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?

I got some serious deja vu there, then I thought maybe Mumsnet had messed up the order of posts. Then I realised that you said that to me yesterday, as well 😆

Anyway OP, I hope you're OK, I'm sure your mum and sister didn't mean to be mean.

Fair point, I'd missed that expact quote.

But, then again,

“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”.

Doesn't make it sound like a light hearted joke that she and all her friends and family enjoyed.

Like I said, though, unless every single one of the OP's friends and family are complete arseholes and she is just a terrible judge of character, there really might just be something in the OP's general attitude, overuse or delivery of the 'joke' that people find irritating.

I can't see any other explanation for it really.

Perhaps it's a reflection of the uptight and intolerant nature of life today? There seems to be a real trend of sticking the boot in over really trivial things these days, and I for one don't subscribe.

I would imagine it’s the overuse of it more than anything. I can see why it would become irritating after a while.

It's a bit of fun, that's all, and you sound like a lovely and generous host.
Double down!

I really don't see why people think this is Amanda from Amandaland/
I think Amanda would be the one saying "cringe" because she's obsessed with being oh-so-cool and thinks it matters.

I think the OP is being her generous, authentic self here, something Amanda is not capable of.

No OP, it's REALLY cringey. I can't even stand 'MN Towers' and that's a purely hypothetical building!

I know someone whose entire style is purely to be different and raise an eyebrow! He’s as straight as they come, a Neuroscientist and wears pearls, t- shirts with silly things on, baggy jeans, ridiculously outlandish earrings and rings - all because he knows it annoys people! 😆 Take a leaf out of his book and double down!!

Lighten up 🙄

Several people on this thread just need to take a seat and admit to themselves that they're really boring.

I actually find it funny. It would bring a smile to my face.

And little bullies.

I like it, it’s obviously ironic but also sweet, I think you should escalate to Palace and fuck the haters

Even as a joke it’s a bit Hyacinth. And to carry on the joke for so long is a bit middle age cringy, yes.

See you’ve made a bit of a deal about it. And your family and friends think it’s a bit lame. Which it is. Take it down and stop using Towers.

It’s very pretentious. What made you start calling it that anyway? Don’t worry though it’s your friends and family, who better to embarrass yourself in front of them? They love you anyway!

Alan Partridge sprung to my mind.. But even so, one cringey joke wouldn't bother me, unless the person in question was a complete arse in other aspects. I certainly wouldn't have a go at someone over it.

Cringe? Yarp. Worth tearing someone down over? Narp.

Style it out OP. Move on to Castle Jackson or Fort Jackson. Or maybe Kingdom of Jackson. The Jackson Empire? I think at this point you should keep going, the complainers sound like dicks tbh

I would definitely do this - show no fear, it says more about them than it does you.
Fuck em.

I saw it as a joke along the lines of taking the piss out of the Hyacinth Bucket types of the world, maybe it went on a bit too long but I agree with the posters who said double down now for extra giggles, just laugh at them taking life OH SO SERIOUSLY 😂

How many years have you been doing this?

I'd actually be mortified, and probably quite annoyed that no one had spoken up before and told you to stop if everyone was taking the piss behind my back.

Take the sign down - send a mass self deprecating message to say it was a joke, but can see how people thought it was a bit wanky and lesson learnt.
Then ask closest friend/sister to please tell you sooner if people are laughing about you behind your back!!

Or upgrade your residence to 'Jackson Palace/Castle', and double barrel your name while you're at it.

No, part of David Brent's twattery is indeed his use of not-funny, self-created nicknames (e.g. The Brent Meister General).

i gave my house a daft name which I liked at the time. Haven’t used it in about 10 years and I cringe if I ever see it on an address. (Bank, etc)
Although I never referred to it by the name to anyone but my partner at the time.

I agree, it's just a bit of laugh ffs, people are so serious these days!

On another note, what does double down mean in this context? This phrase really confuses me. I thought it meant to focus? Explain like I'm a dense 5 year old please 🤣

ETA so you mean your do it even more?

Double down is from betting, so it means increasing your commitment to whatever even more rather than pulling out.