RIPs on FB

[Bleakhouse1879]

another day, another celebrity death, another newsfeed chocka with people posting RIP to someone they didn't know, never met and never mentioned once whilst they were alive.

AIBU to find this behaviour to be completely pointless and wrong if you didn't know the deceased?

[PresidentTwonk]

Who died?

[WorraLiberty]

Another day, another thread about Facebook on Mumsnet

Nothing wrong with typing RIP

Everything wrong with trying to 'out grieve' someone else, which is often what happens.

[SoupDragon]

...another thread whinging about Facebook and people commenting on the death of a celebrity....

[sanfairyanne]

now that depends

normally, yes you are right

but an exception must be made for Sir Terry Pratchett RIP

[LovesYoungDream]

Stewart Baggs "The Brand" died yesterday RIP. He was the best contestant ever in the Appreciate UK. He was fantastic.
Cilla Black died a couple of days ago.
"Ross" from Emmerdale died last night, pity...he was a bit of eye candy in an otherwise boring soap
Were any of those on your news feed op?

[Bleakhouse1879]

I presumed this may have been done before. I'm new here so please accept apologies.

[LittleprincessinGOLDrocks]

Are you referring to Neville Neville (Gary and Phil Neville father) or has someone else died too?

[WorraLiberty]

Oh I thought you were talking about the guy who played Arthur Daly

Didn't he die yesterday?

[PresidentTwonk]

I don't do RIP posts myself but it may be comforting for family, friends, colleagues, fans etc to see the person they loved, worked with, respected etc remembered and good things shared about them so YABU (but if someone does it with EVERY celebrity who dies, including someone anyone would hardly know who was a bit part in a film about 50 years ago or had a song that reached number 47 in the charts 38 years ago or something then that's annoying so just hide their posts )

[Sparklingbrook]

I am not aware of any celebrity who died today. Who do you mean OP?

[Getthewonderwebout]

I think it's just acknowledgement of that person dying, although I have a couple of friends who seem to compete for the spot of first to put it as their status. It has been a sad week for deaths of famous people, Stuart baggs last week, cilla and then the wonderful, wonderful George Cole, although his death at 90 years was rather more timely.

[FarFromAnyRoad]

I do look like this at people who RIP those they don't know and whose friends/family will never see the sentiment. I find it odd, that's all. Very few on my feed do it thankfully.

[MrsReiver]

Stuart Baggs died last week, the cause of death was revealed yesterday. And yes, I did share an article about with with an RIP because although I didn't know him, I liked and admired him. Same with Cilla.

[TheRealAmyLee]

I would do a simple post if it was someone I admired like Sir Terry Pratchett. Otherwise I read and move on. People saying RIP doesn't bother me.

[hazeyjane]

I did an RIP for 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper on my newsfeed last Sat, along with my all time favourite quote from a film, "I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass... and I'm all out of bubblegum." A few old friend's and I used to sit and watch They Live after a night out, and I knew we would all be saying RIP to Roddy.

I don't get all the angsty-ness over FB, you have the friends you want on there, you hide posts you're not interested in - whats the problem?

[Eminybob]

I've had to unfollow my own mother on Facebook due to just generally twattery but did happen to catch this one.

She did an RIP Cilla post and one of her American "friends" commented that she was sorry for my mum's loss and offered her condolences. Arf. Cue explanation from my mum on how she didn't know her personally but she's a national treasure etc etc. I just rolled my eyes.

[Notso]

Facebook is full of pointlessness though.

[Eminybob]

At least 75% of it is from my mum notso

[Sparklingbrook]

Doesn't the box thing on FB say 'What's on your mind' or something ( I am not on FB) so you put in what's on your mind presumably whether your dinner or your sadness over a celebrity who has died?

[Notso]

Eminybob.

[Bleakhouse1879]

I used to work in Politics and the Politicians always wanted to send flowers or acknowledge the loss of someone by making a speech, we always had to tell them 'no because you are imposing on someone else's grief for your own political aims and that WILL backfire' Some MPs got the message others had to be shouted at until they understood. we referred to it as being a Grief Thief

My dislike of this probably stems from there. I see it as a type of band-wagon hopping

[Sparklingbrook]

Are you a mate of Katie Hopkins OP? She was on Twitter this week not liking this sort of thing. She described it as 'rush to gush' amongst other things.

[Bleakhouse1879]

Note to self: I must change my opinions when they start to match those spouted by Katie Hopkins

[Sparklingbrook]

Exactly.

[AltogetherAndrews]

I think, when someone famous dies, particularly an artist or a sports person whose work has meant something to you, it's perfectly fine to post something in tribute, to acknowledge them.

When Terry Pratchett died, I was genuinely upset. I never met him, didn't know him, but his words have meant a great deal to me, and have been a constant throughout my adult life. I was tremendously sad that that had come to an end.

It's not insincere to acknowledge that. I would think those that did know him would be touched by the thousands who posted to say he mattered and would be missed.

I think it's a bit mean spirited to sneer at people who want to say something.