To be really fed up of people who claim 2016 to have been a 'horrific' year....

[Whatsername17]

Because, sadly, some famous people that they have never met have died? Once again social media is awash with 'fuck off, 2016', 'you'd better not take x, you or z from us' and 'this year is truly testing me now it has taken.....'
It gives me the rage. Firstly, I think the grief belongs to the families who have lost a person, not a celebrity ideal. But, secondly, I just think that, if the worst thing that has happened to you personally is that someone in the public eye has died, then you've been pretty lucky. Thirdly, so many other awful things have happened in the world; terror attacks, plane crashes, Syria, Aleppo, Donald Trump. Yet people don't seem to feel the same outrage. I will admit, I've had an awful year, starting with the loss of our baby at 13 weeks pregnant in January, followed by a huge crisis in my marriage and the loss of a loved one. I guess that could all be clouding my judgement. I dunno. I just hate social media inspired competitive grief I guess. Feel free to flame but I'd be really interested to know if others feel the same.

It's been absolute shit year for my family. 'Celebrating Deaths' somehow brings our own private hell back in raw format and have to shake ourselves and rationalise it to getting on with life.
Be glad to see 2016 out. Though tbh not hopeful of joy and positive progress in 2017.

Well, I don't understand social media outpourings for celebrities - they're never gonna see it, what's the point

But I do see a bit of irony in your post about "competitive grieving" and then listing what's happened to you. Which is utterly shit, and I'm sorry to hear it's been so bad, but it's all relative and someone in a much worse position than you might think that your year hasn't been as awful as theirs.

Maybe a bit of peace and love is where it's at

Celebrity not celebrating (duh)

Cinderella I think you've hit the nail on the head. Also, I guess I need to remember that my social media obviously represents quite a small slice of public opinion generally and other people's is probably quite different. My 'friends' don't seem very politically motivated I guess.

There are plenty of reasons why people might feel a particular year has been bad for them personally, but I can't see how deaths of celebrities fits into that.

'Celebrity' as we currently understand it (I.e. mostly actors, sportsmen and musicians) really took off in 50s and 60s, and particularly with the advent of television. Therefore, we are increasingly going to have 'bad years' as those celebrities age. Sorry! You're going to have a lot more bad years to come.

There will be famous people that we personally 'care about' dying in 2017 as well. I was very sad about Alan Rickman earlier this year. I can understand why people feel sadness about celebrity deaths because I suppose they are in our homes via the media so household names.

I find the "2016 can fuck off" posts really jarring and a bit silly. How can a year fuck off exactly?

I think some of the 'grieving' is a bit mawkish and gratuitous but perhaps there are other things going on in people's lives to make them feel these losses more keenly? Personally, I think it's been like this since the death of Princess Diana; Joe Public felt validated to demonstrate huge and unrivalled 'grief' because of the relentless media about her. Utterly tasteless and horrible for her two young children who had to witness that.

I find the rush to break the news a bit overbearing myself but it's the generation of blurting out whatever is on our mind.

I'm sad for the lost talents of these people, that I won't see anything new from them again but quietly give thanks to them for what they've left.

I think you are the one being competitive. Grief is not owned exclusively by the family, that is ridiculous. People impact on others' worlds in all sorts of ways, celebrities included. When it comes to singers and entertainers, it's the sadness that those people who were part of special memories (wedding songs, holidays, nights out, youth) are gone.

Totes agree. Twitter is the biggest load of old shite...

A lot of celebrities are still producing creative output that enriches people's lives. I'll be deeply saddened when Stephen King goes and there are no more books. It's like a giant full stop.

YANBU.

If they aren't very 'politically motivated ' then so what??

Honestly...why should they be? You are coming across as sneery and quite nasty

All these people are someone's son, daughter, father, partner, friend. I can empathise with any loss - having lost people myself recently. It just so happens that there have been some very iconic deaths this year in the world of entertainment. I feel sad for these losses in a world that horrifies me. My heart breaks for Aleppo and all those fleeing war, horror and poverty. But I can still feel sad at the loss of people who made memories in my life.

