# A-list celebrity litmus test

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-list-celebrity-litmus-test/832343>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [April 10, 2019, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-list-celebrity-litmus-test/832343 "2019-04-10T17:08:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![dorvann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df705f/32.png) [@dorvann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorvann)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2019, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-list-celebrity-litmus-test/832343/21 "2019-04-11T22:36:03Z")

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> [@Quartz](#):
>
> I disagree: they’re all dead.

“They’re decomposing composers.  
There’s nothing much anyone can do.  
You can still hear Beethoven,  
But Beethoven cannot hear you.”

[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjWPXybVjYE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjWPXybVjYE)

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**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2019, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-list-celebrity-litmus-test/832343/22 "2019-04-12T05:47:25Z")

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I think being A list has more to do with how widely known someone is rather than how dedicated their most hardcore fans are. Mentioning the celebrity in question to a random person and having a reasonable expectation that person not only recognizes the name but what they are famous for is probably a good rule of thumb.

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**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2019, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-list-celebrity-litmus-test/832343/23 "2019-04-12T05:48:11Z")

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> [@Cardigan](#):
>
> Who qualifies as an A-list celebrity in 2019? George Clooney? Julia Roberts? Dustin Hoffman? Meryl Streep? Yes? Then what about Lisa Kudrow, Betty White, or Ashton Kutcher? Or maybe Carrot Top or Mr. T?

Dustin Hoffman has been on the “difficult actors” list for at least the past 20 years, maybe more. At least two other Hoffmans (Gaby and Philllip Seymour) were in higher demand for much of that time. I’m glad he’s on that **Meet the Fokkers** gravy train in his dotage (The line “Oh no, they make ribbons all the way to tenth place” cracks me up way more than it should, for which I credit Hoffman’s delivery), but he hasn’t been an A-lister since maybe **Ishtar**.

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**Author:** ![Isamu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/7c8e57/32.png) [@Isamu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isamu)\
**Post date:** [April 12, 2019, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-list-celebrity-litmus-test/832343/24 "2019-04-12T05:52:27Z")

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> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#):
>
> That’s a “T-list” celebrity. For train wreck.

Is Mr T on that list too? With Ice T?

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