Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Site stuff

Join our Innovation Panel to try new features early and help make Mumsnet better.

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

"boomer" thread

1000 replies

Maireas · 28/08/2023 20:29

You've hidden this evening's offensive, ageist thread, stereotyping "boomers". Will this be deleted? Can we have a robust response to ageism on MN?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
10
TheLongGloriesOfTheWinterMoon · 30/08/2023 13:17

feellikeanalien · 30/08/2023 13:15

A very perceptive post Itsadilemma.

No.
It was fucking NOT written to pit generation against generation. It was written to protest that MN allow that to happen by allowing ageism.

traytablestowed · 30/08/2023 13:20

TheLongGloriesOfTheWinterMoon · 30/08/2023 12:02

Oh, the ageist threads aren't deleted. They're not even hidden in plain sight.

Try the swimming pool one from Saturday. The OP of that one thinks older men shouldn't swim when there are young children in the pool as they are paedophiles. She also is very offensively vocal on the elderly being allowed to own homes.

Try the winter fuel allowance ones

Try the "why should I wear a mask to save old people" ones

Try any Style and Beauty thread mentioning Fat Face.

Try any thread mentioning "neighbour", "woman in cafe" or "woman on train" in the title.

Even if it's not the OP (though it usually is) the ageism will be all over the thread.

And again, we could all begin a sentence with "statistically".

Statistically, as a university graduate who didn't pay to go, who owns a mortgage free house, I should vote Conservative. I don't.

Statistically, everyone born in the "boomer" years is better off than others. Except you can't quite have "statistically" and "everyone" in the same sentence.

I've never had a thread about my father on MN. It's an anecdote. But unlike many on here, I do recognise that anecdote rarely equals data. (My cousin rents out a house. He now refuses to rent to families as a family of 5 never once paid the full month's rent and threw a brick through his window with a note attached: "we'll go quietly if you stop trying to get the rent off us". Do I think all families of 5 are like that? Nope. Because actually, they aren't. Again, anecdote)

I'm pleased you agree that cheap, offensive and insulting language used towards older people is wrong though. I think ultimately we are on the same side.

But I'm not going to sit back and let the common or garden Mumsnetter abuse an entire generation. HQ have said I don't have to. They won't stop the abuse for us, but have given us permission to do it ourselves.

I've tried searching the terms you mentioned, I've not seen anything that hasn't been deleted - that's not to say I don't believe you but I'm only on my phone and don't come on MN very often so am probably searching wrong. If you're interested in ageism against young people you could try searching "entitled". Also woke, snowflake, and anything to do with subsidised childcare usually brings out a few nasty commenters. Like I said, I don't think a few bad apples should be allowed to derail the right to debate, just wanting to illustrate that it is not one-sided.

You're right that "statistically everyone" is an oxymoron, and I didn't say that. I don't think all of the "boomer" generation are loaded either. As it happens, my own personal circumstances neatly reflect that - my parents are very well-off, they retired early, second home owners, net worth probably >£2M. My in laws have nothing, literally nothing. They still have to work to afford their rent, no savings, no private pensions. So I am not under an illusion that everyone old is sitting in their castle downing champagne whilst they count their riches.

greenhydrangea · 30/08/2023 13:26

"Woke" and "snowflake" are criticisms - quite different than suggesting, as during the first year of the pandemic particularly, that old people should just die, as they've "had their time"; or as is now deemed acceptable on MN, apparently, that they should stop "hogging" their houses, where they live, as if only to annoy, and move into cardboard boxes or fairy homes at the end of the garden perhaps.

feellikeanalien · 30/08/2023 13:27

Lisbeth50 · 30/08/2023 10:25

*Yes, I know. I wasn't a student then, but I was one of the protestors. I was also arrested in Blackpool in 1986 (claim to fame) for protesting against the Thatcher govt.

It's quite possible to benefit from something someone did (my free university) and be against other things.*

Absolutely. In fact, from what I recall, there were constant protests throughout the 80s against the government despite most of those protesters probably being of the baby boomer generation. You don't see protests so much now.

Yes. I was at uni in the early 80s and remember going up to London on a march about cutting grants.

Jamtartforme · 30/08/2023 13:30

This is hilarious.

So a citizen has a sacrificial duty when it comes to protecting others (overwhelmingly the elderly, total coincidence of course) when it comes to pandemics, but when it comes to public finances, this sacrificial duty towards needier people doesn’t exist because ‘why should pensioners give up their concessions to help those much less well off’.

Everything you’ve relied on has either been a statistical anomaly (like the idea we locked down to save children when the average - not upper end, average - age of a covid death was 83), or something your generation did to primarily benefit themselves at the time which we should apparently be grateful for now.

