# Ah crap: Aretha Franklin has pancreatic cancer **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 9, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ah-crap-aretha-franklin-has-pancreatic-cancer/563564 "2010-12-09T19:12:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ah-crap-aretha-franklin-has-pancreatic-cancer/563564/1 "2010-12-09T19:12:26Z")
Announced on the NBC news last night. Since this is almost always fatal, this is probably a death watch. [Link.](http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2010/12/09/2010-12-09_aretha_franklin_set_to_leave_hospital_despite_grim_pancreatic_cancer_diagnosis.html) ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ah-crap-aretha-franklin-has-pancreatic-cancer/563564/2 "2010-12-09T19:18:10Z")
My post on facebook upon hearing the news: > [@](#): > > I just heard that Aretha Franklin has pancreatic cancer. It will be particularly sad to lose her, because seeing as how a female has to look like some ridiculous ideal to have a singing career these days, we might not ever see a popular talent like her again. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ah-crap-aretha-franklin-has-pancreatic-cancer/563564/3 "2010-12-09T19:31:34Z")
There was a televised concert within the past few years with a title that included the word “divas”. The singers were a bevy of recent “talent” and Aretha. She put them to shame with a voice that could still knock down enemy missiles. ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2010, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ah-crap-aretha-franklin-has-pancreatic-cancer/563564/4 "2010-12-09T20:15:50Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > There was a televised concert within the past few years with a title that included the word “divas”. The singers were a bevy of recent “talent” and Aretha. She put them to shame with a voice that could still knock down enemy missiles. that was the first VH-1 Divas show; I have commented on that here in the past. Folks like Gloria Estefan embarrassed themselves; Whitney and Mariah did fine, but fell away; Bonnie Raitt totally held her own because she stuck to what she was good at and sang like an old soul, but the difference between all of them and Aretha was so laughable it wasn’t even funny - they should’ve just called it a Tribute to the Queen. She’s a physical law and a natural resource and, like a Keith Richards, a joy to indulge as a high-maintenance talent. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ah-crap-aretha-franklin-has-pancreatic-cancer/563564/5 "2010-12-10T17:56:04Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > that was the first VH-1 Divas show; I have commented on that here in the past. Folks like Gloria Estefan embarrassed themselves; Whitney and Mariah did fine, but fell away; Bonnie Raitt totally held her own because she stuck to what she was good at and sang like an old soul, but the difference between all of them and Aretha was so laughable it wasn’t even funny - they should’ve just called it a Tribute to the Queen. > > She’s a physical law and a natural resource and, like a Keith Richards, a joy to indulge as a high-maintenance talent. Yeah, that was it. It should have been titled “Aretha and a bunch of other no-talents. Oh, and Bonnie Raitt”. ---
**Author:** ![fuzzypickles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9d8465/32.png) [@fuzzypickles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fuzzypickles)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ah-crap-aretha-franklin-has-pancreatic-cancer/563564/6 "2010-12-10T18:34:43Z")
Oh shit, not AGAIN… ☹ Does anyone know which type of cancer she has? Steve Jobs got lucky, so maybe there’s hope. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ah-crap-aretha-franklin-has-pancreatic-cancer/563564/7 "2010-12-10T18:40:33Z")
Dear Aretha: We offer our R-E-S-P-E-C-T!