If I say Mumsnet attracts a certain type of person?

[poptothetop]

Let me start of by saying that I've been on quite a few other forums and the opinion/views of them are a lot different/ diverse.

Things most MN members seem to agree on:

Ear piercing views

Schooling views

Baby showers (haven't actually come across a MNetter who hasn't labelled them grabby).

If I were to mention these subjects elsewhere, the comments would be a lot more diverse and lenient.

So, AIBU to say Mumsnet attracts a certain type of person (overall)?

Whether that's because of social class or personality, I can't decide. It's interesting to see what you all think

I think the posters that tend to disagree with certain hot topics possibly don't post it on the thread. I've seen threads before where people are asked 'what unMNetty thing do you do' and loads will come on to say they have a toilet brush, hate moon cups, like giving money at weddings, etc etc. So they are definitely here. Just maybe less vocal or don't want a kicking for daring to admit something.

The 'turn a blind eye to benefit fraud' absolutely baffles me. I don't understand it at all but it seems to be pretty universal here.

There is a distinctly lower middle class obsession with class on MN but I also think that's quite a forum thing, as is violently disagreeing with posters about things you couldn't give a crap about IRL, just because the opportunity is there and you get caught up in it.

What I don't like though, is the weird sneering against the working classes. There is rarely a voice of positivity about the working classes, who make up the vast majority of this country (and this forum) and enrich our lives and culture every day. It's a really closed minded and unsophisticated

As an Orstralian who doesn't even live in the UK, the whole class-and-hummus thing largely whizzes over my head. What attracts me to Mumsnet is the wit, the intelligence, the humour, and the coherence and clarity of the posts/posters. The erudition of some posters! It's no ordinary forum. And the wisdom and kindness too. Not always, not everywhere, but it's still a bloody amazing place.

I think i have to disagree with you there Dontyou, on all the threads i see, if someone says anything negative about wc (particularly names and benefits bashing) they are rightly pounced upon. But there are so many comments which are considered funny against being mc. I think some of it is self depreciation, but lots of it is really nasty chippy sneering (again particularly on name threads) and i never or very rarely see anyone pulled up on it. it's virtual high fives and fist bumps all round at the inverted snobbery. If you did it the other way you'd get your arse handed to you. But then that's something i think about our society in general, so it's a realistic reflection of how lots in rl feel. Which i think is sad.

Depending on the setting of the baby shower and who it's for, I don't find baby showers grabby!

Do you think so Mrs? That there is an inverted snobbery about the MC? Is that because they aren't as enriching to society, just sort of sitting in the middle in no mans land as if were?

I do yes, I don't know why, but maybe it's because they are quite an easy target, without any kind of vulnerable or 'cool' reputation like the wc have. As i said i live in a mc area and i do inwardly smile at the 'oh we are having our kitchen done and it's just hell' type comments. But then again i do inward smiles at the wc comments i hear. Nothing nasty just acknowledging how different social groups priorities are (i used to work in the arts and one of my jobs was monitoring the different social groups who visited galleries to incorporate access and inclusion policies - so maybe i just can't get away from picking up on things). As i said the one i have noticed most is the baby names, probably because that is a subject i am also interested in from a social and cultural perspective.

So, does coke and a BMW make one posh? Not posh?

you have just managed to find 2 consumer items that pretty much cross all class levels in the UK! bravo

that writing bit it, true I have often basked out an angry post on the iphone and I read it back and am somewhat

Do you think so Mrs? That there is an inverted snobbery about the MC? Is that because they aren't as enriching to society, just sort of sitting in the middle in no mans land as if were?

How are the middle classes less enriching to society than the working and upper classes?

I can't tell if this is tongue in cheek.

I agree about the inverted class snobbery. When I have been on Netmums, as well as hating the text speak, tickers and hunning, I also feel really ancient. There are lots of people in their 40's and older on here which I like- there have been some great threads about growing up in the 70's and 80's.
I think there is a very dry and sometimes quite surreal humour on here which I love.
There are also some posters who are seriously knowledgeable about politics and economics- some of the referendum threads are far more informative than anything I've read anywhere else.

I do find MN a lot more argumentative than some other forums I've been on.

And there is definitely a thing about weddings, having to pay in any way shape or form to attend a wedding is a big MN bug bear which I find quite amusing!

There is an old saying which I love about money and class
Money talks
Wealth whispers

Apple- I mean as koala said, that the middle classes are the dull class

no I didn't!

No sorry that was my summision culture (music fashion print photography art) is mainly shaped by the working and upper classes. Middle class people themselves aren't dull- most people would consider me MC and I am great fun

Coke and a BMW make one posh?
If you mean class A drugs by coke then possibly, but lots of people don't take them. If you mean coca cola then that's not particularly posh.
BMW German car - not really - more nouveaue riche. Posh might be very clapped out old Volvo say or possibly mud stained old landrover if you live in the country. Bike actually in London. We have always cycled a lot.

No coke and bmws make you not posh

The thing is that class as a concept has blurred boundaries (that are fluid) and means different things to different people. Some people consider buying clothes from Next as being MC. I read on here once that the royal family are actually WC. I don't think within the British system that class is actually defined?

I would say art, particularly fine art is driven by the middle classes. Most European artists from 1750 to now are incredibly bourgeoisie. They may have depicted the wc, but artists tend to have to earn money and not be independently wealthy and are traditionally educated in quite a mc setting. Perhaps recently you have more ex at st martins, but most students of art I have met are defo mc (possibly pretending to be more wc than they are!).

Ex = wc

I don't think that's an influence though, that's just the people doing it. As you say often heavily depicting WC/ UC life

For the mc to look at and buy.

Most people who visit galleries I would say are mc. That's why there is extra funding for access and inclusion to appeal to less tho cal social demographics.

Tho cal = typical. God I hate autocorrect

Well I disagree. I think the middle classes "do" a lot but don't influence much in culture or society. They are mainly consumers and workers. So
Ultimately, dull (tongue in cheek)