# Bad news for Valerie Harper **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 6, 2013, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-valerie-harper/652188 "2013-03-06T13:52:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-valerie-harper/652188/21 "2013-03-08T03:11:24Z")
> [@Sampiro](#): > > Possibly Not Safe For Work clips of [Valerie](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zxm4O-BICWI&feature=share)[as](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVxSJEdRYVc)[Tallulah](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5c0uPVG5Bk). I remember seeing Talulah Bankhead on TV in the 50s, and I think Valerie played the role even better than the original. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-valerie-harper/652188/22 "2013-03-08T03:59:36Z")
> [@alphaboi867](#): > > Sadly it looks this time like life has decided to replace her. Well, her ratings were way down. The executives had no choice, really. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2013, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-valerie-harper/652188/23 "2013-03-08T04:05:08Z")
Sad news. I had a big crush on her in _The Mary Tyler Moore Show_. ---
**Author:** ![kaemicha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@kaemicha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaemicha)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2013, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-valerie-harper/652188/24 "2013-03-10T23:06:02Z")
I was so sad to hear this. Valerie/Rhoda, has been ‘a part of my life’ for so long, she always seemed so pleasant and approachable, when interviewed and never had any pretense about being a celebrity. I feel so bad about her diagnosis but I feel even worse that the doctors gave her 4 months to live. They said that about my Dad, who went on to survive for 7 more years. No doctor should put a time frame on death. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2013, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-valerie-harper/652188/25 "2013-03-10T23:10:59Z")
> [@kaemicha](#): > > I was so sad to hear this. Valerie/Rhoda, has been ‘a part of my life’ for so long, she always seemed so pleasant and approachable, when interviewed and never had any pretense about being a celebrity. > I feel so bad about her diagnosis but I feel even worse that the doctors gave her 4 months to live. They said that about my Dad, who went on to survive for 7 more years. No doctor should put a time frame on death. ☹ Yes, it’s better when they give wildly overoptimistic prognoses instead. ---
**Author:** ![kaemicha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@kaemicha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaemicha)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2013, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-valerie-harper/652188/26 "2013-03-10T23:18:40Z")
> [@Shmendrik](#): > > Yes, it’s better when they give wildly overoptimistic prognoses instead. Do I detect a note of sarcasm? :dubious: No, it’s not best when they lie, it’s just better not to give a timeline, since I’ve seen way too many people survive, in spite of what their doctors have told them. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2013, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-valerie-harper/652188/27 "2013-03-10T23:25:25Z")
> [@kaemicha](#): > > Do I detect a note of sarcasm? :dubious: I’m glad you responded before I got a chance to respond upon your behalf because my response might have gotten a Mod warning. Where I come from it’s not cool to throw out snark in response to someone who has shared a story about losing a parent. ---
**Author:** ![Carl\_Corey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Carl\_Corey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carl_Corey)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-valerie-harper/652188/28 "2013-03-11T03:03:34Z")
Well, he is a shmendrik. ---
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-valerie-harper/652188/29 "2013-03-11T04:56:18Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > I’m glad you responded before I got a chance to respond upon your behalf because my response might have gotten a Mod warning. Where I come from it’s not cool to throw out snark in response to someone who has shared a story about losing a parent. That’s true. I have to say I read it more as a story about not losing a parent (within the doctor’s pessimistic time frame), and apologize for the snark. However, the fact is that studies have shown that physicians, especially oncologists, are consistently overoptimistic, and many or most patients do want a general idea of what their prognosis is. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-valerie-harper/652188/30 "2013-03-11T05:05:15Z")
Thank you, **Shmendrik**. ---
**Author:** ![kaemicha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@kaemicha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaemicha)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2013, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-valerie-harper/652188/31 "2013-03-11T07:26:09Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > I’m glad you responded before I got a chance to respond upon your behalf because my response might have gotten a Mod warning. Where I come from it’s not cool to throw out snark in response to someone who has shared a story about losing a parent. Thank you! I’m a newbie and need all the help I can get! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2013, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-valerie-harper/652188/32 "2013-03-16T23:15:24Z")
Whoa. I just saw her on Access Hollywood. She is handling this thing like a SUPERHERO. I mean…if there is fear in her, I can’t detect a drop of it. Her courage is just…I can’t even describe it. She seems absolutely genuine in living the philosophy, “Live in the moment”. I have heard that phrase a billion times in my lifetime. She is the first one to make me really believe that the speaker is doing just that. ETA: I mean, even faux-courage is admirable. When people say courageous things when they are facing horrid circumstances…that is admirable even when I realize they may just be putting on a brave face. I admire the courage it takes to do that. But Valerie seems to actually BELIEVE authentically that there is nothing to fear, as death is simply a part of life. I can’t explain it, but her absolute sincerity in getting that message across impressed me even above the levels bravery that I usually see from people who know they are dying soon. ---
**Author:** ![Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/prof.pepperwinkle/32/13627_2.png) [@Prof.Pepperwinkle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prof.Pepperwinkle)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-valerie-harper/652188/33 "2013-08-28T20:10:22Z")
New York Daily News has announced that Valerie Harper, who is still not dead yet, has signed to be a competitor on _Dancing With The Stars_. You gotta admire that kind of spirit. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-valerie-harper/652188/34 "2013-08-28T20:19:56Z")
Maybe I’m evil, but my first thought was “Very shrewd! Who would vote against a competitor with terminal brain cancer? She should go far in the competition!” ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-valerie-harper/652188/35 "2013-08-28T20:34:33Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > Maybe I’m evil, but my first thought was “Very shrewd! Who would vote against a competitor with terminal brain cancer? She should go far in the competition!” If you are, I am, too, because _my_ first thought was “Wow, if she doesn’t win there will be people who, regardless of how good a dancer she is, get upset because the sick lady got voted off.” ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-valerie-harper/652188/36 "2013-08-28T20:42:06Z")
Why am I picturing a David Cross sketch about this? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-valerie-harper/652188/37 "2013-08-28T21:07:48Z")
Actually, what VH is a poster girl for is Rhoda Syndrome… where the schlumpy sidekick intended to make the central character appear more glamorous gets glammier and glammier herself, until she outshines the main character. (Then is killed or spun off, usually into failure, no one having remembered that she was and always will be sidekick material and not a star.) Sad news, though. Pretty, funny lady and no one should have to go down this way. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-valerie-harper/652188/38 "2013-08-28T21:41:56Z")
When Harper gets into a dispute with TPTB, _Dancing with the Stars_ will be renamed _Dancing with the Hogan Family_ D&R Good luck to you Valerie! ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2013, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-valerie-harper/652188/39 "2013-08-28T21:43:27Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > what VH is a poster girl for is Rhoda Syndrome Well, I should hope so. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2013, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-valerie-harper/652188/40 "2013-08-29T02:20:26Z")
Zombies can dance? :eek: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-valerie-harper/652188.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-news-for-valerie-harper/652188.md?page=3)