Mumsnet paused a “boomer” thread this morning, and…

[CurlewKate]

…just for a second I thought ageism was being taken seriously. Sadly, no.

Sometimes a person’s age is relevant. Usually it isn’t.

It does happen on threads though, not necessarily this one. Things like ‘AIBU to be annoyed with this old man’ can quickly dissolve into chaos!

So racism, ableism and any other discrimination can't exist on an internet forum? Is that what you're saying. Or is it just ageism that gets a free pass?

Well yes but then often their sex is irrelevant, so is the car or colour of the top or whatever.

So a post like ‘AIBU to be annoyed at this old man at Aldi? He was reversing out in a fiesta and I was in a bigger car and he shouted at me and called me an entitled cunt in front of my two year old DD!’ - there’s all sorts that’s irrelevant there but it doesn’t make it prejudiced. I think that’s my grouch really. Something can be descriptive without being biased in any way.

I think if someone is saying ‘all old people are horrible and smelly’ that is ageist but I don’t see that. I do see posts about old people describing them as such that become chaotic because people think calling them as such is in itself ageist and it’s that I disagree with.

Replace “old” with “black”. Just descriptive surely?

Likewise, replace DD with DC and Aldi with supermarket and man with person.

I do actually agree that describing someone’s race is likely to be rooted in prejudice or at least ignorance (and the two are interconnected) but there does come a point where in order to explain something a certain amount of detail is needed for the story to make sense.

So if I say I was verbally abused by a teenage girl on Friday (I was; I’m a teacher!) am I prejudiced against teenagers, or girls? I’m not intending that aggressively or in an arsey way as it happens - it’s a genuine pondering sort of question. If someone says that a group of women were rude to them or that a group of men were belligerent and overbearing that isn’t assumed to be rooted in prejudice and I don’t honestly think the age descriptions are either.

I agree @CurlewKate. I am by definition a Baby Boomer. My DC are Milleniels and Gen Z respectively. My mum and MIL are the Silent Generation.

I don't see people refer to "Mills", "Zedders"n "Silents" etc, with the same degree of implicit venom

I saw it but didn't bother responding as the OP just seemed to be a goady twat.

And describing someone as old in a post about driving, or grumpiness for example, is calling on internalized stereotypes to get people on your side…

The term itself is not derogatory.
People's usage of it often is.

There's a difference.

And is that what I’d be doing if I posted about my run in with a Year 10? I’m genuinely asking, because that did happen and I did get a load of abuse because of politely asking a fourteen year old to move along!

I don’t think that’s because of inherent prejudice and I don’t believe most posts that dissolve into chaos because they mention someone’s age are either. Nothing wrong with being old, or young. Something very wrong with being rude or ignorant or unhelpful,

I think it's more like calling someone "a snowflake" rather than "a millennial".
I don't think I've ever seen "boomer" used as a description without it being in an unpleasant context.
Nobody says "My boomer neighbour is really helpful" or similar.

It was relevant in this case: it's usually elderly people who count their coins at tills and sometimes I have been dying inside waiting behind the lady who looked for her reading glasses and slowly placed one coin after the other...

I am Gen X and use 'boomer' neutrally. My husband is a late boomer so I will describe him as such if 'social generations' are relevant to the topic.

I think it's comments such as 'OK boomer' that are ageist - it's the ageist equivalent of the misogynistic 'Karen' - instantly dismissing a viewpoint due to someone's demographic.

I've said "my mum is a boomer" irl to indicate what generation she's from, but not on MN because I'm not posting about a problem with my mum!

If they're posting on MN and mentioning the generation it's usually to be ageist, but that doesn't mean the name of the category is ageist in itself.

Like saying "private school kids" itself isn't pejorative when describing kids that go to private school, but is often used in that way to generalise.

Yes I think that is fair.

Me too

People in their 60s? Really? Counting coins?

Ageism is completely tolerated on here. @mnhqnever do anything about it

Go away with the sodding ageism

Ridiculous comparison. You can’t seriously think middle aged people suffer anywhere near the level of issues and discrimination as people with disabilities.

FullMetalCapacity

I've said "my mum is a boomer" irl to indicate what generation she's from, but not on MN because I'm not posting about a problem with my mum!

I appreciate everyone's different but I'd find it odd to have described my mother - or whoever - as a boomer. I'd have said her age or she's in her 60s or 70s.
Nor would I call my daughters millennials or myself GenX - if asked, I'd just give their/my age.

Afaics, "boomer" is nearly always used in a perjorative way and so, as language develops, it's becoming ageist because it's hard to think of circumstances where it's used positively.
(The second paragraph is just general, not intended as part of my reply to FullMentalCapacity.)

Yes, agreed. Why is it called Jones, by the way?

Re Boomer - it's so weird to be lumped in with what is definitely a different older set of people who mostly retired ages ago and bought houses in the 1970s

I think you're right.