Dead Celebs

weldoninhio

Can anyone explain to me why people feel the need to have a huge outpouring of grief for celebrities when they die?? The likes of Jade Goody, Michael Jackson and more recently and closer to home, Gerry Ryan. Someone ran up to me in work yesterday to tell me this news and seemed excited to tell me, as were a few customers.

Its something that i've never understood. The amount of RIP messages, and "i didn't like them, but....." etc.

People die everyday and when its someone close to you its especially painful, so why do people evoke these feelings when a stranger passes on?? And why do people feel so excited to tell you the news??

Schism

They're not actually in grief. It's just news.

OutlawPete

Can anyone explain to me why some people feel the need to post sick jokes and make nasty comments about a person on the day that they die?

SadieSue

Its just normal human empathy.
When you see a hearse pass by do you stop for a second or not bat an eye? Its just multiplied by thousands when its a celebrity.

ejmaztec

I can't understand why only 99.9999999999999999999999999999% of people understand why there is a large outpouring of grief when a celebrity dies.

Xluna

Celebrities,they complete us.:pac:

Diabhal Beag

I hate the arguement that we shouldn't grieve for dead celebs because thousands of people die every day. Bull****!!!!!!!!

The average Joe Ryan from Wexford has no impact on my life whatsoever and odds are I won't care if he died.

Public figures are different. We all knew Gerry Ryan and Steven Gately so they deserve to receive R.I.P threads.

There is no ****ing comparisons.

Venom

Schism wrote: »

They're not actually in grief. It's just news.

+1

News has never been able to travelled so fast and to so vast an audience as it does today. Nor have people had access to media outlets like they do now thanks to the internet and mobile phones. The media has encouraged a whole form of voyeurism in how they stalk and report on celebrates.

Degag

Well, for someone like Gerry Ryan, i can understand it. There's thousands of people who woke up to him for the last 20 odd years and listened to him for 3 hours 5 days a week. It really is like losing a friend.

Eh, for others like *ahem* Jade Goody, well i'll say nothing to keep it respectful.

The_Joker

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

I hate the arguement that we shouldn't grieve for dead celebs because thousands of people die every day. Bull****!!!!!!!!

The average Joe Ryan from Wexford has no impact on my life whatsoever and odds are I won't care if he died.

Public figures are different. We all knew Gerry Ryan and Steven Gately so they deserve to receive R.I.P threads.

There is no ****ing comparisons.

Yet if you met a member of the Joe Ryan from Wexford family you'd offer your condolances wouldn't you ?

Diabhal Beag

The_Joker wrote: »

Yet if you met a member of the Joe Ryan from Wexford family you'd offer your condolances wouldn't you ?

If I knew the person or had some idea who he was yes. Out of respect.

AckwelFoley

Ah the now obligitory thread that pops up after someone famous dies.

Hank_Jones

It's all a matter of opinion really.
Personally I think that people who made a true difference in this world should be luaded.
Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King.
I certainly think that Michael Jackson should be lauded,
the man had a massive, massive impact on the music industry.

Gerry Ryan was an annoying bloke who was on the radio.

I'm not going to go into it, but I think that we put far too much emphasis on these people,
especially since they haven't actually done much to improve the world.

old hippy

OutlawPete wrote: »

Can anyone explain to me why some people feel the need to post sick jokes and make nasty comments on the day someone dies?

Coping mechanism?

Biggins

This is basically one of the same daft questions as asked in the other thread here: http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055898881

Bodhisopha

It's sad when someone dies, it's sadder when a celebrity dies because they have touched so many.

Hank_Jones

Bodhisopha wrote: »

It's sad when someone dies, it's sadder when a celebrity dies because they have touched so many.

Ehhh....What about Gary Glitter?

old hippy

Bodhisopha wrote: »

It's sad when someone dies, it's sadder when a celebrity dies because they have touched so many.

Ahem, with respect - that's balls. I'd much more likely shed tears over loved ones than "celebrities".

Bonito

weldoninhio wrote: »

Can anyone explain to me why people feel the need to have a huge outpouring of grief for celebrities when they die?? The likes of Jade Goody, Michael Jackson and more recently and closer to home, Gerry Ryan. Someone ran up to me in work yesterday to tell me this news and seemed excited to tell me, as were a few customers.

Its something that i've never understood. The amount of RIP messages, and "i didn't like them, but....." etc.

People die everyday and when its someone close to you its especially painful, so why do people evoke these feelings when a stranger passes on?? And why do people feel so excited to tell you the news??

As said in yesterday's thread. Some people listened to Gerry every single day for the last 20 odd years. Gerry regularly told stories of his family/pets/holidays etc. You can't blame people for growing attached to him. Same goes with other certain celebs. If you had a friend that you talked to for 3 hours everday for 20 years you'd be pretty upset if they passed away, wouldn't you? Many people considered Gerry a friend from the wireless.

dr.bollocko

Well thank God for all the people telling me what to think about these issues.
Without them I wouldn't be able to lace up my shoes in the morning.

