Why are all the derogatory comments about old grannies never Grandads?

I wonder why this thread has been resurrected?

It's bringing back memories though🤔

Even awkward men get called old women and it is up to us (old women! ) to stamp it out .

I was a ‘nana’ at 48. On holiday in France my then future DIL called me a trouper because I was playing with grandsons, they were in dingy and I was pulling them around, after when they had finished playing I got dingy out of water and carried it back to where we were sitting, I was probably in my early 60’s then. Being a nana you do stuff you wouldn’t normally do whilst you are able. I am now almost 75, have reverse right shoulder replacement and two hip replacements, I now also need a new knee so can’t always do everything I want to. I am not worried about what I am called at my age, I am old in body but my mind is still active, and the old saying sticks and stones. Who cares?!

All through the Pandemic there were constant references to "keeping granny safe" and dire warnings that if we didn't religiously adhere to the raft of precautions (the same precautions ignored by Boris & Co) we could be responsible for causing granny's demise, ie: "don't kill granny." It got as blunt as that, and yet there wasn't much, if any, mention of grandad.
Were elderly family patriarchs magically Covid Proof?

I've sometimes wondered about the comments "little old ladies reaching for the smelling salts" and "clutching their pearls".

Come off it: it's rare, I imagine, for any woman over 60 to be soooo delicate and shockable......

Just today a kind young man advertised on my local Facebook page to jet wash for free driveways etc for (unfortunately) any “old dears” retired etc etc.
I responded saying that term might not be appreciated. We may be old, but not necessarily dear.
Other comments on the thread in response to mine include “I call them coffin dodgers””Better than being called an old biddy” “Well that’s what they are aren’t they?” and “They can call me what they like if it’s for free” Laughs all round…

BlueBelle you are spot on, we all choose what to be offended by. What is offensive to one person is not necessarily offensive to someone else.

Just listen Bluebelle, you hear it all the time, in conversation and in the media, 'only suitable for grans', 'somewhere safe to take your gran' ,'even your gran will be able to get here.' Always in a dismissive or perjorative context

Sorry Monica no I ve never noticed it in a put down way perhaps I m concentrating on other things, perhaps I m totally naive, perhaps I don’t have time and energy to look ‘into’ everything said to find a deeper meaning so no I ve never taken offence at these things and won’t bother to start now
I was shocked when I heard some young lads say ‘look at granny on her bike’ and realised they meant me but it was true. I m proudly happy I can still ride a bike and I m damned sure if an old gent had cycled by they have called out ‘look at grandad on his bike’ I could smart and take offence or I could smile and wave and guess which is best all round

We all chose what to be offended by

Dickens

biglouis

Since I am not and will never be a "granny" all this stuff is water off a ducks bath to me. I agree with GSM - I dont need anyone to advocate for me. My own Liverpool wit and self belief enables me to do that more than adequately for myself.

I wasn't aware anyone was advocating anything at all on behalf of those that don't care one way or the other, rather that posters were just giving their personal opinions on why they are irritated, and why this kind of 'granny-grouping' exists along with all the other stereotyping beloved of the media?

No one's advocating, "silencing", or telling others what they should/can or can't say. It's just an interesting debate on attitudes towards older women and the way they are sometimes represented in the media.

I'm sure most of us can speak up for ourselves - and sometimes do - or just shrug it off if it doesn't seem worth the bother... but there's no harm in debating the matter.

Agreed.

I thought this was just interesting debate, between people who don't ever hear the comments (me), those who care, those who don't, and those who don't even have to be grandparents yet or ever.

Differences!

biglouis so if anyone addresses you dismissively as a gran you will be quite happy with it.

biglouis

Since I am not and will never be a "granny" all this stuff is water off a ducks bath to me. I agree with GSM - I dont need anyone to advocate for me. My own Liverpool wit and self belief enables me to do that more than adequately for myself.

I wasn't aware anyone was advocating anything at all on behalf of those that don't care one way or the other, rather that posters were just giving their personal opinions on why they are irritated, and why this kind of 'granny-grouping' exists along with all the other stereotyping beloved of the media?

No one's advocating, "silencing", or telling others what they should/can or can't say. It's just an interesting debate on attitudes towards older women and the way they are sometimes represented in the media.

