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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think the news about the royal baby is completely outweighed by the death of Rio Ferdinand's wife at just 34

113 replies

Bearbehind · 02/05/2015 19:53

The news is full of the royal birth but I've just read about Rio Ferndinad's wife and found it so so sad.

She was just 34 with 3 children and was taken by the bastard that is cancer.

It just makes you realise how fragile life is.

OP posts:
Original poster
Bearbehind · 02/05/2015 21:21

I do hope you posted on the wrong thread in error adele

If not that was crass beyond belief.

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SquidgyMummy · 02/05/2015 21:26

I think Adele was being ironic. So glad not to see the beckhams plastered all over the papers today.

I think his PR team managed to get their heads out of their arses and DB "graciously" tweeted a pic of him and Rio offering his condolences.

Glad today was an (almost) Beckham and completely Kardashian free day sorry I read the wrong papers online

saoirse31 · 02/05/2015 21:26

Not crass. maybe just pointing out that life happens... Every day.

Viviennemary · 02/05/2015 21:29

I think it's completely the wrong 'approach' to say one outweighs the other. I'm not a royalist but was interested in the royal baby. Of course it's an utter tragedy that Rio Ferdinand's wife has died at such a young age and I think it has been reported with sensitivity.

Original poster
Bearbehind · 02/05/2015 21:31

Not crass. maybe just pointing out that life happens... Every day.

Really- so someone's 40th birthday even begins to rank with a young mother of three losing her life to breast cancer- you disgust me.

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Aurochs · 02/05/2015 21:32

It's no surprise at all that the royal baby is the lead story. Not only are most people interested in it, there has been a recent horrendous and shocking disaster and an election campaign that is getting pretty tired, and both are being comprehensively covered. The way news (and human nature) works is that something that contrasts massively with that (heartwarming, cute baby to ogle) will be made the most of.

Rio Ferdinand's wife's death is awful and I am so so sorry for her and her family. But the amount of news coverage about a death, or a birth, is dependent on the fame of the person. The coverage of that news is pretty similar to other times a famous person has lost their spouse, such as when Corinne Bailey Rae's husband died. The royal family, whatever you think of them, are much more famous.

TheFairyCaravan · 02/05/2015 21:32

I was saddened by the news of Rebecca's death. 34 is no age, their children are so very young and she obviously had so much more life to live. However, I would imagine the Royal baby being headline news and dominating every bulletin and news channel is a relief for the Rebecca and Rio's families. It gives them chance to grieve away from the spotlight.

Original poster
Bearbehind · 02/05/2015 21:34

I've said 'outweighed' was the wrong word vivenne

I just can't get excited about it when there's familys all over having such a shit time of it.

As someone else said, all the money in the world can't buy you what you most want.

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PerspicaciaTick · 02/05/2015 21:37

Around 1500 UK families will have been bereaved today and 2500 UK families will be welcoming new babies. It doesn't feel a very useful exercise to try and create a ranking of joy vs. grief.
However the Ferdinand family have been in my thoughts today, as have the Cambridges.

DrankSangriaInThePark · 02/05/2015 21:43

Nobody is asking anyone else to be excited about the birth of a child they don't know, and will never meet.
Personally, I find being told I am supposed to grieve for a woman I never met equally as unpleasant, and people who start such threads at best patronising and at worst, plain weird.

PsychopathOnTheCyclepath · 02/05/2015 21:46

Rio is not a typical celebrity footballer - he doesn't court attention at all, he just puts up with it as part of the job. In his press statement he asked to be left alone, and because of the royal birth, it will pass far more quietly than if the baby hadn't been born.

Rio will probably be relieved as he won't want the press intrusion during this time.

It is absolutely tragic for him and his family, however I doubt Rio would ever be concerned by the royal birth.

RIP Rebecca Ferdinard.

Original poster
Bearbehind · 02/05/2015 21:46

ODFO sangria

I'm not telling you who to grieve/ be happy for.

perspicas statistic brings it all into reality- there's always a flip side to good or bad news- that's all.

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ElizabethG81 · 02/05/2015 21:53

I think Adele was obviously being sarcastic. If you're on Twitter or Facebook you must have been bombarded with "amazing" updates about David's "incredible" 40th birthday celebrations. The Beckhams have massively built it up and, while I think Rio and his family will be grateful for the diversion of the royal birth, I imagine the Beckhams are quite pissed off.

Totality22 · 02/05/2015 21:55

The two events aren't comparable.

I was astounded to read the news about RF's wife, it actually gave me a cold chill [I am 34 and have two beautiful kids, I cannot imagine what this poor women went through knowing she would not be around for her kids] but they are completely different and unrelated news stories so yes YABU I'm afraid.

Original poster
Bearbehind · 02/05/2015 21:57

I imagine the Beckhams are quite pissed off.

Fucking hell- I must live in some kind of parallel universe.

On what planet are you 'quite pissed off' that your birthday party has been top trumped by you mates wife dying.

Get a fucking grip.

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ElizabethG81 · 02/05/2015 22:04

No need to be so rude. I meant that they would be pissed off about the royal birth overshadowing David the Great's 40th birthday, not the news about Rebecca Ferdinand.

LisaD1 · 02/05/2015 22:14

The 2 events are surely just how life is? As one person faces the worst day of their life another faces their best.

The passing of Rebecca is tragic, that tragedy is not any less to her family because a royal baby was born.

The arrival of a baby is always heart warming news, a new life is always something to celebrate.

Samcro · 02/05/2015 22:18

im sad about one
happy about other
thats life

Mrsmorton · 02/05/2015 22:22

OP, you're taking everyone far too seriously. Chill the fuck out!!

Procrastinatingpeacock · 02/05/2015 22:35

Not really a case of one "outweighing" the other, just what is more newsworthy. Newsworthiness is about fame. A royal birth is always going to be top news regardless of what else is going on that day.
I was shocked and deeply saddened to hear of Rebecca Ellison's death today. I was also moved to hear of the birth of a little girl.
My family has spent the last few years dealing with my mum's terminal diagnosis and during that time I have had my first child. Birth and death are when the meaning of life is at its most profound; celebrating a birth does not take away from another family's loss.
34 is so young to die. My heart goes out to Rebecca's family.

RufusTheReindeer · 02/05/2015 22:37

Happy about the birth

Sad about the death

Congratulations about the birthday

I don't know any of them

RufusTheReindeer · 02/05/2015 22:44

Excuse me

Rebecca Ellison has died, it would have been nice to mention her by name

My apologies

Shakirasma · 02/05/2015 22:48

I'm happy about the birth, births are good

Sad about Rebecca, deaths are sad.

I am quite capable of pigeon holing these 2 separate news items emotionally.

However the day my SIL died of breast cancer aged 46 I was so grief stricken I wouldn't have given a fuck if Kate had given birth to octuples!

But I wouldn't have expected random strangers to feel anything more than cursory sympathy for our loss and I certainly wouldn't have expected our loss to overshadow their delight at other events.

grovel · 02/05/2015 23:02

My lovely FiL died suddenly while I was in labour with our DS ( I didn't know, DH did). DH would consider this a shitty thread. Happiness and misery happen in life - they don't compete.

ComposHatComesBack · 02/05/2015 23:34

Yes I think it is a terrible shame that a grieving husband and children aren't getting quite the level of intrusive and unwanted media attention they would have got otherwise.