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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to loathe the huge flatscreen TV now sitting in my living room?

223 replies

loupiots · 20/01/2009 19:53

Our old, small, perfectly adequate TV was broken when the two year old threw his Thomas train at it.

This obviously provided dh with the perfect excuse to go out and buy some stupid, enormous flatscreen monstrosity which is now balefully sitting in the living room and pissing me off.

It just looks, there is no other word for it, common. And I just hate it.

When DH is out, I may load the kid up with the rest of his train collection and let him at it....

OP posts:
BonsoirAnna · 21/01/2009 11:16

Military can hardly be classed as "old money"...

Anyway, I don't agree, money gives access to good food and you build up knowledge over the generations and pass it down through the generations, as well as acquiring more knowledge through travel (which also costs money), eating in (proper) restaurants etc.

matildax · 21/01/2009 11:16

x posted willywombat

WilyWombat · 21/01/2009 11:17

"signs of affluence that are favoured by the nouveau riche. People who have had money for longer tend to favour subtler displays of status"

I have not a lot of money now, neither am I old money - I just dont see the need for big things unless they are also useful

I hate 4 x 4 s too - the school run is 50% 4 x 4s...fine if we lived in Kenya or the wilds of Scotland but totally overkill here.

GrinnyPig · 21/01/2009 11:17

LOL at the 'aubergine incident'

I really must go and do some work now or I will be unable to afford to buy any more bling...

Marthasmama · 21/01/2009 11:19

Class is to do with the type of job the main breadwinner in the house does - how on earth does having a big TV alter the class you're in?

GrinnyPig · 21/01/2009 11:20

Anna, my final words for the moment are surely old money types don't build up knowledge about food and pass it down throught the generations - they have staff to do that for them!

chocolatedot · 21/01/2009 11:20

Miltary can't be classed as old money - Do you live in Britain?????

WilyWombat · 21/01/2009 11:21

See now im going to have to put aubergine into search as I obviously missed something

BonsoirAnna · 21/01/2009 11:21

There is a government definition of social class which is defined by the profession of the breadwinner of the household.

There is a long-standing cultural definition of social class which is broadly: lower or working class; lower middle class; middle middle class; upper middle class; aristocracy. To which I suppose we can add underclass.

There are marketing definitions of social class where classes are called "segments". There are 100s of these and they evolve all the time.

BonsoirAnna · 21/01/2009 11:22

The staff don't decide what their employers are going to spend and eat on food - they just execute their decisions...

chocolatedot · 21/01/2009 11:25

Not my experience Anna. Obviously it will be the hostess who for example at a shooting luch will insist on game being served but I've never met a seriously posh woman yet who gives a fig about the details of a meal beyond the expectation that it must be faultlessly executed.

VinegarTits · 21/01/2009 11:26

Intersting BAnna, what class does my profession put me in?

I am a senior business analyst with a degree in computing?

WilyWombat · 21/01/2009 11:26

Without a doubt we all fit into some definition of class but trul intelligent people dont overly care what class they are deemed to be.

One of the Mums at DS school only talks to Mums she deems to be of an equal class and quite frankly is considered a bit of a joke for it.

I wouldnt be surprised if Bonsoir gets the odd bit of "staff" saliva in her food too

BonsoirAnna · 21/01/2009 11:27

Who is talking about shooting lunches? They are seriously bound by tradition and totally old hat. A status symbol of the past

BonsoirAnna · 21/01/2009 11:29

I've no idea, I don't have the foggiest clue about the government definitions. I'm a marketing girl myself - you define yourself by what you consume...

Marthasmama · 21/01/2009 11:30

Vinegartits - IMHO you would be a professional, so firmly in middle class. You need professional qualifications for your job in addition to your degree. Unless of course you have a big telly, then it would appear that you are in fact a manual labourer .

chocolatedot · 21/01/2009 11:30

You raised the subject of "old money". As far as "old money" is concerned in Britain, shooting lunches are alive and well.

As I said, knowing a lot about food and being a good cook is far more a middle class trait in Britain.

VinegarTits · 21/01/2009 11:31

Well i dont define myself as any class, but seeing as i am also a single parent to 2 dc by 2 different fathers and i live in an ex council house, i am sure the MC would boot me out of their class box as soon as look at my chavvy arse

BonsoirAnna · 21/01/2009 11:34

Actually, shooting lunches are what the seriously nouveau riche do in Britain in order to try to belong - think Arab Sheiks and Russian oligarchs...

chocolatedot · 21/01/2009 11:38

Afraid you're misinformed. You're confusing people who pay to go shooting with those who take it in turns to host shooting for friends on their estates. God what a silly discussion.

Marthasmama · 21/01/2009 11:40

Damn right! This really is a stupid discussion! I only got involved as someone said that having a big telly means you're not MC, rubbish!

electra · 21/01/2009 11:41

I hate these televisions as well - really horrid.

VinegarTits · 21/01/2009 11:45

How can you have 'hate' for an inane object?

Waste of energy imho

MillyR · 21/01/2009 11:45

'You define yourself by what you consume' is the most 'common' remark I have ever heard anyone make.

VinegarTits · 21/01/2009 11:47

I consume a lot of alcohol, cheap food and trashy tv

Its liberating to admit to being so common