"selfies" at funerals

I was pleased that the SA Association for the Deaf were quick to flag up that there was something wrong (although I was watching and I noticed that something wasn't right, he was waving his arms around, but I was just mildly puzzled and then let it go). Soutra there are some very funny YouTube's doing the rounds, including one where he fashions a balloon animal.

As for comment on the 'selfie' this cartoon is by far the best one:

archbishop-cranmer.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/the-obsession-with-selfie.html

Our nieces in South Africa met Mandela, or Tata Madiba as they called him, at their school soon after he became President. They worship him and saw him as a real saviour, uniter and freedom giver- and I was very supportive of their posts sharing they distress and sadness when he died, on FB. But I did feel very uncomfortable when they started sharing lots of selfies at the funeral and actually deleted them.

My OH's family suffered terribly at the time of Apartheid, as due to their very mixed genetic heritage, they were born in various shades. When apartheid came about, the family was split, mainly coloureds/Malays, a couple deemed black as they were darker, and OH's dad the only one deemed 'white' and OH's mum coloured- hence not allowed to live totether any more. Fortunately has father was English, the family emigrated to UK when OH was a toddler, in 1947. A terrible, terrible system- and even worse for mixed families.

Were the selfies actually taken at the funeral or at the celebration of Mandela's life (the one Obama was at)? That might make a difference. Also, funereal traditions in SA may well be very different from the solemnity we may be used to, don't you think?

At the celebration- and yes, I know about different traditions. But all the big posing made me feel uncomfortable. Didn't tell them of course- just deleted them from my wall. They are indeed a lovely bunch.