Standing with the Sues, the Karens and the Sharons

[TeatimeCloud]

I have noticed one tactic to denigrate middle aged working class or lower middle class women is to refer to names like this when putting them down - a bit like the Sharon and Tracey Essex Girl trope of the 1980s.

May I respectfully suggest to those women with more middle class, upper class and younger sounding names to stop using this as a tactic to bully women from a different social demographic than you.

It was Munroe Bergdorf who said the Sue thing.

Presumably Bergdorf doesn't know Sue Pascoe.

When women (actual or otherwise) use sexist tactics as part of their attacks you can be sure they're fucking desperate.

Does that actually happen on the FWR board?

Or mumsnet as a whole?

Ive not seen it but that doesn't mean it doesn't happen

My name is an actual meme! OK it's a really insulting one but still.

I like my name. Yes, I'm middle aged. Thems the facts.

Does that actually happen on the FWR board?

I don't think that's who the OP meant to aim this at, but that was unclear and could be the inference.

I just did a very quick search for "Sharon" and can't find anything bad, apart from people asking which current names Mumsnetters think may be similarly used as tropes in the future. Perhaps the OP could point us to a few so we can better understand their concerns?

Who are you talking to, OP?

I have noticed quite a bit of classism and ageism in the self identified woman community. But not many of them post here.

I’ve noticed an increasing amount of this online. Never with male names of the same generation, but then men don’t become boring and irrelevant once they’re past 30 I suppose

is this aimed at FWR?

'cos I'm here a lot and haven't seen that

and we've a pretty fucking argumentative bunch so I am 100% sure it would get challenged if it did happen

link?

and we've a pretty fucking argumentative bunch

Oh no we're not!!

I didn't infer from the OP that she was referring to MN, but I could be mistaken as others have inferred this.

I thought she was referring to the recent use of 'Sue' on Twitter with derogatory reference to Mumsnetters in the context of the 'bleeders' issue.

Sharon on mn refers to a particular poster and is usually (that I've seen?) used when someone recognised her posting style - and is confirmed by "Sharon" on the thread. See Sharon, the wasp and the winey wall - I think it's in classics

If that's what you're referring to?

Sue I've seen from MB but nowhere else, and Karen I haven't seen anywhere? (except referring to Karen the rapist??)

I've seen 'becky' a fair bit on the general internet, and a few incel ones I can't think of off the top of my head, but not usually in feminist circles/the fwr board...?

May I respectfully suggest to those women with more middle class, upper class and younger sounding names to stop using this as a tactic to bully women from a different social demographic than you

Then i think this is badly phrased

Its not asking for opinions or confirmation that its not a good thing to do

It sounds like I'm being told not to do something i already dont do

But if ive misunderstood the OP then ive misunderstood

I don’t think OP was referring to FWR/MN. I haven’t seen it here either but it is definitely a thing elsewhere.

I think we need some clarification from the OP

but I do solemnly swear not to denigrate other women on the basis of their names

this is a promise I feel very comfortable about keeping

This sort of thing: www.newstatesman.com/science-tech/internet/2018/01/karen-sharon-becky-and-chad-how-it-feels-when-your-name-becomes-meme

I’ve only seen this used my MB in their recent tweet. I wondered if MB was trying to choose what they perceive to be a mumsy name. Because you know, what would mums know about being women. What womanly things have they ever done?

That tweet totally misses the point of everything apart from misogyny. As Dr Stock replied, feminists want to destroy those gender stereotypes. MB is reinforcing stereotypes left right and centre.

I get loads of these on fb, spread by women, mostly. Like in the link 53rd way posted.
It’s always Maureen though.

Sorry - very badly phrased OP.
It was sparked by a tweet by the person who runs the BGP charity.

I didn’t mean it for FWR.

I just wondered if the person who runs the charity was checking Mumsnet, it would be good if she could refrain from that particular mysoginistic tactic (as PP said - rarely is there a male version - although I could be wrong).

Sorry teatime

I mean, I wasn’t telling FWR posters what to do, rather making a suggestion to those who may look at this board post bleeder-twitter-thing and also thinks it’s hilarious to bully older women using their name - something they did not choose - although now I read it back I realise how confusingly it was written!

Apologies for the confusion

OP - you're not wrong. I've noticed a ton of "Karen" memes of late which are apparently all hilarious. Reckon if you did a "Neveah" meme you'd be called a wicked bigot [tm].

I have two friends called tracy

One has changed her name and ive only ever known her by her new name

The other tried to change her name...but her husband wont let her

It’s a thing. Not on FWR but all over the internet.

It’s used in sexist, ageist and classist insults.

Google ‘Karen meme’ for more.

I suspect it’s inspired by MRA/The Red Pill rhetoric. They love turning women’s (and the men they are jealous of) names into insults.

Thanks for clarification, OP!