1. #Hashtagging.
When writing out phrases like #RIPSoAndSo #GoneButNotForgotten and #YouWillBeMissed, doesn’t it feel a little icky? Are you trying to pay tribute or create/be part of a trending topic? I don’t mean to be a stickler guys, but it’s scary that we’re only a few steps from featuring hashtags in eulogies. When I die, please no “Hudspeth was a decent guy, he enjoyed staying home for quiet nights in instead of going out to bars… #PajamasOverPeople.”
2. Trying to be the first to break news.
Leave that scummy, bizarre yearning to announce someone’s death first to TMZ — especially when it’s unconfirmed. Remember, these are the people who stalk people and gossip about them like the worst, most cliché group of vicious high school girls, distorting the truth for views and trolling famous people until they hate them, then stepping back with their hands up like, “Wait, why are you so upset at me?!” These are the same employees who had no qualms with telling the world Lil Wayne was dead based on hearsay, or publicly congratulating each other via Twitter for working hard to cover Paul Walker’s death on a holiday weekend. What? Who thinks and acts this way? We should all steer clear of taking direction from TMZ’s moral compass.
3. Making jokes about recently deceased.
Just don’t – it takes some kind of terribly inconsiderate person to make a joke considering that the person who passed is somebody’s child, sibling, friend, etc. Even if the joke were insanely clever, any cunning, wittiness is automatically canceled out and negated by undeniable levels of tastelessness. This town’s not big enough for death and knock-knock jokes about said death.
4. Getting angry about the amount of attention this celebrity’s death is getting.
Complaining that a dead movie star isn’t worthy of a massive response from fans and comparing it to the death of a starving child or a soldier is beyond pointless. Is a movie star’s death more important than a soldier who fought for the country? I don’t think so, but is it any less? I’m not a big fan of putting the importance of individual human lives on scales for appraisal. If you protest and moan about this on social media, just know that every decent, logical human being is wondering why you’re not keeping those negative, disrespectful opinions to yourself.
5. Seeking ‘Likes’ & Retweets.
1 like = 1 respect? Huh? Please stop. Why are these RIP Facebook pages and parody Twitter accounts a thing that happens? Is there some type of reward for hundreds of thousands of Instagram and Facebook “likes” or Retweets that I don’t know about? How about this: 1 request for a like = 1 person who doesn’t understand how unimportant and trivial social media kudos are in the grand scheme of things. Can society do things (like grieve) in private or is it all about performance and public displays from now on? God, we are seriously so, so weird.
Honorable Mention: Cropping recently deceased celebrity’s face onto the body of an angel, or Photoshopping the celebrity in heaven with a quote that you’re 28% sure they may have said. #SoWeird.
What other weird things does the internet do when someone dies? Do you think the things listed are even weird? Share your thoughts in the comments.
This article originally appeared on Thought Catalog.
On…the….money- Especially the "quotes" all of a sudden you lived your life by all these quotes?! all of you?! I'd go on but I'm a happy man and I'll just sound angry lol
Ummm you just hit #4 I don't think people are saying they lived by these quotes they are simply commemorating the deceased by using some of the greatest quotes that person said during their lifetime.
I disagree with you on the jokes. If the joke is witty and funny, then I will laugh with no remorse. You may have to be careful where you tell the joke, but if you can deal with any potential backlash, go ahead with the joke.
Jokes are about timing, after a passing is always bad timing
My recent post Today’s Word is… GIFTS
I don't think jokes about a dead person is ever funny. What if someone made a joke about a person in your family after they died? The jokes are never positive it always about something negative the person did.
Whether people laugh at the jokes depends largely upon who died. No one is laughing at any Mandela jokes. However people are still laughing about Michael Jackson.
I don't understand these things either….but who am I to judge what other people do. I just don't pay it any mind and keep it moving. Most of the time I don't think people put a lot of thought into what they are posting or what effect it could have on others. It's all about them.
My recent post Marvelous Monday
It is…I liked a handful of Paul walker movies am I about to plaster that man all over my social media for likes n referred…hell no
My recent post Today’s Word is… GIFTS
thats just how daily twitter operates
by the way – i didnt know who that white guy was until the internet told me when he passed
My recent post BLACK MAN IS JAPAN’S TOP TV COMMERCIAL ACTOR
So much facts in this post. Lol at #pajamasoverpeople
My recent post Today’s Word is… GIFTS
Social media has done a wonderful job at exposing how stupid, petty, prejudice, prideful and thirsty for respect our society really is. Its a big and badder truth serum than alcohol could ever be.
Death of a celebrity is merely one of the things that brings this all to light