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?

People don't have a sense of humour anymore do they? We call our house something along the same lines. It's a joke.

Yeah, faintly amusing at first but making it a thing every time you mention your house is a bit....weird

That’s what i mean about so many strong opinions on this non-issue.

IRL, they wouldn’t bat an eyelid, or give it a second thought. They certainly wouldn’t be taking the piss out of X Towers behind @CovidHeadache’s back.

But, on an anonymous forum, loads of people decide that it’s cringey, and wanky.
Such bullshit.

Yes its cringe & wanky. Why did they let you call it that for so long 😂

It's a bit Hyacinth Bucket (RIP Patricia 😢) but if they don't like it they don't have to accept your invitations and hospitality!

It sounds like you've overdone a fairly unfunny joke to the point of irritation.

I also agree

The “joke” has become tired and old

Honestly, if someone said this to me I wouldn’t even bat an eyelid. People are way too judgemental and think everything is ‘cringe’ nowadays

I always refer to my East or West wing etc when guests come to my semi & I see them upstairs with their luggage. I think formalising it on invitations etc, as others have said, has given Hyacinth Bucket vibes.

I think, like all jokes, it can get old very quickly.

Even in journalism, when they aren't actually trying to be funny, they deliberately look for different words and phrases to avoid saying the same word again and again throughout the article. Suppose they were writing about Beyonce, they would initially use her name, but would then later refer to her as 'the Single Ladies singer', 'the superstar' etc. for a bit of variety.

Dave Gorman had a (as always) wonderful game on one of his shows where the guests were tasked to come up with alternatives for a word. I remember they had one about cheese, where they had 'udder fudge' and 'onion's best pal'!

I think the fact that you do actually live in a house that is taller than average - as opposed to a bungalow - might have blurred the fact that you were deliberately being jokey and it might have come across in a humblebrag kind of way.

I remember on an episode of Tenable, where the question was something like 'Name the ten airports closest to Warwick Castle'. The round may well have been designed deliberately (presumably by a question writer and not by host Warwick Davis himself) as a foil for an initial joke; but Warwick clarified at the start that it was referring to the ancient fortified tourist attraction in the Midlands and not to his own house, which he said was often known as 'Warwick Castle' to his friends. WD is a Hollywood star and must obviously be a very rich person, and thus probably does live in a massive, grand house; so the 'joke' was rather awkward and didn't land very well at all.

I love it! I guess I must be cringe and wanky too...

Ignore the po faced boring twats. They sound like the school bullies desperate for everyone to conform to their own unimaginative little lives.

It shows you have a sense of humour and having a fun joke at your own expense, not taking the piss out of other people, which is what they are doing.

My house exterior is a bright pink and I couldn’t give a fuck what anyone else thinks of it as I love it. 😉

Why are people so bothered? I'd go harder with it now I know it annoyed people 😂

I have a friend who constantly refers to her family as her clan, literally all the time.

Its not "we are off to Tenerife" she will say "the clan is off to Tenerife"

I think that's the problem - people can't tell if you are being a modern day Hyacinth Bucket or joking. 😅

If it was a 1 bedroom flat - most would find it funny and would obviously know you are just messing around.

I'm sorry OP but I find this so hilarious 😂

Awww mate. 😆 You were just having a laugh/being lighthearted, and your own FAMILY has been mocking you. That's a bitter pill to swallow.

However, I do think 'Jackson Towers' is a bit twee and naff! They should really have said that they think this though, and not mocked you behind your back. for ages........ That's mean.

I do know someone who calls their 3 bed terraced 1980s council house that they bought on right to buy, the FUNGALOW. They even have a sign on the door that they had made. The man who lives there thinks he's hilarious and quirky, and posts pics of him and his wife and kids at THE FUNGALOW on Facebook quite often.

He often posts shit 'jokes' and shit memes, including adult ones with womens tits, and bare arses on show, and 18+ stuff on Facebook. (Even though some of his 'friends' on there are under 18, including his children (who are teenagers.) He has been banned from Facebook numerous times, and keeps coming back... He's in his 40s. He is quite workshy, and begs money off his parents and extended family too.

He often posts stuff about his sex life with his wife, including comments about her body/big arse/big boobs that he's obsessed about. Most people think he's grim, and that he's not funny, and that the name THE FUNGALOW is pathetic. Now HE is a laughing stock, but totally unaware of it!

I doubt very much that you are ANYTHING like this man @CovidHeadache so don't worry. Just phase out using the name, and if anyone says anything/asks why, say 'because you lot took the piss you rotten bastards!'

!

I think the people who have issue with this just lack imagination, verbal skills and a sense of humour. It’s just a bit of a joke - it’s not as if you’re insisting that they must refer to your house as “Jackson Towers” or making everyone put it in the address on letters.

I don't see how this could take up any of your head space OP 😂😂😂

Imagine being so miserable in life to make fun of someone joking with a house name.

It’s all a bit pathetic. I think you’re fine Op, head held high. Would love someone to host as much as you!

Imagine you were on the other side of this, it was probably a comment or two about your use of the phrase and everyone laughed once or twice. If your family are generally the type to rip the piss or sneer loved ones, then it isn't a big deal.

You have not been and are not a laughing stock. You may have been the butt of the joke on occasion for your use of the phrase, probably some eye rolls but nothing worth losing sleep over.

No one gets through life without being the butt of the joke momentarily. If people are sneers they will find something to sneer about and quickly move on to the next thing. Don't take yourself too seriously, if you and your immediate family like calling your house that, then continue but you could pare back usage around others and on cards and invites if it bothers you that they are laughing at it.

Good plan. Op, lean in & have a laugh with it. Future invitations have ‘Surname Towers’ avec mercedes, room for a pony & of musical bidet fame.

Yes it's a bit cringe, although I have seen a lot lot worse. Your family sound remarkably unpleasant. I'd suddenly find myself feeling a lot less hospitable in your position.

Get the towers shut for the foreseeable future, see if the want to go back.
I don't understand why they find it laughable or cringe or whatever. My car has a name (savings) and everyone refers to it as savings. Like when is savings MOT due to? Etc.

Your family and friends slagging you off for years would preoccupy me!

I call mine “The Surname Asylum”
It’s a joke. Your sister is boring. Next time (next 200 times) pretend not to get any of her jokes, then dismiss them as “not funny” when she explains them. See how she feels (but I’m petty AF)