Niche North West AIBU

[dancingqueen345]

This is probably quite niche for those of us in the North West.. but this has been playing on my mind.

I am a Manc, partner is a scouser. I feel like I’ve had my eyes opened generally to some of the really unfair stereotypes that get levelled at scousers and admittedly I’m a bit over protective of my partner and maybe a little sensitive to any comments etc.

Last week I was at a wedding on my partner’s side, and at dinner my MIL was telling the table (all scouse apart from me) about a recent holiday she’d been on and there was really annoying Manc there and blah blah, I can’t even remember the story, but the crux seemed to be that he was a ‘typical Manx’ who was clearly annoying them.

I feel a bit meh, like if that situation were reversed I’d be absolutely mortified if my family did that and would have totally shut it down.

Am I being too precious about this?!

I’d chalk it up that anyone annoying on holiday would in the telling of the tale become ‘that flipping Scouser/Brummie/posh twat’ and their behaviour would (obv unfairly) be ‘typical’ of people from whatever town.

I think the fact they’re having that convo in front of you shows you’ve been accepted, congrats!

I guess I am just stirring a bit here but...I do sometimes think that Mancs and Scousers (esp but not only men) play up to their geographic origins and relish loudly debating their perceived specialness which can be a bit boring. It's as if they think coming from Manchester or Liverpool is somehow especially cool.

TBF it used to be Yorkshiremen but that seems to have died down a bit more recently!

As a Londoner who has now lived in Manchester for 23 years - YANBU. I have to put up with people moaning about Londoners and Mancunians and it drives me mad.

As a fellow Mancunian
Liverpool and Manchester have very different vibes and cultures
Despite being relativly close.

I grew up in the NW, OP - but long ago in the 70s. I want to state at this point that I treat everyone I meet without prejudice, despite being aware of the stereotypes.

But the stereotypes I know of are that Scousers are chirpy - cheerful, cheeky, witty, friendly - and Mancs are chippy - miserable, resentful, sarcastic etc.

I have to admit that the scousers I know do fit this cliche, and when I've been to Liverpool the people I've met have been friendly and cheerful - they seem to take people as they find them and treat everyone the same.

My sister worked in Manchester for some years and didn't enjoy it. We don't have the local accent and she was just constantly pigeon-holed as 'posh' - but not in a nice way. It wasn't a friendly environment - and my sister IS a friendly, outgoing person. After trying for ages to give her colleagues the benefit of the doubt she just gave in and decided they were all small-minded gits. She'd worked in London and this seemed to loom large in their imagination - lots of anti-London comments and just very resentful of people different to themselves.

I'm only saying this to tell you what one of the stereotypes is - and that unfortunately in some cases stereotypes have a basis in fact. Other people's experience might be totally different.

And I repeat: despite the above when I meet people from Manc/Liverpool - anywhere - I don't assume they'll conform to this cliche and I treat them as individuals.

I think that LIverpool definitely had 'a moment' in the 60s and that specialness/glamour hung about for a long time.

And Manchester had a moment in the
90s
With the music scene and the Hacienda etc.

Yes - definitely. And Oasis are very loyal to their home town.