@possiblylinux127 Some eldery people like to stay and watch the world go by, then gossip around about what happens in every single detail. If you live there, they also like to ask questions about every thing they notice, to the point it just gets super annoying (e.g. Who is that person you brought here last night? Where do they live? Where are they working? Etc.).
Also see the other comments for examples.
humbletightband@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 months ago
Dumb meme that tells that babushkas know everything in the neighborhood.
It’s dumb because eastern europe is turning into a totalitarian shithole much faster than the UK and the US
Barbarian@sh.itjust.works 4 months ago
It’s actually a bit deeper than that, at least from my Romanian perspective. Our old ladies were literally hired by our security services to monitor and report ön everything going on in their neighbourhoods. They were essentially human CCTVs, facial recognition and behavioural pattern matchers all rolled into one while being paid pennies.
humbletightband@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 months ago
You joking, right?
Barbarian@sh.itjust.works 4 months ago
Deadly serious. By the end of communism, they had over a million informants. You had to make the assumption that everyone you talked to and every old lady on a park bench was an informant.
Funny story, I know someone who was recruited to inform on her colleagues at work, but after the third time in a row she told them everything is wonderful, everyone is happy and productive, she was promptly fired (as an informant, not from the factory).
halvar@lemm.ee 4 months ago
Doesn’t mean it’s all turning into a surveillance state like western countries, which this meme is about. Totalitarian shithole yeah, CCTVs no, the romanians crossed the borders and stole all of them.
Barbarian@sh.itjust.works 4 months ago
Modern Romania isn’t totalitarian. Thankfully, these days the old ladies just snoop on everyone to gossip and complain passively aggressively, not to report to the state. I’d argue that’s an improvement.
halvar@lemm.ee 4 months ago
Last time it was they stole (murdered) their own tyrant so yes, no