Are we over emotional ?

I've just seen my first tv coverage of him today. It reminds me how odd I always thought him. Weird really.

But I do like that Star man song. I seem to remember seeing a video of him dancing once. I think it was to Dancing in the Street. But I could be wrong.

Perhaps he's a bit over-hyped.

Deeda, I liked Harrison too

I am criticising BBC for filling the news with his death, the leading item at 6 and now again at 10 plus all day rolling news

Let those who wish light their candles but I don't want it on the news all day

It seems more important than the government's announcement today on more help for anorexic suffers , as my elder daughter is in hospital weighing under five stone and she is 8'9 , too weak to walk more than a few yards this is important not the death of a pop star from the seventies , and we have the doctors strike , even this is less important than interviewing a woman he lived with for a few months in the seventies

Had to give up with 10o'clock news enough is enough. I do like Bowie but please enough already.

I was never much of a Bowie fan, although he was very talented as a musician and an actor. I thought it was sad that he has died at a comparatively young age (speaking as another 69 year old) but not really worth hours of television coverage. For me George Harrison was more of a loss, I still think it's awful that George isn't somewhere out there.

I am impressed by the way he seems to have just quietly got on with living out the months he had left. Very different from the continual soul baring of some celebrities.

I'm pleased that the death of David Bowie has had so much coverage. He was one of the greatest musical talents that this country has ever produced and I think it's right, that on the day of his death he is remembered and his amazing talent is paid tribute too.

I grew up with his music and was fortunate enough to see him in concert 6 times; the best live performer I ever saw. Not to every one's taste but why shouldn't those who wish to show their respect by lighting candles and laying flowers etc. be able to do so without being criticised.

I'm not ashamed to say that I cried when I put the tv on this morning and heard the sad news. It's the end of an era. I have every album he ever produced and Mr. S. and I have had many great evenings listening to his music, always with the volume turned up high and will have a great many more.

and thanks for your truly amazing talent David Bowie.

wheniwasyourage I don't know why you think that was bizarre, and it's bugging me. Could you put me out of my misery by explaining. Please.

I guess nobody actually makes us listen to the radio and television news all day. There is an 'off' switch!

other people

Wheniwasyourage, by "evil bastards" I mean IS, al qaeda, and the like. The ones who would like to destroy our way of life.

David Bowie was more of my children's generation than mine tbh. But I'm not only talking about me. A lot of other are involved here!

I loved David Bowie in my youth , I do think the media over does it though . A simple announcement and short tribute would be better . I am generally an over emotional type but even I think it is too much . Same with Cilla , it began to get on my nerves after several hours .

I know how I feel and have had Major Tom running through my brain today (as the radio and tv have been off), and I feel sorry for his family.
But, quite honestly, I am not really interested in what Madonna, or anyone else for that matter, thinks.

I agree we can spare a few hours to remember an icon like Bowie but honestly, I've turned the radio off several times today because it's been wall to wall coverage.

Do a tribute hour, play his music on the music channels but the main stream news dominated by his death does seem odd to me. I've just put channel 4 news on, hoping to see coverage of the famine relief in Syria, updates on the proposed junior doctor strike tomorrow and the resignation of another shadow minister because of the chaos within the PLP. It's more emotional coverage of Bowie .

Channel 4 news which started at 7 is still on David Bowie. Sorry, jingl, "a few hours" is more than I'm prepared to spend on someone who I can't think of as one who touched my life particularly. I liked the Major Tom song, but couldn't tell you any of his others. I really think your saying that the "evil bastards" have won in that case is bizarre.

Well said jingle.

If we can't spare a few hours in one day to remember someone who touched the lives of most of us in this country, I think it's a sad thing. We might as well say the evil bastards causing suffering in the world have won. Our life has to go on.

I think all those who are 69 and reading about how he has died young at 69 are feeling cheered. (That they are 69 and alive and YOUNG I mean)

hummingbird I rolled my eyes when Madonna's tweet was read out.

loopylou the millions who are sad today about his death will not be as sad about the death of someone who was unknown to them, so in that respect it is a sadder death.

I didn't mind David Bowie, I think it's sad for his family that he's died and I know he was a creative genius and all that, but enough now! I don't want to hear other famous peoples' tweets read out on the BBC NEWS! I've turned everything off and am grumpily reading the paper.

It certainly seems overdoing it to me; yes, he's an icon to many, yes, it's very sad (but surely no sadder than any death), but I can't for the life of me understand why it's dominating the BBC news.

I can't do short posts either

It is news, he was a pop icon and a lot of people will be sad at his death, but to devote more time to David Bowie than all the other news and the weather together is a bit much. Shame the programme wasn't switched around so the piece on David Bowie was on after the rest of the news. That would have more appropriate.

Monica, do you know how to do short posts?

"Pop icons are not Gods and and probably more than half the population, if they have heard of them, are indifferent to them."

Probably not. But most of the Western world has heard about this one!