# Fransisco is still dead **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 28, 2004, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fransisco-is-still-dead/252474 "2004-06-28T01:54:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2004, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fransisco-is-still-dead/252474/1 "2004-06-28T01:54:39Z")
In the thread on Jim Morrison someone mentioned Fransisco Franco, former dictator(yes?) of Spain. Why did Chevy Chase alwasy say he was still dead? Did he die under mysterious circumstances? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2004, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fransisco-is-still-dead/252474/2 "2004-06-28T02:00:10Z")
It took a long time for Franco to die. He was constantly on the news during that time, with reports of his lingering dying process part of the regular national nightly news announcements. Once he died, it seemed humorously logical to continue to update us all on his condition. ---
**Author:** ![VernWinterbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c67d28/32.png) [@VernWinterbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VernWinterbottom)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2004, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fransisco-is-still-dead/252474/3 "2004-06-28T02:01:55Z")
It was simply a spoof on how news broadcasters fill slow news days by dragging old news stories out longer than many audience members can tolerate. There was so much news about Franco dying, that to hear, a couple of weeks later, “Generalisimo Francisco Franco is _still_ dead.” was very funny. ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2004, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fransisco-is-still-dead/252474/4 "2004-06-28T02:04:12Z")
So when did he die ad how long after that did Chevy start the routine? ---
**Author:** ![VernWinterbottom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/c67d28/32.png) [@VernWinterbottom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VernWinterbottom)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2004, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fransisco-is-still-dead/252474/5 "2004-06-28T02:13:33Z")
I’m pretty sure Chevy included the “still dead” line on the next Saturday’s “Weekend Update.” You can probably look up Franco’s death as easily as I can. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2004, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fransisco-is-still-dead/252474/6 "2004-06-28T03:38:43Z")
IIRC, there might have been a false alarm or two about Franco’s death as well- reports that he had died that were then retracted. I believe that played into the joke as well. ---
**Author:** ![Eegba](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Eegba](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eegba)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2004, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fransisco-is-still-dead/252474/7 "2004-06-28T04:04:15Z")
Hey, there’s even a [wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generalissimo_Francisco_Franco_is_still_dead) about it ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2004, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fransisco-is-still-dead/252474/8 "2004-06-28T13:17:16Z")
And it was always best when they did this piece for the hearing impaired viewers…with Garret Morris inset in a picture, like he is about to use sign language…but instead yells **"THE TOP STORY TONIGHT: GENERALISIMO FRANSISCO FRANCO IS STILL DEAD!"** ---
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fransisco-is-still-dead/252474/9 "2004-06-29T02:54:28Z")
ah, the good ol days, when SNL was actually good. ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fransisco-is-still-dead/252474/10 "2004-06-29T07:41:46Z")
The whole Franco sketch predates my birth, but my parents have mentioned it. A couple of weeks ago, when Reagan’s death was the front page story for about six days straight, that was all I could think of when I took the paper in in the morning - ‘and El Presidente Reagan is still dead.’ ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2004, 10:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fransisco-is-still-dead/252474/11 "2004-06-29T10:08:15Z")
> [@Eegba](#): > > Hey, there’s even a [wiki](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generalissimo_Francisco_Franco_is_still_dead) about it I was disappointed to find you meant a wiki _entry_ 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2004, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fransisco-is-still-dead/252474/12 "2004-06-30T17:45:08Z")
Of course, this was revived in a Max Headroom gag: “Special bulletin : There is still no news from New Zealand. If they ever have any, we’ll be sure to let you know.” Same idea, different butt.