Completely agree.

Straight up question: Why do people feel the need to post RIP threads on The Sin Bin? Most of these threads are nothing but people posting a short condolence about someone they have never met or had anything to do with.



It this some sort of shared grief mentality, sort of like people feel closer to the event if they post online about it?

I just don't get any of it. I do think the press vastly overhype it though, because it makes good TV/images for papers. I was living in London during Diana's funeral, and most people I know couldn't have given a toss.

Your should be ashamed of yourself with these disgraceful views, those soldiers are dying to allow you the right to free speech, if you love Saddam so much why not move to Iran and live with the Taliban.

Fully agree regarding these threads. If people were talking about their memories of the person or their work, fair enough, but most are just along the lines of "so sad, RIP", or something equally pointless.

There are many factors involved, so no simple answer is possible.



But one of these factors is undoubtedly the persistent and determined dumbing down of the population, whereby 1950s 11+ level is now degree level, nobody can fail, nobody can be refused anything cos it's discrimination innit, another is young kids brought (or dragged) up in a culture of being stuck in front of dumbed-down utterly mind-numbing TV and video games all day with no actual upbringing as such and little meaningful contact with any human are being raised with a huge hole where social intercourse, morality and relationships used to be.



One outcome is big babies, who scream at the top of their lungs when upset by the slightest thing. Because they haven't yet learned to do anything else, and haven't developed any sense of proportion, or of personal restraint or responsibility.

Why should he feel ashamed? He has stated 2 facts that the vast majority agree with. you have stated 1, about free speech and dying which is absolute ballocks, which came from some mp trying to make anti-war demonstrators feel guilty about their thoughts. Also, Saddam, ims, was Iraqi, not Iranian and the Taleban are too be found in Afghanistan and Pakistan.



Apologies in advance if your message was sent in jest.



Regarding Hillsborough, I was there, and Heysel. I think it is down to LFC sending a request to the FA not to play games on that date more than refusing to do so. Personally, I don't see a problem with playing on the anniversary, but an awful lot do, and the club listens to them, especially now, considering the truth is not too far off being revealed.( Depending on how many statements have been shredded)



And as for that parasite Diana Spencer, don't get me started. Ims, 2 other people were kileed that night aswell. Anyone remember their names?

At last someone attempts an explanation.

Well done FA for reading the original post.



i think the idea is to come up with possible reasons for this phenomenon. A point lost on the ''I think it's a load of bollox.'' brigade.



Now that should liven it up.

Spoken like a true patriot

You'll probably find the exact opposite when Thatcher pops her clogs

Henri Paul (who I think was still at Wigan before joining Bradford, must have been moonlighting as a chauffeur).

Dodi Fayed (heir to a debt mountain).

Didn't the 'if you love [iSaddam[/i so much [... move to [iIran[/i and live with the [iTaliban[/i' give it away?

Oooh, I think you get a prize now.

You need something like the death of Diana every now and again to remind you that not everyone thinks the same way you do.

Back in Victorian days I understand that public displays of personal grief were the norm. For exapmle, widows would wear black for a full year and would correrspond using black-edged paper. So, I guess that the stiff upper lip attitude may have come about via the carnage of WW1 - wouldn't want morale slipping due to millions pouring out their grief. That would have continued on to WW2 and beyond. For all but the oldest in our society WW2 has become a thing of history rather than personal experience. Nowadays, personal grief is supposed to be overcome with maybe a week off work or less (whereas the actual grief lasts much longer). So, maybe the outpourings of public grief for the well-known are an expression of suppressed private grief?

All those people wailing over dead celebs/footballers/royalty they've never met are just trying to draw attention to themselves. "Look at me, I'm in pain".

I never met any of the folk on the Titanic.

I can however 100 years later after its unfortunate demise feel very sad about their circumstances with regard to lack of lifeboat room and pulling of rank.

If I had been alive in New York at the time I would have felt a compulsion to go and see the arrival of the survivors.

Compassion I suppose.

Not goulish ogling.



And similarly with Diana I just felt it was a shame she wasn't wearing her seat belt and died probably unecessarily.



I usually feel sadness for people who haven't had a good innings in their life like the people in Norway.

If someone has had a good innings the feeling is mitigated.



And if I didn't have these feelings I would question myself.

Well I think there is something that links some of the original examples posted by Minty in this thread.



Football - this is almost a religion to some and as country I think far too many people are obsessed by it.



Royalty - as in Diana's death. There are many people who clearly still love or are obsessed with the Royal Family.



So to my mind these two things, football and Royalty both have huge public followings and as a result get a heck of a lot of coverage. So there is some sort of collective body of "fans" for want of a better word that will all react to events that occur to anyone in these spheres en-mass.



I also think there is some self serving bandwagon motive about such things. Soccer "coming together" over the Muamba thing was an opportunity for the fans to paint the game in a good light. A cynical view? Maybe but I bet there is some truth in it.



I myself having no interest whatsoever in soccer and only took a very passing interest in the Muamba situation because it made the headlines and was an unusual situation.



I was more affected by Ian Millward's loss when his son died but even that was probably because I have a son of the same age rather than because of the RL involvement but I suppose I may never even of heard of this had I not been an RL fan as RL people just don't get the same coverage in the national press.



There seems to be some sort of herd mentality when we see such big reactions to certain events. Whether this mentality is now more prominent than it used to be is the question. I think it is. In the past (say 60's and 70's) soccer wasn't the obsession it is today. It was just another game for many whereas now its a religion for many more.



I am trying to think which such "religion" I belong to but I can't really think of one.

Nobody's obsessed with, say, RL? Don't forget that, when Terry Newton died, it became verboten to discuss anything bad he'd done in his career – and that's actually an entirely relevant point within he context of this thread.







I doubt it very much. It was mostly a social media response and then was reported on by the mainstream media. I didn't see it being used to suddenly pretend that all football fans were some sort of angels.







Understandable.







I'd agree with this.







And support for monarchism as a whole is probably less, which rather ruins your point, I'm afraid.

I didn't cry when Diana died. In fact, the reaction of the mourners there made me (perhaps inappropriately) laugh.



I did, however, cry when I watched the Twin Towers come down. I didn't know anyone in them and have never been to New York, but I cried.



A few times actually.

That's a funny post. You need to get a grip.

How hard can it be?

That gets my vote!



Also add to that list the Royal Wedding, people having street parties, bank holidays and suchlike celebrating the fact that Wiliam and Kate had got married whilst we're in the worst recession since WW2 and we've 2.6million unemployed.

I suppose you will be turning down the offer of some extra time off during the Jubilee then?

The only recent one which I can relate to is the sinking of the Costa Concordia. I work on a cruise ship and I have worked on one that listed 6 degrees in the middle of the Atlantic a couple of years ago. At the time I thought it was pretty mental and crap was all over the place - people falling over screaming etc, but not once did I feel I was in any specific danger because I knew the guys on the bridge and I just thought we'd be fine. After the Costa incident, which obviously listed close to 45 degrees I just cannot imagine how people coped - you literally put all your trust in the Captain and all of his officers and for that to happen is unbelievable.



..but just to add - I didn't go in the mess and cry my eyes out. I just read the news report a few times and shook my head in disbelief.