Friend 'sobbing in the kitchen' over Ozzy Osborne

[lronWoman]

I'm not generally a mean spirited person but I just can't take this seriously!

My friend has never been a Black Sabbath fan and I've never heard her mention Ozzy once in the 20 years I've known her. However, her and her sister are apparently 'beside themselves with grief' over his death.

I just don't understand this type of performative grief over A list celebrities that people have never met. It's sad and I get that it kind of marks the end of an era, but the guy lived to a ripe old age in the lap of luxury and was one of the most celebrated rock stars the world has ever known. It's not like a present day star has suddenly been cut down in their prime and will no longer be releasing new albums. They'd already released all their famous stuff before we were born.

She wasn't sobbing in the kitchen when an old mutual workmate died unexpectedly in his late 30s a fortnight ago. Guy wasn't a close friend of ours but we were friendly. Used to go to the pub as a group and he helped us move house, refusing to accept a penny for it. Really nice bloke! We hadn't seen him in close to a decade but both felt sad about it for a few days. But no sobbing in the kitchen!

Latest comment is "he's up there at the bar with gramps". I'm finding it hard not to make an inappropriate joke tbh!

it is performative and I would see her as a “grief thief”.

The only time I have felt really upset over the death of a celebrity was when George Michael died. But he was my first pop hero. I was 7 when Wham started and I loved them. I had seen George perform live a number of times. I cried a few quiet tears when he passed as it was so sad. Like many people, George passing on Christmas Day made it even sadder.

But I was not “sobbing in the kitchen” or “sending love to his family” via Facebook. All of that is very distasteful.

You don’t sound like a very nice friend, to be honest. People can behave differently to the way we do, without there being something wrong with them. Some people are just very emotional and as others have said, relate their death with the end of an era or just feeling sorry for their family and fans. I’m not a Black Sabbath superfan but I felt sad when I heard because I know how close the family were and how much Sharon will miss him. I felt sad because he only recently did his final gig and this seems all the more poignant now. I certainly wouldn’t expect my friend to mock me or to go online and share a story about me. Live and let live!

Some deaths have hit me harder than others, as people say usually if they feel like the end of an era or a chapter. So the queen as she was a constant and matthew Perry because of his age and relating to a period of my life.
but yes, some of it can be strange

Has your friend been drinking? I know certain events link you to other deaths or sad memories but ... Ozzy Osborne?

I didn't even know he d died.

He was a cruel man who loved to hurt and kill animals, and this wasn't limited to the dead bat incident on stage. He has a record for animal cruelty, and some of it fairly recent:

He has spoken gleefully about how during lockdown, he enjoyed shooting cats and birds behind his house. www.edmovieguide.com/news/ozzy-osbourne-kills-cats-birds-during-lockdown-good-fun-518288/

And on one occasion, while high on drugs, he killed his 17 pet cats. https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/tragic-day-ozzy-osbourne-shot-17-cats/

There are many more sources for each of these things.

I can't fathom loving and staying with a man who did these things. I despise animal cruelty and believe that one must be quite sick in the head to do and enjoy these activities. I will certainly not be crying in my kitchen about this horrible cruel man.

I felt so sad about this too - Theo was amazing!

Anyway Op, for some strange reason, I shed a tear at Ozzie dying today - no idea why & I even said so to my DH about how strange it was, but it made me feel so sad (& I’m definitely not a metal fan!). I didn’t make a show of it & did surprise myself by crying but I honestly couldn’t help myself.

You could understand the extreme shock though (even if you didn't agree with it). Princess Diana was a young mother in her prime and going though a painful high profile breakup.

getting overly worked up about an old rockstar who'd once bitten the head off a bat ... hmmm really ?!?

I only cried when Diana died because I was pregnant and my hormones when all over the place !

Sometimes people can't express grief for their own family/friends trying to be stoic, stiff upper lip and all that, but feel freer to express it over a celebrity along with so many others as it seems more acceptable to them because everyone else is.

My DH cried over Steve Irwin’s death. I was utterly perplexed by his reaction, because previously DH had said he was a dickhead. I still don’t understand it, but it obviously triggered an emotional response for some reason. Since then he hasn’t cried over any celebrity deaths, even people he liked and admired.

he's up there at the bar with gramps

Was he a fan? Maybe it triggered memories of her gramps

I think the true test would be whether you'd rather have £100k or have them alive again. If it was somebody you really loved there'd be no question. If it was a real tragedy like the young footballer mentioned above I still think some people would make a selfless choice.

Did you post it all over facebook or other SM?

Just don’t take her to the Sistine Chapel….

Mumsnet need to reinstate the laughing emoji or I may sob uncontrollably about it!

This should’ve been the first post, then I could’ve also said “nailed it”.

I think it’s often because it reminds people of someone they’ve lost. When the Queen died it triggered all kinds of feelings about my grandmothers death.

🤣🤣🤣😂
(if you know, you know)

I’d make the joke.

Your friend is ridiculous and even if his death has touched a nerve in her yes, she is being performative because she feels the need to boast to everyone about her excessive grief,

Screaming 🙀 at that!

i think it was all the more poignant because he’d just performed his final concert for charity in his home town almost like he kind of knew he was nearing the end.

It's like when an old barn cat I semi adopted visited every garden in the village the day before he popped his clogs.

Oh shit I didn’t know about any of these things.He’s disgusting.

Funny you mention that. Ozzy quite enjoyed killing random cats that wandered into his garden and talked about how he did this during lockdown.

https://www.edmovieguide.com/news/ozzy-osbourne-kills-cats-birds-during-lockdown-good-fun-518288/