I'm sure most of us can speak up for ourselves - and sometimes do - or just shrug it off if it doesn't seem worth the bother... but there's no harm in debating the matter.

So smug in your duck bath biglouis

Since I am not and will never be a "granny" all this stuff is water off a ducks bath to me. I agree with GSM - I dont need anyone to advocate for me. My own Liverpool wit and self belief enables me to do that more than adequately for myself.

M0nica

Why do we need a generic term.

Headline in a newspaper this week. 'English gran found dead, man sought.' The man was her partner and was a grandfather. No mention of his grandparents status was mentioned

I rest my case.

"Boris Johnson, a blond father-of-three*, is to face a public Inquiry"...

* plus

Why do we need a generic term.

Headline in a newspaper this week. 'English gran found dead, man sought.' The man was her partner and was a grandfather. No mention of his grandparents status was mentioned

I rest my case.

sodapop

Gwyllt

With folks objecting to gran being used as a generic term. Has anyone any alternative suggestion. I can think of far worse generalisations. How do you fancy old biddy. Think I’d rather stick yo gran

Surely we are just older people Gwyllt

That was my point, too sodapop.

Interestingly, politicians and other high-profile figures are not usually referred to in this way - they're usually identified by their role in society - by what they do, which is more relevant than their status as grannies or grandads within their families.

Think it's often used as a term of endearment.
Interestingly in the heading of this thread granny does not have a capital letter but Grandad does.
Also is it not Granddad and Grandma and Granny and Grandpa?
Yes am being pedantic .
It's a fine line between caring for older people and being patronising.
And sometimes we get it wrong.
I think we need to continue to challenge people's ideas but in the nicest possible way.

M0nica

I hope I am posting an image - without comment

LOL!

I love the lady with the red hair holding a tea-plate with what looks like a slice of cake or something - her expression is priceless!

I hope I am posting an image - without comment

Gwyllt

With folks objecting to gran being used as a generic term. Has anyone any alternative suggestion. I can think of far worse generalisations. How do you fancy old biddy. Think I’d rather stick yo gran

Surely we are just older people Gwyllt

The faulty meter (which was a reconditioned non smart meter) was installed a few months ago to replace the faulty smart meter! Today we got a spanking new, non smart meter!! Yipee.

You couldn't make it up!

... so, not only a faulty gas meter, but a faulty smart meter?

Do you know what - I think you are entitled to some compensation, not least for the time and trouble your DH has gone to compiling those spreadsheets. How many people would be able to do that?

You are on their 'vulnerable customer' list - I hope there's a big ring round your name saying words to the effect... "don't mess with this one".

I'm not sure what the benefits are of being on that list of "vulnerable" people. As far as I can tell, the main 'benefit' is being warned in advance by text message of any power outages - something I've always managed to find out y Googling the website. Vulnerable people need practical help - especially if it's an electricity outage and they have medical equipment reliant on it. Which I had at one time.

Growing old is not for sissies - did Bette Davis really say that? Anyway, life is difficult for anyone who isn't physically and mentally fit, and if you don't have family or friends around...

My mother refused to be called granny because she thought it made her sound old. She had to be called grandma. I always thought grandma sounded very elderly and dated so I was always granny.

My neighbour heard it, because my meter is on the outside wall of my house and she was moving my bin back.

This part is slightly amusing.
My neighbour is also the granny the granddaughter I was looking after. (My son married the girl next door.)
She rang the bell and I thought she had had come to visit our poorly granddaughter.
I invited her in and she said no, you need to come now! To complicate matters, DH had hidden the key to the gas box and she had to run and get hers, so that I could investigate.
I then left her with our DGD, while I did battle.

To complicate matters, we are in dispute with Scottish Gas over a faulty smart meter, which indicated we had used more gas in three months, than in the last ten years.
The Ombusman is now involved, because they have been taking £700 out of our bank account over the last two months.
Scottish Gas have now realised we are not a pushover due to teh fact that DH has compiled reams of comparison spreadsheets of our usage over umpteen years and they finallyhave admitted the meter is faulty, but they keep palming us off. Today was the last straw.

What if one was not as savvy as us?

With folks objecting to gran being used as a generic term. Has anyone any alternative suggestion. I can think of far worse generalisations. How do you fancy old biddy. Think I’d rather stick yo gran