Bodhisopha

Hank_Jones wrote: »

Ehhh....What about Gary Glitter?

Gary Glitter is no longer a celebrity, he is an infamous figure.

Bonito

dr.bollocko wrote: »

Well thank God for all the people telling me what to think about these issues.
Without them I wouldn't be able to lace up my shoes in the morning.

Lace you say? I would say NSFW but it's Saturday on a bank holiday. Nobody is in work.

old hippy

Bodhisopha wrote: »

Gary Glitter is no longer a celebrity, he is an infamous figure.

Nonsense. Hitler was a monster too & people still glorify him.

Bodhisopha

old hippy wrote: »

Ahem, with respect - that's balls. I'd much more likely shed tears over loved ones than "celebrities".

Absolutely, you will feel more sadness for yours and so you should.

It's like this. If you were a St Pats fan and they won the League you'd feel happier than you would if Inter Milan won the Champions League but that doesn't make the League of Ireland more important than the Champions League.

Bonito

old hippy wrote: »

Nonsense. Hitler was a monster too & people idiots still glorify him.

Fixed that for you.

old hippy

Bodhisopha wrote: »

Absolutely, you will feel more sadness for yours and so you should.

It's like this. If you were a St Pats fan and they won the League you'd feel happier than you would if Inter Milan won the Champions League but that doesn't make the League of Ireland more important than the Champions League.

I'll have to take your word for that - I don't understand sports references, brother

My name is URL

Well not to sound like a hippy but the passing of someone that most of us know brings people together with a common thought. They talk about it to verify their own feelings

It's the exact same when anyone loses a loved one, people rally around and talk about past memories and so on

I guess it depends on how you view your own mortality too, if death doesn't seem like a big deal to you then you're probably gonna feel less empathic when others are talking about someone who has died.

old hippy

My name is URL wrote: »

Well not to sound like a hippy but the passing of someone that most of us know brings people together with a common thought. They talk about it to verify their own feelings

It's the exact same when anyone loses a loved one, people rally around and talk about past memories and so on

I guess it depends on how you view your own mortality too, if death doesn't seem like a big deal to you then you're probably gonna feel less empathic when others are talking about someone who has died.

Nothing wrong with sounding like a hippy, brother

Flatzie_poo

Degag wrote: »

Eh, for others like *ahem* Jade Goody, well i'll say nothing to keep it respectful.

+1

johnnyjb

Hank_Jones wrote: »

Gerry Ryan was an annoying bloke who was on the radio.

I'm not going to go into it, but I think that we put far too much emphasis on these people,
especially since they haven't actually done much to improve the world.

I didnt really listen to gerry that often but he was very good for irish broadcasting.I think he was the only one out of the bunch working for rte that would push the limits and get in trouble. Ryan Tubridy is after going up in my books since Late Late and the juicy questions he asks some guests. But he is only a wannabe Gerry in reality.

Good night much love (Terrry Tibbs)

twinQuins

OutlawPete wrote: »

Can anyone explain to me why some people feel the need to post sick jokes and make nasty comments about a person on the day someone dies?

I'm curious to hear from those who maintain "either everything is fair game or nothing is". Will they continue to restrict this to their hated group coughmuslimscough, or will they follow their own argument?

upandcumming

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

I hate the arguement that we shouldn't grieve for dead celebs because thousands of people die every day. Bull****!!!!!!!!

The average Joe Ryan from Wexford has no impact on my life whatsoever and odds are I won't care if he died.

Public figures are different. We all knew Gerry Ryan and Steven Gately so they deserve to receive R.I.P threads.

There is no ****ing comparisons.

Nah.
Micheal Jackson maybe. He affected everyone that has listened to music, and has changed music forever. Stephen Gately? I only found out his name when he died! Stephen Gately didn't affect anyone more that said Joe Ryan. Nor did Gerry Ryan! What did Gerry Ryan do to deserve all this? Nothing... people listened to him in the car or in the morning when getting their children ready for school: that was the height of it!
No one knew him except the few people that actually knew him. Everyone else knew of him.

ejmaztec

dr.bollocko wrote: »

Well thank God for all the people telling me what to think about these issues.
Without them I wouldn't be able to lace up my shoes in the morning.

Wave two fingers at 'em and get yourself a pair of flip-flops.

Seachmall

Morkarleth wrote: »

I'm curious to hear from those who maintain "either everything is fair game or nothing is". Will they continue to restrict this to their hated group coughmuslimscough, or will they follow their own argument?

Everything is fair game, deciding not to make jokes about the Muslim religion is more to do with self-preservation than making excuses for them.

old hippy

Seachmall wrote: »

Everything is fair game, deciding not to make jokes about the Muslim religion is more to do with self-preservation than making excuses for them.

