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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:
PanGalaticGargleBlaster · 21/12/2019 17:41

The OP is correct in stating that most of the vitroil towards her comes from white men of a certain age

And yet on a predominantly female populated website the general consensus seems to be that she is 'very irritating'

HowlsMovingBungalow · 21/12/2019 17:41

A 16 year old child yup. Her parents and the huge companies behind the social media PR stunt should be ashamed.

WorraLiberty · 21/12/2019 17:41

TL;DR -- no, I know lots of people who aren't white and haven't seen them post anything similar.

I'd open your eyes then and look around the internet a bit more.

Prevegen4U · 21/12/2019 17:42

I'm an old white woman and I can't stand her and I'll tell you why;

she's a fucking hypocrite!

JamieVardysHavingAParty · 21/12/2019 17:45

She's young, she's female, she's saying stuff they don't like and she has Asperger's syndrome. That's why.

DisasterHome · 21/12/2019 17:45

I think it says more about your uncle and friends, than about Greta.

Would be great if you could challenge their nastyness, even if to simply highlight how pathetic it is for older white men to make those comments about a child who is trying to do a good thing here...

I think it sounds really horrible and I’m not surprised it has made you question their behaviour and post here. Trust your gut instinct because you are right. They are conducting themselves in a nasty manner whihc is totally unnecessary regardless of whether you like/agree with the girl or not.

Original poster
MotherOfDragonite · 21/12/2019 17:46

@WorraLiberty Can you point me in the direction of similar insults and personal attacks about Greta from people of colour? I'm not getting anything significant when I google.

OP posts:
WorraLiberty · 21/12/2019 17:48

She's young, she's female, she's saying stuff they don't like and she has Asperger's syndrome. That's why.

So she can't possibly be all of those things and a shouty, irritating puppet?

Being young, female and having AS means anyone who finds her as irritating as fuck, has to hold that opinion because of that?

Righto

WorraLiberty · 21/12/2019 17:49

@WorraLiberty Can you point me in the direction of similar insults and personal attacks about Greta from people of colour? I'm not getting anything significant when I google.

The memes you speak of are all over social media. Try looking at the profiles of the millions of people who are sharing them...

saltinesandcoffeecups · 21/12/2019 17:50

I do have to ask a question of the OP and those that agree...are you upset because these ‘old white men’ are disparaging Greta because of her;

A. Message
B. Age
C. Gender
D. Autism
E. All of the above

I’m genuinely curious

theoriginalmadambee · 21/12/2019 17:50

If you attach very aggressively, the response will be aggressive, too.

But OP you have now covered gender, age, colour, what is next fat people?

WheresMyChocolate · 21/12/2019 17:51

From my teaching career I can say that many, many people find persons with ASD traits very irritating. We need to get over this irritation if we are going to be properly inclusive, and actually LISTEN to what’s she saying, not the manner in which she’s saying it.

This 100%

People don't like her because of how she communicates. She's a child with a disability that effects her ability to communicate. I don't think people even realise they're doing it, but they're disliking her because of her disability. All the criticisms, she's sulky, she's irritating, she's aggressive, she's blunt, she's pious, she's petulant are what people with autism hear all the time. And it takes someone who is truly listening to see beyond that to the frightened, vulnerable person they actually are.

As a parent of 2 autistic children and being autistic myself, I think she's phenomenal. The fact that she can travel the world and speak to power at 16 with Aspergers? I'm 48 with Aspergers and haven't left my house for a month because I'm too scared to speak to my neighbours (who are all lovely).

theoriginalmadambee · 21/12/2019 17:51

Attack Confused

SnorkMaiden81 · 21/12/2019 17:51

I'm a white 30 odd yr old woman and I can't abide her either

LakieLady · 21/12/2019 17:52

My racist, sexist, Tory-voting, 4x4 driving, millionaire BIL hates her. I asked him why, and the best he could come up with is that he hates "the way she talks funny".

I told him that I thought she spoke very eloquently, given that English isn't her first language, and that I didn't find her slight Swedish accent in any way bothering. He STFU, and it turns out he didn't realise she wasn't British, the thick twat.

He's only 49 though, so possibly doesn't count as old. DP, soon to be 60, thinks she's great.

kittykatkitty · 21/12/2019 17:52

I personally think she is being exploited by the adults around her.

Also she needs to just use Skype or FaceTime instead of traveling around the world

peaceanddove · 21/12/2019 17:53

I bet her parents are just like the Modern Parents in Viz. Remember them?

HowlsMovingBungalow · 21/12/2019 17:53

It's got nothing to do with her sex and disability.

It is to do with her age and actually having fuck all to say - no one on this thread has actually listed what Greta has put forward - just that she's doing good? In what way? In what way from any other enviromental campaign on climate change?

DurhamDurham · 21/12/2019 17:54

It is possible to be worried about climate change and not particularly warm to Greta, she's a poster girl, she's not coming up with solutions.
When I first watched one of her passionate speeches I admired her but having watched it a few times again I just felt sorry for her, she didn't appear to be coping. I hope she's being looked after well.

JamieVardysHavingAParty · 21/12/2019 17:55

So she can't possibly be all of those thingsanda shouty, irritating puppet?

Being young, female and having AS means anyone who finds her as irritating as fuck, has to hold that opinion because of that?

Righto

How many young female Aspies have you ever known? I don't mean reading about them on MN. The amount of effort a young girl with AS has to go to in order to not be perceived as irritating for just breathing is phenomenal.

cakeisalwaystheanswer · 21/12/2019 17:57

I don't like her, I'm old and miserable but not a man.

I am fed up with climate change conferences being held throughout the world and everyone travelling to whatever destination for a jolly. Video conferencing, skype etc have been around for a very long time and climate change activists should be showing the business world how easy it is to exchange information and viewpoints without leaving their home country. Any kind of travel has a carbon footprint and taking a world tour to attend a couple of conferences with a team has generated a huge one. The whole stunt has been about promoting her and it isn't even an original idea. Another child did something similar to the UN back in 1992 and no-one can remember her name but I have googled it for you SEVERN CULLIS-SUZUKI.

saltinesandcoffeecups · 21/12/2019 18:00

I am fed up with climate change conferences being held throughout the world and everyone travelling to whatever destination for a jolly. Video conferencing, skype etc have been around for a very long time and climate change activists should be showing the business world how easy it is to exchange information and viewpoints without leaving their home country.

But how would we get all of the media coverage if everyone stayed home to talk about how world travel is killing the planet.

LakieLady · 21/12/2019 18:00

*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.*

I think this is true, she's delivering a message that a lot of people don't want to hear. They don't want to make small changes, never mind the big ones that Thunberg is seeking.

I think she's awesome. She's made me stop and think before buying stuff and I no longer go for "disposable" cheap clothes. I buy a lot less stuff, but spend more on each item. And I mend things that I would have previously thrown out, where possible.

If my knee ever gets better I'll start walking to work and back on days when I don't have appointments, and maybe take the train to appointments where feasible.

WorraLiberty · 21/12/2019 18:01

Jamie none of what you said answered my question.

It's like when people dislike Meghan Markle, it has to be because she's mixed race and not because they just don't like her for whatever reasons.

Hingeandbracket · 21/12/2019 18:03

The OP is correct in stating that most of the vitroil towards her comes from white men of a certain age
As judged by what objective measurement, exactly?