"boomer" thread

[Maireas]

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?

@Insommmmnia - good point!
I'm sure my posting history contains other gems indicating a lack of tolerance, or some tenuous link to an -ism. Possibly about my neighbour who owns the bastard cat.

Well, you clearly DO know how to view a poster's history.

The person claiming to have a lockdown baby was lying. If she was telling the truth about the ages of her children. She was also extremely ageist and offensive and has had lots of posts deleted.

On the NCS thread, you'll have seen that my posts were correcting the people who seem to think that their children are being sent to a war zone rather than being given the chance to contribute something positive to society.

I repeat. If you can find any post of mine where I am ageist (or anything else -ist) then post it here.

I repeat. If you can find any post of mine where I am ageist (or anything else -ist) then post it here.

I already have done, twice, if we consider ageism by the standards that you have laid down in this thread (ie. you have called people out for being ageist for merely referring to an individual's age). If we were to consider ageism in it's true form, then I agree that I haven't seen this from you (although as I said I haven't looked).

I noticed this shift when Brexit happened. Older people were blamed for shafting younger ones. Then Covid, where younger people stuck to the rules to protect older more vulnerable people (as I was happy to do by the way!)

Young people are angry and struggling and many are shouting at the wrong group.

You're spot on, @labamba007 - I wish the right people were targeted..

Blue rinses are now cool.

Having a fashionable pale blue hair colour is not having a blue rinse.

I'm disappointed that MNHQ have had no further input into this thread.

I'm not surpised though. Their marketing people will be encouraging them to court the younger demographic who can still be sold designer pushchairs, expensive baby feeding systems and shrek's ear luxury sex toys.

If there are a huge bunch of younger people who hate older people then that is not so much a problem for MNHQ as something to take into account in their pitch to advertisers and to us, the product.

Interesting turn the thread took earlier. Why come onto a thread about ageism in order to tell a random tale about an older man shushing in a cinema? Odd.

I think it's ironic that you have commented on your disappointment in MN to engage further with this thread about stamping out ageism on the site, whilst simultaneously adding to the ageism on this site. Allow me to amend your paragraph to demonstrate my point:

I'm not surpised though. Their marketing people will be encouraging them to court the younger older demographic who can still be sold designer pushchairs skincare, expensive baby feeding systems new cars and shrek's ear luxury sex toys luxury cruises.

It is surprising that this comment hasn't been reported by the other anti-ageist commenters here.

None of the original paragraph you've amended was ageist. And neither were the amendments you've made.

"older demographic"= factual description/neutral language
"old woman in cinema shouted at my kid" = use of "old" unnecessarily to send out the dog whistle

Etc etc. But you know that. You're now just goading.

You seem to have understood that ageism is mentioning someone's age. It isn't. It's mentioning (or alluding to) someone's age as a way to insult them. As has been said many times.

@IClaudine What is even more surprising is that at least two posters at the beginning of the thread weren't perpetuating ageist stereotypes but in the last two days have gone volte-face and are defending it wherever they see it, whilst accusing others erroneously of doing the same.

Are you genuinely unable to distinguish between factual if irritating references to age, sex, race etc in context (aka marketing groups for advertisers) and gratuitous adding one of those characteristics to feed into lazy stereotyped tropes. (aka miserable "old" git in the cinema)?

Or just unable in the same sense you were "unable" to use AS?

Its not difficult. If you wouldn't find it relevant to add in someone's race, religion, sexual orientation, disability etc they why is their age relevant? In each case unless teh descriptor is relevant to the situation the odds are you are propping up a negative stereotype.

It isn't ageist to suggest advertising is aimed at a particular demographic. Young parents need baby stuff, older people are less likely to. Pretty much all the advertising I see on MN is for parents of younger children which is why they don't seem to care about the outrageous ageism. I don't think I've seen any adverts for luxury cars or cruises although I couldn't afford either of those and would scroll on by so maybe I've missed them.

@YetAnotherBeckyMumsnet @MNHQ

Disappointed that you haven't bothered to update us on the guidance on responding to "isms" (this isn't just about age) on threads.

I trust then that next time I challenge robustly on a thread with racism, disablism, sexism and you delete the post I can cite your guidance on this thread to keep the challenges on thread instead of reporting?

Disappointed that HQ either don't know or don't care about the massive issue of poverty in older women due generational sexism and lack of opportunity these women had growing up as "greatest", "boomer" or older gen Xers (especially working class and minority women).

It all very much reinforces the appearance that white middle class younger and younger middle women are all that matters.

I assume boomers and gen x'ers are meant to shuffle our way to Gransnet and break down the site into tightly organised subsets so that we can be targeted appropriately for Tena pads, river cruises and demonic MiL kits.

I find the advertising groups irritating because its so fake. That is endemic in advertising rather than MN specifically but I do roll my eyes at all the perfectly coiffed middle class "Persil families" and their perfect Boden children, knowing that when I spot the token minority woman she will have been picked for being a bit "white looking".

@StopStartStop You don't see the irony of your comment do you

Your opinion is of no consequence to me.

Your view on my opinion is irrelevant. You are displaying completely hypocritical views on ageism. Whether you care to accept this or not doesn't change this fact. You are ageist. Your comment is the proof.

In all honesty I think ageism is so entrenched in our society it has almost become common parlance.

I find it easy to see misogyny,racism,ableism and the other biggies but I trip up on ageism sometimes.

I mean it was right there in the open with Jammy and Sluggs but it's often more subtle.

And so many people seem to have a chip on their shoulder about " what they did for old people " during Covid.

And so many people seem to have a chip on their shoulder about " what they did for old people " during Covid.

As if 'old people' are some weird sectioned off part of society, not just, you know, society.

I just don't understand why so many posters are bending over backwards to suggest that ageism on here either doesn't exist, or that it's somehow OK.

Why?

Would they do the same about racist or sexist or homophobic or ableist posts?

And so many people seem to have a chip on their shoulder about " what they did for old people " during Covid.

The reality at the time as well was that loads of people who were breaking rules were saying that "it's only old and disabled people dying anyway" so I certainly didn't see huge amounts of respect for older people then either.

I was mid 30s at the time and have really bad lung issues, when I would point out to people who said this that I was only of those disabled people they would look uncomfortable but rarely take it back

I've seen quite a few threads where posters have been utterly adamant racism doesn't exist so sadly that is the case.

The reality at the time as well was that loads of people who were breaking rules were saying that "it's only old and disabled people dying anyway" so I certainly didn't see huge amounts of respect for older people then either.

Yes. Totally shocking.

Ageist post on P&C parking thread has been deleted. So there's someone at HQ who doesn't think it's OK.
"Karen" is still there, but hopefully should be gone soon.

Good 👍

Rise up and ride.

I'm 65. I've experienced a lot of ages.