So, us rotten lot....

[scarredpierced]

How many of us actually meet Shona's little sidekicks criteria?
She states that all of us on Mumsnet are in our 30s, living in London and have a degree. How many people here meet that criteria?
How many are popping prozac depressed at the shit life we now have with kids?
Damn that woman is nasty!

47 and from the NW. I don't have a degree and I'm not on anti-depressants (although I do have a vit B &D habit). I don't like biscuits, so I've never eaten a Hobnob, but I do own a couple of Boden blouses, purchased in the sale. Nothing on here has ever made me feel suicidal, in fact I've witnessed immense support for those going through hard times. I have had support from other adopters, great holiday recommendations, advice on what to wear for posh 'dos', plus lots of belly laughs.

Am I allowed to stay?

I fairness, using her appearance to bully her is pretty vile. If one of you lot was sat on a bus and someone came up and said, hey wonky eyes, you're ugly, there would be an outcry. Ok so she isn't very nice but, sometimes you lot can be pretty vile as well.

21, East Midlands, no children yet, not recently had any ADs, and my wardrobe is full of new look rather than boden as in our town it's a lot easier to navigate the cheap and cheerful shops. Oh and I can only afford the Morrisons-own version of hobknobs, but can confirm they are equally nice. But I'd prefer a bourbon.

45, stupidly large amount of degrees/qualifications, originally from London, but have spent most of my life in the third world the North of England and France. Currently in the grim North. No antidepressants, a nice packet of fags and a gin and tonic will do me fine...

Though not at the moment, currently pregnant with 2nd DC, mother to one 14 year old and stepmother to three others...in three reconstructed families...

Wardrobe more likely to be full of Raven and Cyberdog than Boden as am a bit of a goth... (stick that in your stereotypes...). More likely to buy a corset than a designer handbag...

Shop at Aldi because I'm poor. Sod the Hobnobs, their Belgian Choc Truffles are to die for!

What is this 'iron' of which you speak? Possess a Bodum but prefer a nice cup of tea... Very reluctant domestic goddess.(Will react to gin and bribery)

Going through a lot of difficult life-events in the last few years. Have found Mumsnet amazingly supportive, with good advice, great chat, love, support and genuine caring. Have never been remotely tempted to suicide, but to creativity and companionship.

That woman really knows how to attempt to pigeonhole people....

Not in my 30s

Don't live in London

Not on ADs

Don't eat biscuits

Do have a degree

theodorakisses - I think saying "you lot" is a bit of a generalisation and an unfair criticism.

Lots of people have posted on this thread.

Most have said nothing directly about the journalist but have described themselves in order to illustrate how wrong she is in her preconceptions.

Some have criticised her journalistic skills - justified I would suggest, given the evidence here - but I can't properly comment as I haven't read the original article.

A very few have criticised her appearance. Those people should be called on it, because you're right, it's not acceptable. But you can't say you lot 'co it's not true.

I for one don't have a clue what the woman looks like and wouldn't dream of commenting on it even if I did know.

If she thinks all Mumsnetters look the same and dress in a certain Bodenesque way, isn't attacking us a hate crime according to the recent legislation?

have to say the kind of mother that mumsnet conjures up for me is more mid to late fifties and lower middle class, definitely not 30 yr old yummy mummies lol

mid to late 40s not fifties sorry.

....and I did go and find the original article on the Daily Mail website before commenting.... where I found a whole list of vitriolic and unjustified anti-Mumsnet articles, twenty or thirty, all classifying Mumsnetters as comfortable, middle class, moaners....surely rather more like Daily Mail readers than actual Mumsnetters?

www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?sel=site&searchPhrase=mumsnet

mumsnet is only a internet forum, I don't know why people get so wound up about it. The Mail doesn't really hate you, they couldn't care less, they are a business and those stories sell newspapers. It doesn't really matter. I quite like MN but I can't say I really give a shit if someone insults it, it's a bunch of plastic and electricity, not a human for god's sake. If someone insults my dog then I may think they are a twat and avoid them. if some random multimillion dollar business adopts a stance to make more money, who actually gives a shit? The only thing I would say is that if the journalists are lurking or inciting situations then it isn't fair, people generally post in good faith (but not always good humour)

But to add, there are certain people on here that, if individually attacked, i would defend to the ends of the earth. (remember the Hully campaign?)

That was the idea Badmissm - that mners would go and take a look at the article on DM site - they want their hits to increase and that is one way of doing so by writing a negative article about a website forum then the member will go and look at said article - especially if it is a very large internet forum

Mid 50s, born in London but live in South West (UK not London), never worn anything by Boden in my life. No pills, no Hobnobs.

Adult DS so I don't slap my child in Boots & as he's over 6' I dare Shona to try

I'm the epitome of Mumsnetters apparently, late thirties, middle class, living in Oxford with two children. No pills, no child slapping but a lot of jolly encouragement and diplomatic refusal of Jehovahs and neighbour watch folk.

34
Wales
Degree
Boden? Good God, no- charity shops and ebay.
Prozac? Yes. But not because of a shit life with kids. It's because I have an illness. And Xenia, I wish it were that simple.

36, live in West Yorkshire, I have a Level 3 in Holistic Therapies, and take copious amounts of prozac for reasons unrelated to my lovely dd.

I have no family / friends support, mumsnet has been my lifeline. I've received (and hopefully given) fantastic support on the mental health board, dysfunctional families / Stately Homes threads, I've wet through my tena lady ultra laughing at pictures of Terry Wogan's cock, hunted for the poo troll, the shitty pouffe, and many more.

I've receieved Xmas pressies for my dd from complete strangers, and once a mumsnetter posted me a Carmen Electra exercise dvd! I have also helped out where and when I could.

Boden looks like cheap shite. I have tattoos and piercings, I have an odd wardrobe full of Cyberdog and Next stuff... People can get a very skewed impression of mumsnetters (southern, middle class) but I think there is a really, really wide spectrum of people on here.

The one thing we all have in common is that we are witty and sparkling and fabulous.

30's
2 degrees (almost)
Citalopram
Gtr Manchester

50s
No degree but then I did prof quals and got an MBA
Live in London
Work full-time
Never taken prozac

but I do like Boden (some of it) and Per Una (some of it)

Someone needs to put all this informaton into excel and send a pivot chart to Shona.

Holy shit! Ive just read the article.

oh dear. Lazy Journo, the article is contradictory in itself.

But at least DM 'corrected their errors'

watevvva.

32

Norfolk but used to be London

No degree as turned down 6 places including ucl and kings college in order to stay home and look after my gran who was terminally ill with bowel cancer at the same time. I then had dd and never went back to studying.

Boden from eBay does that count ? :)

Have just read Shona's article. She's quite miffed isn't she?

I don't wear Boden, drink tea or eat Hobnobs. Am not a housewife. I don't iron. I don't take ADs.

By the way that dress she is wearing in the photo of her with her daughter sitting on the sofa is rather Bodenesque looking for someone who reckons all the rest of us wear nothing else but Boden.

I do live in London, am in my 30s and have three degrees (two of them postgraduate).