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?

Isn't the whole point of something like this that it is cringe inducing? That you don't take yourself and your place in the world entirely seriously.

Hyacinth Bucket springs to mind!

Is it the legal name for the house and what is used on all utilities/council bills etc? Or just you made it up? 😕

Comedy is all about timing and I think by calling it that ALL the time and putting it on cards, invites etc, you've totally blown the timing. - especially when it's morphed into being called "the towers". As someone above says, it's become very Hyacinth Bucket.

Have a party. In the invite say "It has come to my attention that naming my house Jackson Towers has not been seen as very funny to some of you. So, I am holding one final Retirement Party for Jackson Towers and you are all cordially invited, RSVP".

You should probably have some doilies. And a fairy over the loo roll in the bathroom . Lots of candles. I am sure Mumsnetters will be able to offer some more Hyacinth Bucket aspects to the party.

Then don't have another party for at least a year. Then the joke's on them - ungrateful, hatchet-faced bastards. They can do all the hard work.

This reminds me of the time that a couple I knew bought a square foot of land on a remote Scottish island which apparently gave them the right to be titled Lord and Lady Jones of (whichever island it was). I thought they were taking the piss when they referred to themselves as such but they were deadly serious; they had it inscribed on a plaque for their house and everything.

It was like in the early days of the internet, when people got conned into buying a square foot of the moon for a certificate someone had done on their home printer.

Please don’t do this, it is so cringe. Just stop using it op.

Reminds me of Hyacinth Bouquet ! Do you answer the phone Towers residence lady of the house speaking 🤣

You certainly can call your house whatever you want. As in the op’s case.

However, be prepared to irritate people and get the piss taken out of you behind your back… and at some point someone eventually telling you to your face. People might think it’s fun but not everyone gets the joke, especially after years and years of being told the same joke over and over again

“why don’t you bring them back to the towers afterward and we can have a little party?”

That is wanky. It's suggesting that your house is more special than theirs or anyone else's and trying to make it sound more important than it actually is.

At least you know now, and can stop 😂

Makes me think of Hyacinth Bucket!

Yes, this. It's because you use it as the default name for your house. Even to the extent of using it on invitations etc. Shortening it to "the Towers" makes it even worse. If you used it now and then (maybe in an exaggerated posh voice or something) it wouldn't be too bad. But you've very much fallen into the wanky trap I'm afraid OP.

I occasionally refer to Twatty Towers in conversation, but it's never occurred to me to put it in writing.

Did you buy it yourself or was it a gift?

Sorry OP, quite cringy, you’ve taken a joke too far and people think you’re being serious.

Someone in our road had named their house "Disuldous". Now, that did make me cringe. But then, I was a teenager, so everything made me cringe. 😅

It does sound stupid. Now you know, so can stop doing it.

Roll with it OP - the only proper response to their nonsense it to raise your game.

Elevate Towers to Castle, Palace, Chateau etc - mixing it up will keep everyone on their toes.

"Chateau Jackson" for Xmas
"Jackson House" for SCD finals
"Palace of Jackson" for NY party

keep going.

We call ours Surname Manor, it was a present from a friend when we lived in a much more modest house. If anyone finds it cringy then so be, we are laughing at ourselves.

I think it's funny and I would completely love it if my friend did that. I might start doing it myself, I know my mates would love that.

Its bound to sting when you find out something you've seen as a little running joke has been getting on people's tits.

I doubt they've been maliciously ripping you to bits for years.

Some people do refer to their home by its name rather than "home" I think because they think its posh and makes them sound like they have an estate. Like they will say Come for lunch at X rather than come for lunch at mine. It is a bit affected.

In your case though I'd assume it was a joke as its your own name rather than the actual name of your house. So I dont know why anyone would care a hoot and you shouldn't either. Call your house what you want!

You rang up your friend out of the blue and put her on the spot and asked if you irritated her?

Poor woman

And did you expect to get any answer aside from “er no”?

I'd assume you thought you were the bee's knees and had looked down on others. I'm sure that wasn't your intention but that's how it may come across - it would to me. Sorry.

Jackson Fucking Towers - only in the invitations to your sis.

Absolutely this👆People are so bloody uptight these day 😳