This picture sums up the mood on Twitter on Saturday. News had just come in about the death of Amy Winehouse while most of us were still digesting what had happened the day before in Norway. Those who weren’t comparing the two tragedies were either expressing their disgust at people’s abhorrant attitudes to addiction or having a pop at the people saying Norway was a far worthier cause to get upset about.
Who made us the judge?
What is newsworthy to one person isn’t necessarily to the another. Having said that, the news tends to feed us what we want to hear, whether the story be good or bad. The great Glen was musing about the lack of coverage for the famine situation in Africa on Saturday morning versus the cacophony of rolling news about Norway (much of which was wrong and downright offensive).
Was the situation in Norway perhaps easier for us to hear? After all, there’s not much we can do about a madman on the rampage. It’s much easier to consume that information. It’s one-way. Watching the news about a famine can actually prompt you to do something to help. And who can be arsed with that? Maybe not us. Add to that the fact the people in Norway are a bit like us (white, and in Europe) and you can see why it’s perhaps easier not just to consume, but to identify with the suffering there.
Now compare that to Winehouse. I have no idea if there were more comments on Twitter about her than Norway but I can understand how there can perhaps be more personal empathy. If you are more inclined to sympathise with Norway than Africa then why can’t you be further inclined to sympathise with Winehouse. I think more of us have heard about Amy and have listened to her music than have a connection with Norway. We all appreciate her talent as well as know people who have suffered from addiction. We also know people who have died. Is it easier to identify with a single death of one personality? Perhaps.
Saying this, I don’t think people were more bereft by Winehouse’s death than Norway. They just expressed sorrow and for one reason or another, got picked up on it. Unnecessarily, just like in that picture.
Whatever it is we’re interested in or however we feel, we shouldn’t be made to feel bad about it. But on this I’m with the people expressing their disgust at people’s abhorrant attitudes to addiction and with the people questioning others comparison of Winehouse and Norway. Why bother? I really didn’t understand the point. Was it to make people feel silly for being sad about a young woman’s death? It felt a bit like that. It did nothing other than make people feel bad about their feelings and in some cases, genuine grief.
