To ask how do you know which things are 'tacky/common'?

[TheHydrangeas]

On here I sometimes see certain items, behaviours, homeware, fashion, makeup, etc classed as "tacky" or "common". Sometimes I can understand it, but other times it is things that seem pretty innocuous. Despite this you see this kind of unanimous belief that those things are "common". However I can't really find an underlying pattern to what is deemed to be tacky/common and what is not. Is there any kind of theme or pattern to this? One example is I remember reading a thread where a pretty popular brand of scented candles were classed as tacky.

I also want to say that I am not trying to portray other users negatively as judgemental or anything, we are all entitled to our opinions. I am just interested from a broader point of view - how do certain things become tacky or common?

@Zhampagne

Yes *@PhilSwagielka* - and I think related to this is the near fetishisation of the pastoral and all those decent, ‘noble savage’ illiterate peasants of the Tirol who are happy to supply the girls with an endless source of milk.

See also Evadne, who is dreadfully brash and vulgar but Cannot Help It because she is American.

Yeah, there's a huge contrast between working-class Brits, who all speak with exaggerated phonetic accents and are dirty/stupid/subservient, and superstitious, picturesque Tyrolean peasants with their oniony milk and tiny cottages. EBD had good intentions, bless her, but there was a lot of subconscious classism there.

Perhaps using the word chavy to describe other people and their choices could be considered tacky. I think there might be a quote somewhere like this “ Intelligent people discuss ideas. Unintelligent people discuss other people”. I might be wrong though as I have a crushed velvet sofa and hang my washing whenever I please.

I'll be honest - I'm gutted about Yankee candles

Yes there's definitely tacky/common usually male things:

Topless as soon as sun appears. Probably lobster pink too.
Builder bum jeans.
Spitting
Car with "alterations" like a noisy exhaust, lowered etc.

Not sure they exclusively male but they were the first things that spring to mind.

Everyone talks about other people, though. Even intelligent people do. And what if you're discussing ideas that involve people?

@PhilSwagielka, I would think if you were discussing ideas with people it would not involve the word chavy. Again, I could certainly be wrong as I am too gutted about the Yankee Candle thing..

My point wasn't that men are never, ever considered 'tacky', it was that the vast majority of examples in this thread are about women.

I don't think it's only natural that, because it's mainly women posting on this site, we will all instinctively sneer at other women's choices rather than men's in the first instance. But unfortunately that is the reality of the culture we live in. Women are judged far more than men by society generally, particularly when it comes to their appearance, or the state of their home (cleanliness, decor etc.).

[quote SecretWitch]@PhilSwagielka, I would think if you were discussing ideas with people it would not involve the word chavy. Again, I could certainly be wrong as I am too gutted about the Yankee Candle thing..[/quote]
I'm with you on this. Any discussion which involves calling people derogatory terms like 'chav' is, by definition, not an intelligent one.

I think you'll find men are judged quite as much, just for slightly different things. Far more judgement on a man's worth based on his pay packet. Or the car he drives. Far harder for a man to change class (not that that is considered so desirable nowadays thankfully).

@ReceptacleForTheRespectable I absolutely hate that word and won't use it. It just smacks of snobbery.

(Also, glad to see another Super Furry Animals fan on here!)

I like candles and almost always have at least one from Jo Malone, Dyptique, Aveda, White Company, Molton Brown and Yankee Candle. I find the more 'tacky' people I know are the sort to only have Jo Malone because they are scared that anything else will make them 'common'.

I've learned the hard way it's much more cost effective to have a Yankee candle burning for 5 hours each night that in it is to have Jo Malone burning for the same time.

Great minds discuss ideas
Average minds discuss events
Small minds discuss people
Attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt

Far harder for a man to change class (not that that is considered so desirable nowadays thankfully).

I'm interested in this - why do you think it is harder, and why do you think it's considered less desirable to change class?

I'm not sure I agree, but interested to know your thinking. I would say that upward social mobility (e.g. the ability of someone born into a WC background to go to uni and have a 'professional', traditionally MC career) has generally been seen as a good thing rather than a negative.

@Thisfucker..thank you! I knew I was misquoting someone very badly.

Yes - I do love the Super Furries!

Oh no. You have a crushed velvet sofa... how crushed are we talking? @SecretWitch

I confess I hate eating in the street. I feel common when I do it. Except if it's a Cornish pasty. That's ok to eat standing up. Anything else though is ghastly.

yep only a pasty allowed 😄

Me too scent. City only really Ice cream walking along. Very rarely.
Seaside - pasty Yes but not walking along. Ice cream.
Walks in country - always sit to eat whatever I have brought with me. Other than apples.
Tbf I think mostly if I ate as I walked along I would be worried about spillages and hiccups.

@Knittingnanny

Just remembered another of my bonkers mother’s favourite “ common” thing Dogs are common, common people have dogs You are not common if you have a cat I can remember one of my sons gazing in astonishment at her when this gem was uttered.

What happens if you have a dog AND a cat, do they cancel each other out?

Ha! Don’t think she thought that would ever happen because a non common person wouldn’t ever consider having a dog!

I'll be honest - I'm gutted about Yankee candles

If you like them just keep buying them. I couldn't give a shit what people think. People make me laugh, we aren't on this earth that long so do what makes you happy. I'm a nice person and if I want to scent my house (not to discard any smells) I will do so.

It does make me laugh how a person I know thinks they are very classy has many of the things classed as tacky/common. They would be horrified reading this. Not me.

First time I heard about the not eating while walking along, I was convinced the person who made the comment had an eating disorder and I remained convinced for quite a few years - till I heard the same nonsense spouted on MN.
My parents never made any comments like this, about what was common and tacky and I just can't imagine they'd ever utter such words. They did over focus on religion though - so we all have our obsessions.😂

If you think Yankee Candles are bad...I've bought air freshener candles from my local pound shop. Horrors.

I like things that smell nice. I don't care how posh or not they are.