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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Why do people think it’s cool?

599 replies

Emz1212 · 14/08/2024 20:15

To pretend they don’t know who trashy celebs are?

I think the whole MM news has highlighted it. But I notice it all the time on social media media when there is something about say the Kardashians and you get a comment saying “who?”

Now to be clear I don’t follow this type of celebrity and I have never watched a single episode of the Kardashians in my life - but I find it impossible that anybody under 60 doesn’t know who they are.

why do people do this?

OP posts:
DancelikeFredAstaire · 15/08/2024 09:42

I have no interest in "reality" shows so why would I know (or care), about people who "star" in them. The Kardashians are just a name to me, I have no idea who they are or what they do, nor do I care. I couldn't tell you the names of any influencers and only know the names of about 5 footballers as I have absolutely 0 interest in football (haven't watched a game in the whole 25 years since I divorced my football mad ExH).

SilverDoe · 15/08/2024 09:44

I also don't have social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram. Used to have Facebook, never had Instagram or any of the other ones.

It's not everyone's preference to see this stuff. I have my own online areas that I frequent and scroll through just the same as everyone, but it's more niche.

LoobyDoop2 · 15/08/2024 09:58

I’m well under 60. Know who the Kardashians are, but I’ve never watched any of their stuff and find tit bizarre that they’re style icons rather than figures of fun. Never heard of Molly Mae, but I just assume anyone with that kind of name is something to do with Love Island or reality tv.

One of the best things about being middle aged is that you can laugh at the idea that not knowing this stuff is any kind of reflection on your value as a person.

BlueSmurfPantMan · 15/08/2024 10:04

OP, for goodness sake don't go onto any of the (numerous) threads about "Things I have only just realised" - or words to that effect.

The faux, wide-eyed "wait, whaaaat??!!" comments about very basic general knowledge will make your head explode.

Edingril · 15/08/2024 10:04

But why is it assumed everyone knows of or about the same people?

Op you must realise there are people who genuinely have no idea who some people when certain celebrities are mentioned?

And who says it is cool either way? Or is one of those things people assume?

Humans are no all the same

Pocketfullofdogtreats · 15/08/2024 10:06

Who is this Donald Trump? Was he on Big Brother?
Oh wait - he IS Big Brother!

Ignore me. I'm just enjoying myself.

gardenmusic · 15/08/2024 10:06

I do not know who any of the modern celebs are, or footballers.
I could pick out Victoria Beckham, maybe, in context?
I am officially 'cool'.

Justrolledmyeyesoutloud · 15/08/2024 10:07

Don't think l am cool but had never heard of her and only know him cos of his dad. I did laugh a bit when they said on tv itn
is as scandalous as when Charles and Diana split up!! Really?!

RaininSummer · 15/08/2024 10:07

I think people who post 'who' probably don't know who the article is about but it's more a way of saying 'why the hell is the pointless non-entity being pumped up all over the news for a non story.' These people who are on the TV usually in a puerile programme and then feted as Celebs when they are being nobodies are very irritating.

DinnaeFashYersel · 15/08/2024 10:08

I honestly really don't don't who most of these people are.

Whilst yes I have heard for the Kardashians in the last few days I have had to google Molly Mae and Tyson Fury as I didn't have a clue who they are.

After RTFT I have also now had to google Lionel Messi as well. Footballer it turns out. Who knew? Not me.

TinkerTiger · 15/08/2024 10:08

Because smugness is a currency on Mumsnet that gets you seen as one of ‘them’.

It’s the same as those who post the insufferable ‘am I the ONLY one who doesn’t get…’ threads.

It’s not that they don’t know that different people like different things, it’s that they want everyone else to know that they’re not one of ‘those’ types.

Exhausting and cringe.

nanodyne · 15/08/2024 10:21

I find it weird when people feel the need to comment "who?" online, as if they couldn't just Google it - that feels a bit smug.

In person though, I rarely know who anyone is because I don't really watch films or TV and have a fairly niche taste in music - it's a bit of a running joke in my family - so I'd be a bit upset if you thought I was being pretentious!

xsquared · 15/08/2024 10:44

What makes you think people are pretending not to know who the trashy celebs are @Emz1212, and what makes you think it's impossible to have not heard of them?

If they don't know who they are, then there is really nothing to it other than because they either don't pay attention to or simply not exposed to that sort of news. Dh and I are 45, we have heard of the Kardashians, but dh wouldn't be able to tell who which one was which, or what they are famous for other than for being famous.

It's nothing to do with appearing cool.

SerafinasGoose · 15/08/2024 10:46

It's quite obvious why so many nonplussed people are asking who these nonentities are and why they should care. Mainstream media outlets have been citing their dull doings as major news stories yesterday - or was it the day before?

