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?

Lots of people do that! I can't understand why your family are being so mean, people make much worse jokes than that and get away with it. I'm sure most people aren't giving it a second thought

I’d be thinking you were a massive plank too, but I wouldn’t say anything to your face.

Oh Jesus - I have used "TarnishedglitterballTowers" for many years - Im guessing I should be ashamed. But you know what, Im carrying on using it anyway - I already know I am a twat and have no credibility - onwards and upwards and fuckit.

They probably weren’t at first and they probably saw it as a bit of lighthearted fun when op first said it. But they have had to listen to it for years now and it’s worn thin. People will judge and slag off unfortunately.

Personally if someone referred to their house as “Jackson Towers” or whatever or shortened it to “The Towers” day in, day out for years and years it would grate on me too… to the point I’d think they were batshit… but that’s just me.

Baaed on... what?

Because its not just the OP's sister and mum who have commented but when she spoke to her friend, the friend wouldn't give details but said that comments had been made amongst the friendship group/others too.

So quite a few people are giving it a second thought.

I mean, really, we all have little quirks, idiosyncrasies and in jokes but when you get to the point where you're the only person fueling it and others are 🙄, you probably have just take it a bit too far for other people to enjoy it.

And at the point where she can't even say, "Do you want to come over to ours later?" rather than, "Do you want to come over to The Towers later?" It probably has got some people saying, "Argh, she called it The bloody Towers again! Why?? 😩"

I haven’t read the comments which I assume are mostly a shitshow but this is a totally harmless quirk and generous secure people will not bat an eye at it. I hope you haven’t taken the negativity too much to heart, remember a lot of mumsnet posters are the epitome of Small Dick Energy. You do you. Enjoy your life.

If you had limited yourself to use that lighthearted name in the odd xmas card then it people would have not probably given it too much thought.
What is particularly cringeworthy is the casualness and familiarity that you drop the name now in the most trivial conversation like when you say "bring them to the towers". You even went as far as having the shortened version of the name!
I can understand the reaction of your sister and mother as you are intent to take the toe-curlingness as far as possible.

I’m sorry, but to me this sounds like bullying. You very kindly hosted events at your house, and all they can think to do is take the piss out of you behind your back.

It’s unkind and out of order.

I know people on here saying it’s cringe, but these are friends & members of your family who’ve all happily come to the various events you’ve hosted. No one said anything at the time, but they’ve all been taken the piss behind your back. That is bullying.

Probably funny the first time. Maybe funny the second time. Definitely cringey after that.

oh for goodness sake... it's a JOKE! I'm like you and have lots of nicknames for stuff like that.
People need to get a life and get over themselves. It's not cringe it's funny. Take no notice they're mean w@nkers! hugs x

Yes, but MY bollox, so kindly get your own!

But by your metric, on this thread you are moaning about people who are having a laugh...

This thread reminds me of this girl who used to have her eye on my husband when we met. She used to quote from a comedy series.

Met her again ten years later and she was quoting the same damn show! Let go of any last green eyed monster when I realised that she had nothing new to say about herself after a decade.

No jokes are funny if you repeat them endlessly.

I think it’s sweet and funny, not cringe. Don’t let it bother you

Fuck them. They are horrible. They've been talking shit about you behind your back for years. Someone, who actually likes you, would have told you discreetly what people are saying behind your back. I'd stop hosting people that treat you like a wanker.

One of the best pieces of advice I ever got...

When someone tells you someone else has been speaking badly about you, don't ask what was said, ask why that person felt comfortable speaking to them about it in that way.

These people are pricks. Likely they are jealous of your fun spirit. F**k em

Oh god. Yes it’s cringy.

The issue is that while you may find things a joke, other people might not do. You’re entitled to give things silly, lighthearted names if you like…and you do you if that’s what you want. But it can be irritating to other people.
Op asked “Am I a laughing stock?” And I think other posters are trying to let op know that whilst she may think it’s a harmless joke, other people have obviously had enough of it now.
As in op’s case, I do think some people have a lack of self awareness about how they come across to other people with things they say. Personally I’d hate to think I irritated other people in this way and that people would find me ‘cringey’.

Only grey rock the "jokes" themselves.

I'll give an example, say she once pronounced Lemonade, Lee-moohn-Ahh-Day, in a funny voice. It was funny enough and everyone chuckled.

Every time she now offers someone a drink, she'll only pronounce it Lee-moohn-Ahh-Day.

"Would you like a Lee-moohn-Ahh-Day?" Not so bad in itself.

But if you say, "yes, please" or "no, thank you", she'll repeat it and ask "So you do(n't) want a Lee-moohn-Ahh-Day? Because I enjoy a Lee-moohn-Ahh-Day. Basically trying to get you to either laugh at it again, or comment on it again.

What's more frustrating is if you want, say, a cup of tea. Something unrelated. It'll still get shoe-horned in. "Oh, no Lee-moohn-Ahh-Day today?".

To begin with I went along with it, or gave a smile and a "hah". But it's been well over a decade since I left home when the joke started. I just want a lemonade. So now I just will not react and repeat yes, please or no, thank you.

There are dozens of words / phrases that she'll do this to and it does get tiring.

I would be tempted to double down - get a painting done of your house and send it out to everyone as your personalised Christmas card this year. But then I'm Petty AF.

Meh, your sister and your mum were a bit unkind about this.

The towers thing is a bit ‘wanky’ as Mumsnet would say, a bit ‘wanna-be’, in a way that only the British would be snide about. But totally harmless. Less snotty people and other cultures like the Americans would be all over it!
Not something to fall out or get upset about.
Chin up. Stop calling it Jackson Towers now, and they will probably all feel mean, and rightly so!

It sounds like something from a sitcom, and probably funny at first but a bit annoying if it continues.

Get some turrets added onto the picture, just for good measure.

For some reason reading this reminded me of hyacinth bucket. I think it’s when she says ‘bucket residence, the lady of the house speaking’. But as long as it’s done in a jest way she not ‘I’m better than you’ way I don’t think it’s an issue. Not something to get upset over, just everyone’s different

We have people who do this in my family, I love it, if I was you I would just own it even more now really run with it. Like people said personalised stationary etc anyone who finds this cringy or laughing about it seriously needs to stop taking their life so seriously.

how easy is it to get the house officially named that? Honestly own it don’t shy away

Sorry OP, I think if you're going to use a joke name for your house at every opportunity, the original joke/name needs to have come from other people. Coming up with your own nickname and turning it into a plaque and expecting everyone to find it hilarious is a bit...sorry...but it's a bit David Brent.