Implying the younger generations only have themselves to blame because they’re not politically active enough is hilarious. ‘If you can’t stop me from voting to put you in poverty, then you’re to blame’. It’s voting DARVO at its finest. Voters aged 18-24 had the highest turnout for 25 years at the 2017 election, and was higher again in 2019. The voter turnout for under 24s now is the same as it was in the 70s when today’s Boomers were around that age themselves.

As for activism, over a million people marched against Brexit. The poll tax riots attracted a measly 200,000 by comparison. The fact you got more done with a fifth of the turnout is testament to how much harder we have to push or work to get anything done these days in the face of a tidal wave of Conservative voters. Making out younger people are lazy and apathetic just doesn’t stack up, and is yet another avacado toast myth. At worst they’re no less active than you were as late teens and 20 somethings.

As for covid, as I said previously the average age of a death was 83. Making out we didn’t lock down to protect the elderly but instead did it to protect children is laughable. The simple fact is that the younger generations have been hammered again, because the tories wanted to protect their voting base alive and keep themselves in power. I and millions of other younger workers could’ve happily continued our lives, instead we wasted months of our existence under house arrest watching the country fall into further expensive ruin to save the lives of people who happily vote to make our lives intolerable. I had a covid baby who barely saw her wider family for her first year and bar one solitary walk a day, we didn’t go anywhere or do anything for months. Most of the new mums I know had galloping PND because they were effectively imprisoned with their newborns for months on end.

‘I didn’t see anyone turn down the furlough money’ - do you not understand the difference between money claimed because somebody has been legally prevented from going out and earning their own, and a few hundred quid given to a group of people of whom a fifth are millionaires? If not, you’re doing such a good job of living up to the unflattering stereotypes I don’t really need to labour the point.

sunglassesonthetable · 30/08/2023 13:36

As for covid, as I said previously the average age of a death was 83. Making out we didn’t lock down to protect the elderly but instead did it to protect children is laughable.

Err who said that?

aking out younger people are lazy and apathetic just doesn’t stack up, and is yet another avacado toast myth. At worst they’re no less active than you were as late teens and 20 somethings.

Err who said that?

So a citizen has a sacrificial duty when it comes to protecting others (overwhelmingly the elderly, total coincidence of course)

But I think you're living up to a TON of stereotypes.

Not coincidence. Elderly are vulnerable and elderly UK population obvs .

feellikeanalien · 30/08/2023 13:38

TheLongGloriesOfTheWinterMoon · 30/08/2023 13:17

No.
It was fucking NOT written to pit generation against generation. It was written to protest that MN allow that to happen by allowing ageism.

Sorry I misunderstood. I don't at all think that this was the purpose of this particular thread. I was agreeing with the view that there is a definite attempt to divide and rule. I totally support the premise of this thread and am very disappointed at Mumnset's response to it.

BIWI · 30/08/2023 13:38

Thank you @TheLongGloriesOfTheWinterMoon and @sunglassesonthetable Grin

sunglassesonthetable · 30/08/2023 13:42

@Jamtartforme

You literally sound so bitter.

You'd think no one here had like, families outside their own age group.
Like don't mix in communities. Or have young people in their lives.

And a few google's about activism in the 80s don't cut it.

Your comment about " the coincidental benefits " of lockdown exposed you for what you think about older people generally.

Did the hospital where you had your baby have Covid?
Or even manage to protect you and your baby from that?

IClaudine · 30/08/2023 13:43

Happy Birthday from me too, BIWI. May you live long and prosper and annoy the ageists.

sunglassesonthetable · 30/08/2023 13:44

@Jamtartforme

In fairness younger people are rubbish at voting.

sunglassesonthetable · 30/08/2023 13:46

Making out younger people are lazy and apathetic just doesn’t stack up, and is yet another avacado toast myth.

Totally agree

Just like the Boomer one.

@Jamtartforme

Jamtartforme · 30/08/2023 13:47

sunglassesonthetable · 30/08/2023 13:42

@Jamtartforme

You literally sound so bitter.

You'd think no one here had like, families outside their own age group.
Like don't mix in communities. Or have young people in their lives.

And a few google's about activism in the 80s don't cut it.

Your comment about " the coincidental benefits " of lockdown exposed you for what you think about older people generally.

Did the hospital where you had your baby have Covid?
Or even manage to protect you and your baby from that?

‘You are so bitter’ the refrain of those who have no comeback!

sunglassesonthetable · 30/08/2023 13:47

Why are you happy to trade in one stereotype but not the other?

sunglassesonthetable · 30/08/2023 13:48

You are so bitter’ the refrain of those who have no comeback!

Oh I've posted lots of comeback.

