdog - are you the OP's husband?

bigdog888 · 10/06/2014 09:33

Sorry this not how all men have conversations

I've yet to meet one so they must be in the extreme minority!

Imsuchamess · 10/06/2014 09:37

Bigdog he is not single!

I grew up with all male friends and after about age 21 this sort of thing stops about then.

It's absolutely disgusting.

OxfordBags · 10/06/2014 09:38

bigdog, none of the men I know would do that, especially not my DH. Because I'm only interested in knowing non-sexist non-twats.

You seem to be saying that REAL men - respectful, non-idiotic, non-sexually-objectifying adults - must be in the extreme minority. You either have an appalling low image of your own sex, or the majority of men are shitbags, OR you and your friends are wankers.

pictish · 10/06/2014 09:38

I wouldn't spend time worrying about it unduly.
Some of the banter between me and my married women friends can be pretty raw, and dh would probably raise an eyebrow or two to hear us...but there we have it.

I don't see anything particularly incriminating in the texts there.

OnlyLovers · 10/06/2014 09:40

Never mind anything else, 'is she dirty?' is a foul question for a 'grown' man to be asking about a woman.

He needs to grow the fuck up and stop trying to get in with/impress 21-year-old.

jacks365 · 10/06/2014 09:42

Standard blokey banter! Every single man I know is like this - it's just how we are!

Key word there is single, this man isn't and needs to show more respect.

AnyFucker · 10/06/2014 09:42

bigdog you come over as a bit of a manhater and a bit fick

QueenofallIsee · 10/06/2014 09:43

Wow bigdog, I assume you are single? If not I pity your wife

bobbywash · 10/06/2014 09:45

So let's just ignore the fact that you're invading his privacy, and that of his employer by snooping on a work phone, also ignore the fact that what he's sending is probably a disciplinary offence.

It's inappropriate but that's all. It's not a hanging offence. Unfortunately if he works with much younger people this is common banter for that generation. Also, quite often private texts (as that's what they are) between friends are of that ilk.

VitoCorleone · 10/06/2014 09:48

Of course he was asking to see a pic, the lad said she has a nipple pierced, the husband replies "do you have a pic" as in "ooh do you have a pic? Can i see" when you ask if someone has a pic of something its because you want to see it Hmm

If this was my husband id be thinking about wether i wanted to be with such a creepy loser.

Is she dirty? Seriously? Vile

VitoCorleone · 10/06/2014 09:50

I don't think bigdog means men that are single, he means all men as in, every single one of them

SpicyPear · 10/06/2014 09:51

"Is she dirty?" Yuck.

Your DH is a creep. That text wasn't from nowhere either. His young colleague knows he's into a bit of letching and objectifying young women otherwise he wouldn't have sent the photo. Whether he was asking for a nipple pic is neither here nor there.

bigdog888 · 10/06/2014 09:53

Sorry I meant every single man as in all of them not their relationship status. In my experience, which spans a seriously wide cross section, all men have this kind of banter - but that's all it is. It's not representative of their actual views but just for jokes. It's inappropriateness is why it's funny just like the whole shagging each other's mothers/daughters/wives banter. Everyone involved accepts that it's not serious.

pianodoodle · 10/06/2014 09:53

"Lads banter" - pathetic.

Trouble is, men like this think everyone acts like this because all the men they know are.

All they're really saying is that they seek out the company of like minded people (as we all do) - in this case, like minded wankers.

Plenty of men don't act like this but the "lads banter" men probably don't meet them because decent men probably cross the street to avoid them Grin

Anyway, YANBU

pianodoodle · 10/06/2014 09:54

Really badly written post there with too many repeated words - sorry!