Can you elaborate on this, brother?

Seachmall

old hippy wrote: »

Can you elaborate on this, brother?

Fundamentalist Muslims tend to be lacking in the humour department, I'm sure I don't need to point to examples.

twinQuins

Seachmall wrote: »

Everything is fair game, deciding not to make jokes about the Muslim religion is more to do with self-preservation than making excuses for them.

But there are people who make jokes about Muslims, in general, and their defence is "either everything is fair game or nothing is"; or they otherwise object to others kowtowing.

I am eager to see if they're the same people criticising others for making jokes about Gerry Ryan. Surely, following their logic, they should be defending these people.

old hippy

Seachmall wrote: »

Fundamentalist Muslims tend to be lacking in the humour department, I'm sure I don't need to point to examples.

Ah, fundies. Sorry, I apologise - I thought you were inferring that all Muslims were humourless beings

Tbh, there's humourless fundies in Christianity, too. Fred Phelps, Christian Voice, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, abortion clinic bombers etc...

Degag

upandcumming wrote: »

Nah.
Micheal Jackson maybe. He affected everyone that has listened to music, and has changed music forever. Stephen Gately? I only found out his name when he died! Stephen Gately didn't affect anyone more that said Joe Ryan. Nor did Gerry Ryan! What did Gerry Ryan do to deserve all this? Nothing... people listened to him in the car or in the morning when getting their children ready for school: that was the height of it!
No one knew him except the few people that actually knew him. Everyone else knew of him.

Agreed about Gately tbh. Sickened me to see him on the nominations list of Irelands Greatest People.

Bodhisopha

What do you do with a fundamentalist dog? Muslim (muzzle him).

HA!

Deus Ex Machina

OutlawPete wrote: »

Can anyone explain to me why some people feel the need to post sick jokes and make nasty comments about a person on the day that they die?

Because the majority of people are not capable of coming up with genuinely amusing jokes about day to day things, so they seize on things like this as an easy way to get a reaction.

However, when one combines genuine wit with something which is taboo, doesn't have to be joking about death it can be paedophilia or anything, there is where the real laughs are had.

karma_

I've never seen so much blatant hypocrisy on these boards as I have in the last day or 2.


I was chastised recently for criticising the amount of posters who were making jokes about a young girl who was murdered and then eaten. Of 4 pages, fully half the posts were puns and jokes.

In fact it was mentioned to me also, that the Air France thread had jokes about that incident.

Yet!!!

One celebrity dies and its a united front of grief?

Thats the real joke.

Seachmall

old hippy wrote: »

Ah, fundies. Sorry, I apologise - I thought you were inferring that all Muslims were humourless beings

Tbh, there's humourless fundies in Christianity, too. Fred Phelps, Christian Voice, Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, abortion clinic bombers etc...

That's true, but they tend to ignore the senseless jokes and focus their idiocy on the gay community or abortionists. I wouldn't expect to receive a letter-bomb from Phelps for saying Jesus was a gay hippy. He'd probably just set up camp outside my door and wait for God to smite me.

twinQuins

Bodhisopha wrote: »

What do you do with a fundamentalist dog? Muslim (muzzle him).

For future reference.

opinion guy

old hippy wrote: »

Can you elaborate on this, brother?

Desmond ???

peanuthead

Everyone moaning on this thread should just go out tonight, have a few drinks, be glad they're still alive and stop going on about the whole thing.

If people want to start condolences threads, let them. It annoys the hell out of me too but I just don't open them unless I feel I can handle it without going on a posting rampage.

By moaning about the moaners you're no better.

drusk

upandcumming wrote: »

What did Gerry Ryan do to deserve all this? Nothing... people listened to him in the car or in the morning when getting their children ready for school: that was the height of it!
No one knew him except the few people that actually knew him. Everyone else knew of him.

Open your eyes. Read some of the posts on here. Read the papers. Look at the comments on twitter and facebook. Open your eyes.

Asphyxia

I think it is a shock really, when Michael Jackson died I was surprised but not really because I felt something emotional towards him because I thought he would be around forever! When you look up to people for a long time, you find inspiration from them and enjoy there work it is an upset when they die because you're not going to be able to experience that anymore. I use to love listening to Gerry Ryan's radio show when I was in the car I looked forward to it on the mornings I knew there was a trip ahead because he was really funny and I feel a bit put out that I won't here it again.

peanuthead

Pocketfizz wrote: »

I thought he would be around forever!

I think thats it actually. That sort of describes the reaction I think most people have to these deaths. It's certainly the way I feel. You do sort of get a bit of a shock because you never imagine these figures not being around.

Also for me, when public figures start to drop off, it's a real sign that I'm ageing myself!!

old hippy

opinion guy wrote: »

Desmond ???

Mom?