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Original poster

Why do old white men hate Greta Thunberg so much?

705 replies

MotherOfDragonite · 21/12/2019 15:57

My 65 year old uncle and friends of a similar age (and also white, though not necessarily all British -- others are American, German and Australian) seem to talk about her an awful lot with great vitriol and hatred.

They seem to have shared views about climate change, but I still can't understand why they hate Greta so much. Not only do they comment on her, but they post unpleasant memes about her. While I understand that they fundamentally disagree with the concept of climate change, I don't really understand why a 16 year old girl with Aspergers, who does not live in the UK and who clearly has good intentions even if they disagree with them, is the focus of so much of their ire.

What is it about Greta that older men find so very "triggering"?

OP posts:
madcatladyforever · 21/12/2019 15:59

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sue51 · 21/12/2019 15:59

I'm married to an old white man who thinks Greta is fantastic.

misspiggy19 · 21/12/2019 16:00

I know white, young ladies who don’t think Greta. It isn’t exclusive to a certain gender or age group

HeresMe · 21/12/2019 16:00

To be fair Greta hates old white men.

Ridiculousanx · 21/12/2019 16:01

I think it's that a young girl is being taken seriously for her ideas. They can't handle it. I mean, where will it end - girls and women being listened to willy nilly?

ooooohbetty · 21/12/2019 16:01

I know loads of young people, male and female who can't stand her so it's not just old white males

mencken · 21/12/2019 16:02

I am white although not old nor male. I don't hate her but I seriously dislike the truanting policy. In a world where girls can be shot for going to school she should not have done this nor should she encourage it.

protest on your own time, eh? Taking action can be done anytime and with her influence she needs to push using less (less fun), having less (less fun), driving less and flying less but NOT taking high carbon new yachts. She could have done that trip in comfort on any of hundreds of older sailing boats.

Sleepforever · 21/12/2019 16:03

I find her extremely irritating and precious....

MaJoady · 21/12/2019 16:05

It's not just old white men who disagree with climate change.

A lot of my social circle doesn't particularly like her either (although we wouldn't post derogatory memes or insult her) and we are late 20s - late 30s, various races and political views but all agree on climate change and the need to change. And we have made changes to our lifestyles accordingly. But we dislike the exploitative behaviour of the media towards her and I dislike the way her and her followers just repeatedly tell others to "do something". Extinction Rebellion are the same.

We need a concentred focus on real world solutions, many of them requiring technical advancements. But the details of these is missing and I wish someone with a greater understanding would have the platform Greta has.

Redglitter · 21/12/2019 16:05

I dont actually know anyone who particularly likes her.

DoIhavetobejolly · 21/12/2019 16:06

I think people are uncomfortable to face up to the reality of the sacrifices that fighting climate change is going to take.

Thunberg has become the focal point of that, so she gets a lot of stick.

All that being said, I'm uncomfortable with someone so young being in the spotlight in that way and I do feel she is something of a puppet for other people.

Katinski · 21/12/2019 16:06

She's too young to have any sensible ideas, obv. and far too mouthy for her own goodShock.Jeremy Clarkson is particularly scathing about her. The mind boggles.

Were she my daughter I'd be so proud of herStar

PickwickThePlockingDodo · 21/12/2019 16:06

Oh come on, it's not just old white men is it?
Lots of people can't stand her me included

andyjusthangingaround · 21/12/2019 16:07

Great! Touché Smile

Charlottejbt · 21/12/2019 16:08

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HowlsMovingBungalow · 21/12/2019 16:11

I don't dislike her, just haven't fallen for the postergirl BS.

Original poster
MotherOfDragonite · 21/12/2019 16:11

I'm not at all surprised that people disagree with her, or don't like what she's doing.

It's more the level of vitriol that they post about her and how personal the attacks are. I'm genuinely quite shocked at what gets said and posted. As @MaJoady points out, people in their social circle don't like or agree with her but wouldn't post insults or derogatory memes.

OP posts:
Honeybee85 · 21/12/2019 16:12

I think she’s quite agressive in her communication style and maybe people from previous generations are not used to a young woman speaking up like that.

Or maybe older white men are less afraid of judgement then the rest of us and say what many people probably think but are afraid to say because after all, the most important is the message she’s delivering to us and not about Greta as a person

Honeybee85 · 21/12/2019 16:13

Btw I dont agree with nasty stuff being said about her but it should be Ok to say you don’t like her.

MissLadyM · 21/12/2019 16:13

I'm not an old white man and I can't fucking stand her...or Malala for that matter.

IHaveBrilloHair · 21/12/2019 16:13

My 18yr old white daughter isn't a fan, and neither am I

SimonJT · 21/12/2019 16:16

I like her ‘idea’, but her entire crew flew when she went to the states so they could bring the boat back.

If someone is going to preach something they should at least follow their own sermon.

Polkadotties · 21/12/2019 16:16

30 year old white female here, I also can’t stand her. She is petulant!

Andysbestadventure · 21/12/2019 16:17

Does it really matter if anyone is a fan or not? She's trying to do something most of us should have been doing for past 20 years at least. Anyone that had an issue with that is clearly a bit of a cunt to be honest.

Old white men are the ultimate in thinking women should be seen and not heard and that they shouldn't have to answer to anyone younger than them.

WhereverIMayRoam · 21/12/2019 16:18

Yes, there’s a difference between finding her a bit irritating or whatever and the vitriol spewing from so many (often old white men). It’s not exclusive to Greta Thunberg it’s just that she’s so high profile right now so you see a lot of it.

IMO lots of men, even those who aren’t overtly misogynistic and would claim they’re all for equality, become actually quite angry about women who don’t fit into a stereotype. They can cope with strong women as long as they fit the strong and sexy stereotype because they can imagine shagging them. They can cope with intelligent women as long as those women also display traditionally “feminine” traits or demonstrate their intelligence in a way that also considers the ego of the male.

What they can’t deal with is a young, confident, ordinary looking young women who speaks bluntly and doesn’t spend time flattering their egos. That results in anger and resentment and the need to put her in her place with belittling and derogatory comments.