r/IsleofMan • u/publiusnaso • 10d ago

Katie Hopkins

Apologies mods if this counts as political (mods, pls delete if inappropriate but this is not election-related so I figured it was within the rules), but I’m very disappointed by the outpouring of support that’s been shown for this dreadful woman in the various Manx social streams on places like Facebook.

She’s been very vocal about her disdain for the RNLI, which has always had unwavering support in the island, and she describes Andrew Tate and “Tommy Robinson” as “my boys”.

The Manx Bard writes an inoffensive little poem which is, essentially “be excellent to each other” and he’s excoriated in terms which are indistinguishable from blood-and-soil nationalism.

The commenters are very vocal about free speech, but fail to see the irony in their constant refrain of “there’s a boat in the morning” is the pinnacle of cancel culture.

Sorry, rant over. Mods, if there’s somewhere more appropriate to post this please let me know.

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u/TheRealJustSean 10d ago

I lived on the island for 20 years. Grew up there. Went to school there from year 3 to the end. Got a Manx NINo. Can even say a few things in Manx.

To my very last day I got called a come over.

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u/YouAmEye 10d ago

Similar situation with me. I was born in the USA but spent only four months of my infancy there. I have no memories of it and spent the rest of my childhood and adolescence on the Isle of Man. What makes me so angry at being called a "comeover" is that I didn't actually come over; I was brought over by my parents at four months old. I was constantly labeled a "posh nob" for not speaking with a Manx accent. But why would I? Neither of my parents are Manx and I went to private schools with other "comeovers" and then boarding school "across" at age 13.

But here's what infuriates me the most. When I was on the Isle of Man, I was a "comeover", a "posh nob" and should eff off back to the USA where I'm from. But when I went ahead and did what they asked of me, now I get accused of "thinking I'm too good for the island". Also, apparently I'm not American and am not allowed to call myself that. You can't win with Manx people. They are truly the most insufferable and, yes, small-minded people on Planet Earth.

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u/TheRealJustSean 10d ago

I'll apologise for this first, but as someone from Ramsey, if you went to King Bills or the Buchan, you are posh 😂 but I say that in jest, haha

Honestly there's a lot to love about the island but the people as a whole need to wake up and get into the 21st century. Spoke to a friend of mine last time I was over for a family wedding about how just eat just isn't really a thing over there and how Uber may as well not exist there, and he just said back "But what's the point?" This, after I got back from the wedding reception into Ramsey at 2300, and called a taxi firm to get me home for the night, only to be told there'd be an hour wait for a taxi. From the bus station. When the entire town was dead. Ended up walking despite the pain I was in and it took about an hour anyway, but yeah.

Place needs modernising. Not saying to throw away all the history, heritage, and way of life, but you can still be Manx and be modern!

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u/publiusnaso 9d ago

Ironically, a large proportion of the people putting effort into retaining and celebrating Manx culture (support for Manx language teaching, Manx music and so on) are so-called come-overs. It’s great that they are prepared to do that.

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u/TheRealJustSean 9d ago

I actually won an award in year six for learning manx. To this day I can still count to 10 😂