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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

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Original poster

The name “mumsnet”

29 replies

Thanksforthatamazingpost · 01/04/2018 21:05

It’s good, isn’t it?

Like the title of the tv series being “mum”.

It is interesting to see the reactions to the name in the current debate.

OP posts:
TheFootOfMyStairs · 01/04/2018 21:53

I think it's excellent.

Quite apart from this being just about the only safe space on the entire internet where female issues can be aired and discussed in relative safety, it does kind of bring it home to all those activists who like to believe they're women that they all have a mum and all their mums are adult biological females. Also that they'll never be mums themselves - because they're male. (No disrespect to YetAnother of course, who, I believe, understands this.)

newtlover · 01/04/2018 21:56

yes, I think we've flown under the radar for some time with our biscuit obsessions
think some people are a bit startled that - mums - are capable of reasoned arguement

ReluctantCamper · 01/04/2018 21:59

I think it allowed us to fly under the radar for quite a long time. People just didn't take it seriously enough to properly mobilise against it.

It does put some people off though. I have a friend with a great deal of internalised misogyny and she won't have anything to do with it. Convinced it's all nappy valley pushchairs huns.

ReluctantCamper · 01/04/2018 21:59

x post newtlover !

terryleather · 01/04/2018 22:20

I'm not a mum and never wanted to be.
I must admit I never expected to find myself on MN, but when I discovered the FWR boards I knew I'd come to the right place.
Now I'm proud to be part of what feels like one of the only places online where women can freely discuss the current attacks on the rights of women and girls and how we can try to stop them.
Thank fuck for MN.

Krakauer · 01/04/2018 22:22

I love the name. It is so unabashed Grin

TIMoPLOP · 01/04/2018 22:37

I found Mumsnet when I had a miscarriage in 2010 and spent a whole week immersed in Talk. It opened my eyes.

TIMoPLOP · 01/04/2018 22:40

I love the name. It is so unabashed

Yes - I like how it tests people's attitudes by immediately showing up who's a woman-hater and who thinks "mum" means "insipid, brainless irrelevance". It's like the phrase: "What's this? A mothers' meeting?" spoken when encountering two or more women in discussion.

53rdWay · 01/04/2018 23:18

There’s something wonderful about the idea that a radical feminist revival had space to grow because people couldn’t take something called Mumsnet seriously Grin

Terftastic · 01/04/2018 23:33

Yes I love it. There has been a fair amount of criticism over the years I've been here (from, surprise surprise, men's rights activists) over the name "Mum" with the tagline 'by parents for parents' - but I have always loved that we have this female-dominated little corner of the internet.

It's funny, we are so underestimated - just "mums" (ha! not everyone here is a mum, and mums are not stupid just because they're women or mums) - yet have such political clout Grin I remember the response to the party leaders doing web chats here at election time.

The thing that draws me here is that it's a meeting place for absolutely brilliant, eloquent, intelligent, knowledgeable women - so much shared experience among us. For every "penis beaker" thread - there's 3 threads with intelligent debate.

Terftastic · 01/04/2018 23:34
  • And funny women! How could I forget the sense of humour here?
nauticant · 01/04/2018 23:34

It started as a cutesy name which developed far beyond its origins and now carries real power.

As TheFootOfMyStairs points out, we all have a mum.

Sometimes the truth is great. And in this case, undeniable.

IamXXHearMeRoar · 01/04/2018 23:40

the hand that rocks the cradle...

Krakauer · 02/04/2018 01:30

Omg TIMo, I hate people who say that! LOL.

MrsTerryPratchett · 02/04/2018 02:20

I think the Malaysian aircraft going down was when I first realized that I didn't trust or value the Guardian, BBC or Twitter, I trusted you vipers. When StatisticallyChallenged called the referendum before the news outlets and I went to bed because this place is better. When I was an 'ally' unthinkingly and needed you lot to school me...

Intelligent, reasoned, funny and insightful. Mums. And other women.

AngryAttackKittens · 02/04/2018 02:38

I think that for people who're not raging misogynists the name has a psychological impact that they may not even be aware of. Who do you trust most in the whole world, if you had a decent childhood? Your mum. To borrow a turn of phrase from Clive Barker (author of an unexpectedly great children's book), who's the first person in the world who you ever love (you being almost everyone)?

To anyone who's not a misogynist "those mums are evil bigots who want people to die!" just sounds a bit absurd, really.

CisPinkHoodie · 02/04/2018 07:23

Some friends of mine take the piss that I use this forum.
More fool them

DisturblinglyOrangeScrambleEgg · 02/04/2018 07:30

My sisters are NetHuns - they think mumsnet is too rough and sweary!

I must admit, I didn't swear really at all before mumsnet. I still don't swear in person, but anonymously in text I think it's useful to convey depth of feeling!

Original poster
Thanksforthatamazingpost · 02/04/2018 13:15

I got my job (in a male-dominated role) via mumsnet's job board.

I have to take a deep breath before telling the story but I have figured out how to front it out....

OP posts:
Tackytriceratops · 02/04/2018 13:19

There’s something wonderful about the idea that a radical feminist revival had space to grow because people couldn’t take something called Mumsnet seriously 

GrinGrin

splendide · 02/04/2018 13:22

Ha yes! I thought when I saw your thread title I was going to disagree with you. I think the name is great.

AssignedPuuurfectAtBirth · 02/04/2018 13:26

I think that mumsnet is the real misogyny test.

You can tell a hell of a lot about a person by their reaction to a mention of mumsnet.

boatyardblues · 02/04/2018 13:30

It’s magic. Lots of people underestimate us because of it. Fools. Grin

Ereshkigal · 02/04/2018 13:33

You can tell a hell of a lot about a person by their reaction to a mention of mumsnet.

You can.

abitofanangrybird · 02/04/2018 13:35

I think that mumsnet is the real misogyny test. You can tell a hell of a lot about a person by their reaction to a mention of mumsnet.

AssignedPuuurfectAtBirth I think you're absolutely right.

I like that fact that we get to organise ourselves in relative peace while the misogynists are busy scoffing at us.

To quote CisPinkHoodie - "More fool them".