OP for your loss.

I predicted a thread like this.

I'm not being competitive. I said that my own personal stuff could be clouding my judgement. I've never posted about any of that stuff on social media and never would. In the security of an anonymous forum if just asked the question. Seems to be an even mix of people who think iabu and people who feel similarly.

Soviet I think you missed the point - it's the celebrity grieving that overtakes the actual problems in life/the world that the o p has tried of.

I agree with soviet. Most of the people I come across claiming 2016 has been an awful year are looking at a bigger picture than celebrity deaths.

Though lets face it the Brexit nightmare won't exactly have gone away in 2017.

I lost a parent this year so obviously I take a dim view of 2016 personally

Thirdly, so many other awful things have happened in the world; terror attacks, plane crashes, Syria, Aleppo, Donald Trump.

It's all these things, coupled with the celebrity deaths that's made 2016 a bloody awful year imo.

I shall be more than glad to see the back of it and I truly hope 2017 is better all round.

I'm really sorry for your losses

I agree with you about grief being for those close to the deceased. I feel the same about non-celebrity deaths and have been a bit disappointed by some friends seeming to engage in competitive grieving on Facebook.

It is very sad that these people have died. They had families and friends who loved them. It's also a shame for us to lose good musicians, artists etc.

But I also agree that many awful things have happened this year and many people I know do not seem as bothered about those things as about celebrity deaths. I guess it's partly because many of the unpleasant things have been ongoing, like the situation in Syria, so it's not as easy to know when or what to say.

I saw the news about George Michael and I just knew a certain friend would have posted on Facebook immediately. She has posted after pretty much every celebrity death this year. Always about how much that person inspired her, with a link to a favourite song, TV clip etc. and a little anecdote about it. She also changes her profile picture to their photo. Then she gets lots of comments from friends as though she has lost a close relative. I just find it odd. She can't possibly have been deeply inspired by every single one of the people. She has never mentioned any of the artists before their deaths.

Anyway, I'm not sure if YABU or not really, but I agree with you in general. And I hope that 2017 is a better year for you personally, and for the world!

Not stopped, I just meant that they don't post about the political things mentioned but maybe other people's social media friends do therefore other people on here have a different social media experience.

Posters are always predicting threads like this.

It would be good to have a tribute thread - just one - that would be kept. The multiple threads are a bit attention-seeking because it's easy to see that there's one already, given that they're all trending in the top five.

Nobody is dismissing that people are sad, everybody has a right to feeling what they feel but this is a thread about the year 2016 and the classification of 'horrid' that it seems to have attracted.

Every time a celebrity dies there is a thread saying people have no right to be upset by it because they didn't know them personally.

I felt like that about SirTP, PNGirl. I did weep a little when I realised there was a final final long earth book. I'm currently 90% of the way through it and can't bring myself to finish it. I've read about 4 pages in 2 weeks.

Whatsername17

I would have agreed with you until march last year 2015.

Terry Pratchett died. Someone that I had never met but whose writings took me on journeys that were fantastic and that have been there for me when I needed to hide.
To know that I would never never be escorted through the streets on Ankh morpork was a loss.

This year has taken other heroes of mine. So yes, it may not be as personal a pain as your loses have been but it has been painful all the same.

for your loss

I am still mourning Bowie, and now George Michael?

From a personal point of view, my partner was made redundant and things have been very, very hard - I really hope 2017 is a better year for us.

I think its ok to be sad about the celebrities that have died, sad about everything else that has happened in the world, and be sad about personal loss too. I lost my husband. I'm super extra sad about that. I'm also sad about Bowie dying, Brexit, Trump, and those caught up in war. I don't think other people have the right to try and dictate what people should feel sad about personally...

I didn't say people have 'no right' at all. Like I said in my op, I just understand why celebrity deaths are the marker of a terrible year for people personally and wondered if others agreed. Just because I feel differently doesn't mean I don't recognise your right to have a different opinion. I'm really sorry for anyone who has had an awful year and yes, I think a peaceful 2017 is something we can all hope for.