Overkill

[Beef Oven!]

Through some of these latter posts, as a community we are being enlightened and heading towards a possible consensus!

And as Anna says, if not, don't worry (or post) about it

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I had no idea what he had done since and I do not say that for effect, I genuinely could not tell you why he is so famous.

I suggest that many "celebrities" pass away having not crossed the radar of most people for many years, but are manipulated by the media into being "shocked".

[Mary Chambers]

I'm a bit scared to say anything, since my posts on the other thread were removed when I said I knew nothing about him but his name - but it is true. Same goes for most of my friends and relations, so we are all a bit bemused by the vast amount of coverage. I assumed it must be a generational thing, and that we are too old to have been affected - but my sons don't seem affected either, although they know more than I do about him.

I was in my 30s when he came on the scene, in my 20s when the Beatles started. I know much more about the Beatles, but was never seriously interested in them - again, a bit too old to be taking pop music seriously. Then I looked back to my teens, and I suppose - but I could be wrong - the big names then were people like Elvis, Frankie Lane and Dickie Valentine. If anything I thought them funny. I remember thinking Bill Haley (when was he?) was very funny, unintentionally of course.

I can only assume I was only ever really interested in 'classical' music. I loved singing, and that didn't mean yelling or groaning into a microphone. The singers I admired were - my goodness, miles apart - Peter Pears and Maria Callas. My style icons were people like Margot Fonteyn or Jackie Kennedy. If there was a man whose style I admired, it was Rudolf Nureyev.

[Beef Oven!]

I'm a bit scared to say anything, since my posts on the other thread were removed when I said I knew nothing about him but his name - but it is true. Same goes for most of my friends and relations, so we are all a bit bemused by the vast amount of coverage. I assumed it must be a generational thing, and that we are too old to have been affected - but my sons don't seem affected either, although they know more than I do about him.

I was in my 30s when he came on the scene, in my 20s when the Beatles started. I know much more about the Beatles, but was never seriously interested in them - again, a bit too old to be taking pop music seriously. Then I looked back to my teens, and I suppose - but I could be wrong - the big names then were people like Elvis, Frankie Lane and Dickie Valentine. If anything I thought them funny. I remember thinking Bill Haley (when was he?) was very funny, unintentionally of course.

I can only assume I was only ever really interested in 'classical' music. I loved singing, and that didn't mean yelling or groaning into a microphone. The singers I admired were - my goodness, miles apart - Peter Pears and Maria Callas. My style icons were people like Margot Fonteyn or Jackie Kennedy. If there was a man whose style I admired, it was Rudolf Nureyev.

Do you think that the fact that you and your family know or care very little about Bowie is important, or even relevant?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I'm a bit scared to say anything, since my posts on the other thread were removed when I said I knew nothing about him but his name - but it is true.

Don't be. Posts were only removed if they were felt to be inappropriate on a tribute thread. Feel free to express yourself, and ignore those who might try to put you down.

[jean]

It is relevant to this thread, which by definition is not a tribute thread.

[Beef Oven!]

It is relevant to this thread, which by definition is not a tribute thread.

Yes, to the thread, but that's an easy threshold. I mean in relation to this whole thing over the last two days.

[Mary Chambers]

Do you think that the fact that you and your family know or care very little about Bowie is important, or even relevant?

I really don't know, but I think it's worth pointing out that the appeal of any 'icon' is not universal. I presume the thoughts of those of us who are truly puzzled are as important as the thoughts of those who understand what it's all about. The amount of coverage this event has generated (which is what I thought this thread was about) seems to me to imply that it's important to everybody.

[zola]

Sir Georg Solti's death on 5th September 1997, passed almost unnoticed. This was due to the death of Princess Diana, five days earlier. Had they died on the same day, the neglect would have been easier to understand, but nearly a week had passed by. Compare this with the situation when a celebrity of the Popular variety passes away.

Could have been worse. What about Prokofiev ?

There is a never ending ( but ultimately futile ) discussion to be had about what constitutes "news". The media deem that the death of a famous person is news. Who one regards as famous will vary but it is hard to argue against the conjecture that many people had heard of David Bowie. The level of coverage was much greater than that which greeted the death of Cilla Black. If it had been Rod Stewart who had died yesterday, there would have been coverage and a few clips of Maggie May but nothing like the same reaction.

There is no point trying to convince anyone who had no idea who Bowie was about the difference in significance between him and for instance Rod Stewart ( who is a random selection on my part as being vaguely comparable ) But then please do not assume that viewing one you tube clip sums up an entire fifty year career.

[Wallace]

Do you think that the fact that you and your family know or care very little about Bowie is important, or even relevant?

Yes - highly relevant in the context of this thread where we are discussing why some of us were puzzled by the reaction to the news of David Bowie's death. I find it interesting to explore the reasons why different groups of people can have very different views of the world because of their differing experiences. A description of those experiences is important input to the discussion.

[BBMmk2]

Possibly because the media generally and the PM know very little of whichever classical composer/conductor/instrumentalist/singer in question?

Just shows the ignorance of people, when something like this happens

[Don Petter]

From time to time it is brought home to me that the way I perceive the world is not the way most other people see it. Yesterday was such a time. I knew the name David Bowie and remembered, when I was young, hearing a song of his about spacemen – but that was it. I had no idea what he had done since and I do not say that for effect, I genuinely could not tell you why he is so famous. (A look at Wikipedia told me that he did a lot but evidently it all passed me by.) So when it became apparent on his death that he clearly meant so much to so many people, it came as a shock to me to realise that I could not connect in any way with what people were discussing. It was a moment when I felt apart.

So was yesterday an overreaction? I have no idea as I do not know what people were reacting to. But this says much more about me that it does about David Bowie and the many people who will miss him. Nevertheless, I do gain some comfort from reading this thread and knowing that I am not alone and that there are others who are also puzzled by what happened yesterday.

You are not alone. I echo your thoughts (and didn't even know the spacemen) with ignorance of what had passed me by. Nonetheless, I am happy to record my sympathy and ignore the hype.

[Beef Oven!]

I really don't know, but I think it's worth pointing out that the appeal of any 'icon' is not universal. I presume the thoughts of those of us who are truly puzzled are as important as the thoughts of those who understand what it's all about. The amount of coverage this event has generated (which is what I thought this thread was about) seems to me to imply that it's important to everybody.

But how can you be puzzled, when you've just explained what it's all about for you and your icons?

I don't take the amount of coverage to mean that Bowie is important to everyone. But it's clear that whoever he's important to, it is a big and wide-ranging number.

[Beef Oven!]

You are not alone. I echo your thoughts (and didn't even know the spacemen) with ignorance of what had passed me by. Nonetheless, I am happy to record my sympathy and ignore the hype.

I must say, that's my standard response to hype.

[Beef Oven!]

Yes - highly relevant in the context of this thread where we are discussing why some of us were puzzled by the reaction to the news of David Bowie's death. I find it interesting to explore the reasons why different groups of people can have very different views of the world because of their differing experiences. A description of those experiences is important input to the discussion.

But surely you're not puzzled anymore?