Should Mumsnet have it's own middle class section ?

[hattie43]

Reading some of these threads turning nasty it's really apparent that people have such different lives there will never be common ground . Nor does there need to be but the insults are not nice.

A thread posted by someone asking a question , to some a reasonable question being jumped on by ' the poor ' as tone deaf means legitimate conversation has been drowned out .

Should Mumsnet be divided so
' middle classes 'can discuss things the poor don't relate to and likewise ' the poor ' can discuss their issues without ' tone deaf ' comments from people who aren't financially destitute ?

The other thing I don't get is why jump on a thread you don't like why not just scroll on by and join a discussion you do like . Being a hater is never going to resolve anything .

A degree educated 35 year old single mum on 70k who rents in the south and pays commuting fares full childcare for her young kids (and dad doesn't pay maintenance) doesn't necessarily have more disposable income than someone in the north on minimum wage but who owns home outright (and kids have left home)... Single mum may be middle class because her parents were educated and she has a degree and a professional job but she probably has more money worries than someone in minimum wage if the person on minimum wage has low living costs...

I think she might benefit more from advice from 'poor people' rather than other middle class mums living it up on their DH's income and she shouldn't be excluded because her income is higher!

What is a good salary depends on your circumstances. It's why IFS and Joseph Rowntree always take household size into account when assessing what percentile your income falls under...

Haven't seen the thread, but yes the posters who wade into any thread where there's a whiff of money floating around to say you can't complain because some people are poor are tedious af. So for that reason yes sure.

@Porcupineintherough

Because quinoa is tasteless, joyless and doesn't fill you up

And rice? You could say the same, is that middle class too? And how can something that's basically carbs and protein not fill you up? As for tasteless, its the venue not the occasion.

I've never seen such a passionate defense of quinoa.

😆

Just divide the boards up by income - what could be simpler?

Pretty sure working class has never been defined as someone who needs to work for a living.

If it was, that just leaves the aristos at the top and the rest all W C

@DragonOverTheMoon

I'm not MC. I'm a grown up now, teenage mum who spent a good few years on benefits before going to uni and getting a decent job. I have never got bitter over those who have more than me. I really really don't understand this (seemingly new) attitude of being bitter about others being better off. I hated being broke and living on benefits, I sorted my shit out. If you don't want to be poor I really don't understand why, as an adult, you don't take responsibility for yourself and sort it out (obviously there are exceptions to this rule with disabilities ect) will probs have to name change now.

It's not about being bitter. It's about appreciating that not everyone can " pull themselves up by their bootstraps." HTH.

@CheshireCats

Regarding the thread you mention op. It is tone deaf and privileged in my opinion. Op should not be surprised at the responses she got. But no doubt she is, because seemingly it hadn't even occurred to her how crass her comments were.

See I don't agree with this at all. Just because some of us don't have to stretch a tin of beans to last 3 days doesn't mean a conversation about our over consumption and waste isn't important . It's very relevant that in a cost of living situation people will want to check budgets and see where they can economise but seems like this forum is only for the really destitute and if you have more than £4.30 a week to live you somehow have an irrelevant voice .

Of course this is not a solution but i also find it annoying. Yes, there is a war in Ukraine and electricity and gas has gone up. "This thread is tone death because people can't afford to eat" is not in anyway helpful when talking about next door neighbour drama. Yeah, I can't afford to buy a house either but not being allowed to post online about your problems just because some have it worse? That's just ridiculous.

Easier just to ignore the tone deaf comments. I doubt any of the people that make them never talk about anything else than the major current affairs.

You can be middle class and poor, you can even be upper class and poor. You can be ‘lower’ class and rich (lottery anyone?).

OP said Middle class not poor. It wouldn't work OP people can't help themselves.

I agree though if you don't like a thread title don't read about it if it's triggering. The termination thread was like a war zone recently.

Am just nipping out for popcorn.
This is going to be hilarious

I'm working but I'm not poor either. Where would I go then?

@Waxonwaxoff0

I'm working but I'm not poor either. Where would I go then?

Working CLASS that should say.

Wtf is lower class? Do you mean unemployed, as opposed to working class? Or are you calling working class, lower class? Either way, that's a bit shit

I'd just finished laughing about my own jumper situation when I read that thread. I was a bit chilly and sent DS up to bring me a jumper down. He came down with the one I'm knitting not quite sure how that would keep me warm.

"but seems like this forum is only for the really destitute and if you have more than £4.30 a week to live you somehow have an irrelevant voice .

Oh give over. "Destitute" isn't quite the word for a forum with a well used subsection dedicated to horse ownership. Or one where the Education section is filled with people agonising over which eye-wateringly expensive school to send their children to. Or one where a standard answer to complaints about housework is "get a cleaner".

The MN demographic (the ones who post, at least) is swayed towards the upper middle classes in a way that is hugely disproportionate to the UK as a whole. And there's nothing wrong with that. Posters aren't usually jumped on for being middle class - they are jumped on for being utterly tone deaf about other peoples situations.

One of the things I love about MN is the widely varying opinions and experiences. You can learn a hell of a lot when you hear people outside your own echo chamber. Sometimes when you put your head up above the parapet, you get called, and you might not like it. But maybe you need to, or do think about it. Surely that's worth it?

@Hospedia

I'm not poor and I still thought the thread in question was tone deaf.

me too

Posters aren't usually jumped on for being middle class - they are jumped on for being utterly tone deaf about other peoples situations.

Say it a bit louder for those at the back! (The fact you had to point this out says it all)

How do I get an upgrade? Can I collect pauper points until I've got enough to be admitted to the Next Level? I could get them with my shopping in Iceland, WorldofQuid and so on and maybe get enough to have a cup of tea in Marks cafe? I need promotion.

You’ve immediately ruled yourself out of the middle class section @hattie43 by not knowing there’s no apostrophe in “its” in that context in the thread title.

Soz.

@grotsnags

Also everyone would be fighting over what's actually mc & desperately trying to prove how mc they are.

Much more likely desperately trying to prove how working class and therefore automatically virtuous.

@Piglet89 😂😂😂