To selfie or not to selfie

On Sunday I watched a live match (what am I saying ‘match’, The Derby) between Lazio and AS Roma. Football. The fire was crackling, I was already allowed a glass of wine and these things make my darling so extremely happy. Besides, the Italian players are not difficult to look at. Until Francesco Totti took one of his bronzed belly.

What he did? After his second goal (okay, okay, it was the equalising goal during the most exciting game of the year), he walked over to someone (I believe it was his physiotherapist or something), grabbed his phone and then took a selfie in front of the heaving crowd. And he took his time about it. Smoothed his hair, pursed his lips. Clicked, posted and then carried on playing.

Which led to quite a commotion. Especially from the coach of the opposing team, but anyway. It started me thinking; when is it inappropriate to take selfies?

Well, I found a few more.

Let’s begin with Auschwitz-selfies. No jokes. Young girls making duck faces under the Arbeit Macht Frei-gates with #Poland and #Jewish. And underneath a comment from a guy: OMG beauties! Oh dear people, where do I even start with explaining how wrong this is?

Then let’s move on to accident selfies. Imagine you’re driving over the M25 and three cars have a pile up, fire department, police, ambulance, everyone is deployed. You’re there at the moment, have nothing better to do and think; oh well I’ll take a quick accident-selfie.

Happens at other calamities too. I’m half expecting the first in-a-fire selfie with burning ships in the background. Anything that is a calamity is already bad. Let’s leave it there. And selfies with bad things = inappropriate.

If you’ve already been the committer of an improper selfie, I forgive you. You’re in good company. The most inappropriate selfie ever taken was by Obama at the funeral of Nelson Mandela. But don’t do it anymore. Promise?