Am I a laughing stock?

[CovidHeadache]

I jokingly call my house “surname towers” so for example if my surname was Jackson, my house would be called Jackson Towers. I’ve called it this for years, it’s very very lighthearted as I’m sure everyone knows. We host a lot of social events and I use the name in invites for example “birthday party, Jackson towers”, “Strictly finale party, Jackson towers” etc
In Christmas/birthday cards “love from A, L and all at Jackson towers”

All my friends and family know I call the house this and some call it this name too either in replies or just in general.

Anyway, last night I’d popped to my mums and my sister was there, we were talking about taking the kids to a Halloween event tonight and I said “why don’t you bring them back to the towers afterward and we can have a little party?”

My sister then said “I’m sorry but can we stop with this towers bullshit, it’s so cringy”. I said “It’s a joke! And you’ve never complained before!” My mum then said “not to your face maybe”. They both started laughing and my sister then said “no I’m sorry, someone needs to say something, people have been ripping the piss out of you for years for it, just give it a rest now”.

so to cut a long story short, turns out almost my entire family have been slagging me off for it for years and my sister hinted that my friends have too.

When I got home I rang my friend and asked her if the towers name annoys her and she said “no course not” so I asked if she knew if it annoyed anyone else to which she hesitated and then said “not annoy as such”. She wouldn’t elaborate further.

Now I’m pretty thick skinned and can mostly laugh it off if I’ve been a dick but this time I’m a bit upset, I keep trying to tell myself I’m not bothered but I can’t stop thinking about it. Have I been a laughing stock for years? If so AIBU to think someone might have mentioned it before now?

Basically, if your house is nicer than most of your family/friends, then yes, it’s its a bit self aggrandising and wanky.

If your house is the same as everyone elses/smaller, it’s a funny joke.

Either way, don’t worry. Your sister and mum don’t sound like terribly nice people.

For somebody who 'can't be arsed' with a thread, you're certainly engaging with it very actively.

Totally agree with this. If you were a friend of mine I would just go along with the joke after all this time and refer/think of your house as The Towers.

I'd feel like this and inwardly roll my eyes. It's a bit "Bucket woman".

If people are offended and they're called Ian, they're probably culpable,

Chat CBT has learned me.

I think it's quite funny and your family/friends sound like an unpleasant bunch, to be honest. Things like this are just 'quirks' that people have. It's lovely really.

Thing is you have to decide now - do you stop using it (and cave in to their bullying) or do you 'own it' and show them the funny side of it?

It is the kind of thing my family would do for a joke. But a joke as a one off is funny - what you are doing went well beyond joke territory and became what you wanted you house referred to.

It is very cringy, not surprised people were commenting/wishing you'd stop it.

YABU to expect them to tell you, the messenger (your sister in this case who broke when it has got out of control) is always the one that gets shot!

Yeah fine the first few times but gets a bit cringy. Sorry OP!

we were talking about taking the kids to a Halloween event tonight and I said “why don’t you bring them back to the towers afterward and we can have a little party?”

It’s silly, but there was no need for them to be mean about it when you were inviting them over. Invitation rescinded, I think.

Well, yeah.

As are you.

Bored, maybe?

I am.

I don't have such an item in my home, but feel free to send me links to some I can look at for a laugh, given that you're such an expert. And then give your "fat fingers" a rest - along with your pea-sized brain.

Wait, do all these people do their fair share of hosting??

Sounds a really petty and irrelevant thing for people to make comments on - sounds like they don't have much going on in their lives OP if that's all they have to gossip about.

Its like The Sherminator off American Pie.
Yes @Cucy I totally forgot about that guy 😀thanks for reminding me. Made me laugh

I'm not quite sure what's going on with you @Bunnycute23 🤔
You are randomly attacking posters and telling them to get jobs.... Why??
Maybe go have a lie down for yourself.

They shouldn't have been rude but I find it extremely rare for any joke that goes on more than a few times to be funny after while

I think it would be fine as an occasional throw away comment, but writing it in cards, invitations etc is second hand embarrassment territory.

In conversation with your family why wouldn't you just say 'come back to ours'? I think I can understand why it might be becoming tedious!

Yeah kind of cringey.
like when posters here refer to members of their family as (mini)username or (Mr)username

Honestly, this probably depends on your personality. I know people who would do this kind of thing whilst thinking it’s utterly hilarious and endearing without realising other people think it’s a bit cringe.

Maybe it has worn a bit thin if it’s been overused/overdone for a while now? That said, they probably didn’t need to be so mean in the way they told you this.

Also, a "laughing stock" is some creepy guy who leaves his family for a younger woman, who then divorces him for all his money.

Or a twat boss who tries to lord it over everyone, only to be subsequently fired for being inept.

NOT someone who makes a joke that other people don't get because they're po-faced x

And I think you might have waaay overestimated the importance of MN! 😅

Also the only time I think I would use it is in a light-hearted message eg Omg! Pandemonium at Jackson Towers! Not in cards or invites. Anyway, it's made you think.

Mr PracticalPixie is mortally offended by that! 😂 (my pet peeve is when posters say "I've asked my husband and he agrees with me", as if that definitively proves their point 🙄).

Anyway, I think it depends on context. If you already give "I'm a bit posh" vibes, this must come across as very wanky.

I knew a girl who dated a local semi-pro footballer and she used to talk about her bf's teammates partners as "the WAGs". "I'm going out with the WAGs tonight". I just admit people did laugh at her behind her back which was not very nice. But she did give off slightly superior vibes which I think it why people made fun of her instead of taking it as a self-deprecating joke

It's clearly a joke. Some people have no sense of humour! Daft names and silliness make the world a better place. I'd probably double down now I know it annoys them, but that just me 🤣