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?

Ignore them. My friend calls my house Scotland32 Towers just because it’s bigger than her house. It’s all tongue in cheek. It would only be w*anky if you really did live in a mansion and were boasting. If you live in a normal house then surely everyone knows you are joking?!

We called our house Foocombehall.
Another house Crap palace.

DOUBLE DOWN, OP.
Tell your family they’re right, then upgrade it to CASTLE [SURNAME] 🏰
Tell them the staff will have the flags hung out for their next visit and that you shall all dine on SWAN. Answer the door in a ballgown.

It’s horrible that your sister and Mum could be so mean OP, I’m sorry that your feelings are hurt.

I don’t see anything at all wrong with it, it’s just a joke. If people want to be mean about it that is their problem not yours, just keep on with it and annoy them even more!

Well said.

"Why don't you bring them back to the Towers ..?" As your sister, I'd expect you to say " why not bring them back to OURS". Sorry but that does make you sound so far up yourself! Is your house big? Do you flaunt wealth? At least you know to stop now.

Please don't be afraid to have a personality! It is a joke.

Your sister sounds like a real charmer. Lucky you. I have one of those too! 😂

(and she only has her spiteful sister's word for it that they've all been "slagging" her off for it)

"Slagging" was OP's word, not her sister's.

Also, OP's friend tried to be subtle about the fact that other people find it tiresome too. So it's not just her sister and her mother.

OP, as you seem to have made this "jokey" house name a large part of your character, perhaps people felt awkward about telling you it was wearing thin.

Just keep going the way you are. Ignore them. If you change now, they will assume they have control over you and you don't want that to happen.

Thumb your nose up at them. I cannot see anything wrong at all. I suspect they don't either. If you change through embarrassment they will see they have won over you and will look for something else to make you unhappy.

Such people should never be appeased. They are NEVER satisfied. Give them an inch and they take a mile. Stick to what you do. There is nothing wrong with it, and many other people do the same.

Personally, I find it fine and light-hearted. Nothing cringey about it at all. Is it really all your friends can find to laugh about?

Your mum and sister sound vile.

I remember my mum blowing up at me as my friend and I used to refer to ourselves as Goddesses. This was very much tongue in cheek, I've never been remotely pretty.

She ranted on about how I definitely believed it, and how could I utter such words about myself like that.

There's a similar vibe in some of the responses here. It's just so innocuous

Probably not.

How fabulous for these people that they have no other greater concerns to fill their day.

It's cringy I have to say and it would probably irritate me if my own sister said "Why don't you come back to The Towers" 😬but I would never speak to her like that.

I think your Mum and sister were being very un-kind. Whatever you call your house, whatever others may think of what you call it - it sounds like they still happily accept invitations.

Don't invite your mum or sister to your house for a while since they find your house name so laughable.

Me and hubby call our house 'Road name (without Close) Manor as a joke between us! We also jokingly call it that to close friends occasionally but tbh I think if you're doing it every time it's probably become more serious in the way you say it and very likely cringe worthy!

It is quite difficult to judge. I think the whole thing is ridiculous in that the OP can call her house whatever she likes and it is no-ones business but the postman.

She is being unreasonable to take any notice of her family and their nastiness in the first place, because they have no right to interfere, and if she did take notice, she will have been humiliated by them.

Should they have told her their nasty thoughts sooner? If they did, would they have been less unreasonable that telling her later? It is wrong for them to pass judgement in the first place. It is deliberately intended to hurt her.

Would OP have been less upset if they told her right away? How would she? It is her home and she can call it what she likes.

Genuinely if someone I knew called their house X towers, I wouldn’t give it a second thought, you’re fine x

a) it doesnt matter what anyone ese thinks!

b) it was probably funny the first couple of times and then they grew tired of it. But then refer to a) - it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. If it makes you giggle good for you.

Yes, I'm sure it's all they think about!

Also, everyone is focussing on OP's mother and sister - even her friend has admitted that their other friends have commented on it!

what a crazy name

Your mum and sister have been really mean to have been slagging you off behind your back. That's a really nasty dynamic, and quite cruel the way they choose to humiliate you like that.

Jackson Towers wouldn't really bother me. It would just be a silly joke that I wouldnt pay much heed to.

You may be the emtional punching bag/scapegoat of your family (like me). Your family are mean. They could have said it to you much gentler if it really irked them.

It sounds like a joke that ran dry many years ago and no one had the heart to tell you. A bit like people who wear novelty socks and ties.

They still seem happy to go to all your parties, so it can't be too much of a problem.