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Times Journalist Camilla Long Feels The Wrath Of David Bowie Fans After Telling Them To ‘Man Up' Over Singer's Death

Telling Grieving Bowie Fans To 'Man Up' Was Never Going To Go Down Well
Matt Bagwell
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As much of the world came together over social media to mourn the death of David Bowie on Monday, journalist Camilla Long wasn’t feeling quite so sentimental.

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After news of the singer’s death from cancer made headlines around the globe, The Times journalist took to Twitter to take aim at the tributes that were pouring in from fans.

Rather than joining in with the swell of goodwill towards the music icon, Camilla called out what she described as "insincere social media grief", telling fans to "man up".

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Camilla Long

"After several lengthy trips to the vomitorium today, I am now rather dreading what will happen on social media when Paul McCartney dies,” she wrote.

"So many people 'crying' or 'in bits' over Bowie. F**K YOU. You are not ten - you are an adult. Man the f**k up and say something interesting. It is so deeply insincere watching all of this, that's all. I think grief should be private."

She continued: "This is NOTHING to do with Bowie. This is to do with the utter insincerity of social media grief, the odd mimicry and circle-jerkery of it."

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It wasn’t long before the inevitable happened as Bowie fans responded to her comments.

"You're an adult too. 'F**K YOU' and 'Man the f**k up' are the epitome of childish attention-seeking behaviour," one fan tweeted.

Another said: “Is this what you'll tell your kids? What an awful, destructive message to throw out there.”

"Most of your tweets are insincere. Most of your writing is insincere. So I don't see why you particularly care,” another fan added.

One fan tweeted: “In sorrow people cling to cliché, but that doesn't make their feelings any less genuine. Give them a break.”

"Probably avoid social media at times like these then, when people find relief and togetherness by mourning together," another fan tweeted.

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On Monday night, many of those grieving fans partied late into the night in South London to celebrate the star’s life.

In Brixton, where the singer was born, the streets were alight with an atmosphere akin to a festival as thousands gathered close to a permanent mural installed to celebrate its most famous son.

Brixton Bows For Bowie
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 11: Members of the public gather outside the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton to pay tribute to David Bowie on January 11, 2016 in London, England. British music and fashion icon David Bowie died earlier today at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images) (credit:John Phillips via Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 11: Members of the public gather outside the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton to pay tribute to David Bowie on January 11, 2016 in London, England. British music and fashion icon David Bowie died earlier today at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images) (credit:John Phillips via Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 11: Members of the public gather outside the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton to pay tribute to David Bowie on January 11, 2016 in London, England. British music and fashion icon David Bowie died earlier today at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer. on January 11, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images) (credit:John Phillips via Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 11: Members of the public gather outside the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton to pay tribute to David Bowie on January 11, 2016 in London, England. British music and fashion icon David Bowie died earlier today at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer. on January 11, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images) (credit:John Phillips via Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 11: The bust of SIr Henry Tate is painted by members of the public during a gathering to pay tribute to David Bowie in Brixton on January 11, 2016 in London, England. British music and fashion icon David Bowie died earlier today at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer. on January 11, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images) (credit:John Phillips via Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 11: A tribute to David Bowie is displayed outside Ritzy Cinema in Brixton on January 11, 2016 in London, England. British music and fashion icon David Bowie died earlier today at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer. on January 11, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images) (credit:John Phillips via Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 11: Members of the public gather outside the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton to pay tribute to David Bowie on January 11, 2016 in London, England. British music and fashion icon David Bowie died earlier today at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer. on January 11, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images) (credit:John Phillips via Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 11: Members of the public gather outside the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton to pay tribute to David Bowie on January 11, 2016 in London, England. British music and fashion icon David Bowie died earlier today at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images) (credit:John Phillips via Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 11: Members of the public gather outside the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton to pay tribute to David Bowie on January 11, 2016 in London, England. British music and fashion icon David Bowie died earlier today at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images) (credit:John Phillips via Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 11: Members of the public gather outside the Ritzy Cinema in Brixton to pay tribute to David Bowie on January 11, 2016 in London, England. British music and fashion icon David Bowie died earlier today at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer. (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images) (credit:John Phillips via Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 11: A boy leaves flowers beneath a mural of David Bowie in Brixton on January 11, 2016 in London, England. British music and fashion icon David Bowie died earlier today at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) (credit:Carl Court via Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 11: People perform David Bowie songs as they celebrate his life at a gathering in Brixton on January 11, 2016 in London, England. British music and fashion icon David Bowie died earlier today at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) (credit:Carl Court via Getty Images)
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People gather to listen to David Bowie songs as they celebrate his life in Brixton on January 11, 2016 in London, England. (credit:Carl Court via Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 11: A woman leaves flowers beneath a mural of David Bowie in Brixton on January 11, 2016 in London, England. British music and fashion icon David Bowie died earlier today at the age of 69 after a battle with cancer. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images) (credit:Carl Court via Getty Images)
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LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 11: Members of the media and public gather by a mural of David Bowie in Brixton on January 11, 2016 in London, England. (credit:Carl Court via Getty Images)
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Crowds gather to read and place floral tributes beneath a mural of British singer David Bowie, painted by Australian street artist James Cochran, aka Jimmy C, following the announcement of Bowie's death, in Brixton, south London, on January 11, 2016. (credit:NIKLAS HALLE'N via Getty Images)
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A woman with a tatoo of David Bowie reacts as she pays her respects in front of the British singer, painted by Australian street artist James Cochran, aka Jimmy C, following the announcement of Bowie's death, in Brixton, south London, on January 11, 2016. (credit:JUSTIN TALLIS via Getty Images)
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David Bowie fans gather in front of the Ritzy in Brixton. (credit:David Jensen/EMPICS Entertainment)
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People dance and sing to music by British singer David Bowie on Windrush Square in Brixton, south London, Monday, Jan. 11, 2016. (credit:Tim Ireland/AP)
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Brixton pound notes, a local currency introduced for use only in the south London borough of Brixton, are displayed for a photograph in Brixton on January 11, 2016, following the announcement of Bowie's death. (credit:CHRIS RATCLIFFE via Getty Images)

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