Gossip is uninteresting (and usually spiteful) at the best of times. It's not what some people would classify as news. If they want the lowdown on people's boring relationships they can pick up one of the plentiful gossip rags around.

The 'who?' protestations are making this point pretty transparently, I'd have thought. The OP is making a passive aggressive and disingenuous 'point'. Everyone knows what these people mean.

xsquared · 15/08/2024 10:48

The "Who?" comments however, especially on the Strictly thread, are really annoying and I agree with pp that they can just be googled!

I only know Toyah and Sam Quek from the line up. Others I've probably seen on Celebrity Pointless or some other celebrity version of another quiz show, but I'm looking forward to getting to know them on Strictly soon.

Edingril · 15/08/2024 10:51

SerafinasGoose · 15/08/2024 10:46

It's quite obvious why so many nonplussed people are asking who these nonentities are and why they should care. Mainstream media outlets have been citing their dull doings as major news stories yesterday - or was it the day before?

Gossip is uninteresting (and usually spiteful) at the best of times. It's not what some people would classify as news. If they want the lowdown on people's boring relationships they can pick up one of the plentiful gossip rags around.

The 'who?' protestations are making this point pretty transparently, I'd have thought. The OP is making a passive aggressive and disingenuous 'point'. Everyone knows what these people mean.

Well if someone said 'omg Jane Doe got married' and I was on here and not on google I would say 'who?' Because I am too lazy to go to google and check then come back and find the thread so I would ask on the thread where the name is mentioned

It always amuses me these back stories people come up about what others do when they have no idea what they are talking about

SerafinasGoose · 15/08/2024 10:53

RaininSummer · 15/08/2024 10:07

I think people who post 'who' probably don't know who the article is about but it's more a way of saying 'why the hell is the pointless non-entity being pumped up all over the news for a non story.' These people who are on the TV usually in a puerile programme and then feted as Celebs when they are being nobodies are very irritating.

Exactly this.

Popular culture is a very broad church and this 'reality' and talent show thing is only a tiny, narrow complement of this. If anything it's those who do follow this area of interest who are in the likely minority. I'd imagine far, far more people haven't heard of these contestants, or the programme they came from, than have.

ValsCupcakes · 15/08/2024 11:10

For fun I just clicked on the Daily Mail Online and the first thing that came up is "Influencer is forced to deny Tommy Fury is her baby's father". Lissie Olivia Rhodes influences me so much that I genuinely have never ever heard of her. Apparently she has a partner called Barry and a son called Shakur. Still none the wiser. I'm not sure who she "influences". She influences me to not read about her, that's for sure.

queenofthebongo · 15/08/2024 11:28

AgileGreenSeal · 14/08/2024 20:23

Never heard of either of them.
Honestly.

Show quote history

Nor me. I am under 60. I am also not cool....

selfesteemfan · 15/08/2024 11:36

My brother used to pretend not to know who Britney Spears was back at the height of her fame. I just used to laugh at him.

They're trying to elevate themselves above what they see as frivolous nonsense but aren't smart enough to know they look daft in doing so.

selfesteemfan · 15/08/2024 11:37

Saying that I did think you meant Meghan Markle so...Grin

sweatervest · 15/08/2024 11:39

if there's a thread about someone i haven't heard of, i'd google. i agree that some people use it as a snobby thing to show that they don't watch reality tv or know celebrity stuff. so what? i am neck deep in all things kardashian. also towie and selling sunset new seasons HOOOORAY

i never knew the song /sunflower/ by post malone until recently. and it's had over 2 billion hits on youtube and i am absolutely in love with it. which has no relevance to anything but there's lots of massively popular things that i've never heard of but that's how google got to be a verb

ladydeedy · 15/08/2024 11:43

A lot of people genuinely dont read such trash. I went to the cinema with a friend and we watched a film that had Harry Styles in it. I didnt know who he was. I dont watch reality TV, dont watch the news, dont buy magazines, and get my news through a subscription to a couple of newspapers.
It's not actually that unusual behaviour. Honestly.

And people who've said you can just google - I have no desire at all to waste my time in finding out who these people are as I simply dont care. Same with royalty news. It is of no interest to me and my life whatsoever!!!

Thepeopleversuswork · 15/08/2024 11:46

This is definitely a phenomenon on MN: people pile onto a thread about a D list celebrity to tell people they haven’t heard of them. Which begs the question “why bother to comment?”

But I think OP missed the mark a bit assuming this person was enough of a household name that it didn’t have to be spelled out. In fact it sounds like almost no one has heard of Mollie Mae (I hadn’t either).

These social media “explosions” ain’t what they used to be!

EilonwyWithRedGoldHair · 15/08/2024 12:11

I'd never heard of Molly Mae before yesterday. I have heard of the Kardashians but I don't really know what they're famous for.

I'm not trying to be cool - I've never tried to be cool in my life, I'm a complete nerd 😅