CaptainMyCaptain · 30/08/2023 13:48

As for covid, as I said previously the average age of a death was 83. Making out we didn’t lock down to protect the elderly but instead did it to protect children is laughable

Or does that prove that younger, vulnerable people were protected and didn't die but, unfortunately, many older, even more vulnerable people did? Many of those would have died in care homes that were abandoned to their fate and not protected at all.

Jamtartforme · 30/08/2023 13:48

sunglassesonthetable · 30/08/2023 13:36

As for covid, as I said previously the average age of a death was 83. Making out we didn’t lock down to protect the elderly but instead did it to protect children is laughable.

Err who said that?

aking out younger people are lazy and apathetic just doesn’t stack up, and is yet another avacado toast myth. At worst they’re no less active than you were as late teens and 20 somethings.

Err who said that?

So a citizen has a sacrificial duty when it comes to protecting others (overwhelmingly the elderly, total coincidence of course)

But I think you're living up to a TON of stereotypes.

Not coincidence. Elderly are vulnerable and elderly UK population obvs .

And ahhhh more gaslighting. ‘If everything I said to make a point looked like I was making one, then YOU read it the wrong way!’

IClaudine · 30/08/2023 13:49

Jamtartforme what would have happened if we hadn't locked down or taken some sort of mitigating action and tens of thousands of older and vulnerable people had become ill enough to need hospital care, all at the same time?

sunglassesonthetable · 30/08/2023 13:49

And ahhhh more gaslighting. ‘If everything I said to make a point looked like I was making one, then YOU read it the wrong way!’*

Gaslighting- The refrain of a poster who doesn't like comeback.

Jamtartforme · 30/08/2023 13:50

CaptainMyCaptain · 30/08/2023 13:48

As for covid, as I said previously the average age of a death was 83. Making out we didn’t lock down to protect the elderly but instead did it to protect children is laughable

Or does that prove that younger, vulnerable people were protected and didn't die but, unfortunately, many older, even more vulnerable people did? Many of those would have died in care homes that were abandoned to their fate and not protected at all.

Straws and clutching, did any country out there see a higher proportion of covid deaths among younger people than old? There in is the answer.

sunglassesonthetable · 30/08/2023 13:51

And ahhhh more gaslighting. ‘If everything I said to make a point looked like I was making one, then YOU read it the wrong way!’*

Gaslighting- The refrain of a poster who doesn't like comeback.

CaptainMyCaptain · 30/08/2023 13:54

Jamtartforme · 30/08/2023 13:50

Straws and clutching, did any country out there see a higher proportion of covid deaths among younger people than old? There in is the answer.

Because the younger, vulnerable people were protected.

Jamtartforme · 30/08/2023 13:59

sunglassesonthetable · 30/08/2023 13:49

And ahhhh more gaslighting. ‘If everything I said to make a point looked like I was making one, then YOU read it the wrong way!’*

Gaslighting- The refrain of a poster who doesn't like comeback.

No, the comeback of somebody tired of you ‘making points’ then trying to say you didn’t when they’re exposed as ridiculous.

My work here is done. I am going to repost this absolute blinder by @WarOnTheSlugs for anyone who may have missed it.

I think the difference is that unlike many here, I will happily take justified criticism. I will hold my hands up and say sorry: I made a mistake. Because we are all human and we make mistakes, it's inherent in the human condition. I'm not a perfect person or a perfect parent and I don't do everything right and if I've messed something up either in terms of not doing what I should to contribute to wider society or within my own family, I will accept that and am apologetic about it and try to learn from it. What is very interesting is how defensive the majority of the posts here are, the complete unwillingless to accept even well established economic facts, the deflection, whataboutery, almost fury at any critical comments about a cohort they belong to even though it's been reiterated many times that of course there will be huge variation within it. Even recent posts dismissing facts and data and calling me an "AI bot" for stating them and asserting that "lived experience" (i.e. anecdotes) are superior.

Many posts are very blinkered, arrogant, selectively engaging only on what they wish to discuss and ignoring the rest; unfortunately very reminiscent of attempting any type of rational discussion with my parents, so ironically the thread has mostly seemed to provide yet more evidence to bear out the so-called "stereotypes" in terms of the generational attitudes that research has described.

sunglassesonthetable · 30/08/2023 14:02

No, the comeback of somebody tired of you ‘making points’ then trying to say you didn’t when they’re exposed as ridiculous.

Yep. Cos it's not you who says anything
ridiculous. 😆

Course not, just gaslighting, angry, self satisfied, covid coincidentally benefiting older people.💥

Did you get Covid when you had your lockdown baby?

sunglassesonthetable · 30/08/2023 14:02

@Jamtartforme

Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.

This thread is not accepting new messages.
Swipe left for the next trending thread