Fredericton — Local mother Deborah Monteith, 51, and her daughter Kayla, 21, are offended by each other’s inability to understand what they believe should be causing each of them to take offense on a day-to-day basis.
The Monteith matriarch is decidedly most offended by underpaid workers in the service industry “not doing their jobs” or “shirking their responsibilities.”
The Manatee sat down with both women at Three Sisters’ Café on Regent Street to hear their sides of the story.
“This morning I was in the checkout at Sobeys on Prospect Street, and the young man who was working bagged my chicken right in with a bottle of Windex! In the same bag! Can you imagine?” asked an incensed Deborah. “The gall of that! Maybe he legitimately didn’t know… but I mean, how stupid do you have to be to put poultry in with cleaning products?”
The younger Monteith said she was in line with her mother and witnessed the entire scene. “I just feel like she would not leave this kid alone — she actually asked to speak to the manager,” said Kayla. “I was super embarrassed for everyone involved.”
Kayla, meanwhile, takes offense to almost everything except that which actually goes on in her rather sheltered life. “The things people say online are just so ignorant and appalling,” she explained. “A now-former friend shared an article about censorship in comedy, saying it’s bringing down the entire industry. Like, how insensitive do you have to be to believe comedians should be able to say whatever they want? Well, I’m not laughing. End rant.”
The younger Monteith is a self-described “social justice warrior” and never shies away from an online argument about feminism, vegan awareness, trigger warnings, nudist rights, introversion, sexism, sub/dom culture, the perception of polyamory, safe spaces, cultural appropriation, white privilege, anything political, anything racially charged, what constitutes comedy, rape culture and, of course, “the patriarchy.” Or pretty much anything else, regardless of the very limited knowledge she brings to the pointless arguments about the topics at hand.
“My daughter is always getting offended by what people say or post on the Internet,” said Deborah. “Most of the things that make her angry are things I’ve never even heard of, let alone thought to get all bent out of shape over. She really needs some perspective.”
During the interview, a server approached Deborah and placed a steaming noodle dish and chopsticks on the table.
“Excuse me, but I’ll need a fork — I don’t know how you people can eat with sticks,” said Deborah. “I guess I’m just not cultured enough.”
“Oh my god, Mom! You people?? That’s so racist!” exclaimed Kayla, who has had everything handed to her in life.
Kayla has since created a change.org petition for fellow enlightened individuals to express their distaste at her mother’s distaste. Deborah has yet to learn what change.org is.