# Greatest living American elimination game (game thread) **URL:** \ **Category:** Thread Games\ **Created:** [June 16, 2025, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715 "2025-06-16T19:12:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2025, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/81 "2025-06-25T20:51:49Z")
I’ll stick with Amory Lovins, for reasons already stated. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2025, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/82 "2025-06-25T21:11:10Z")
Taylor Swift. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2025, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/83 "2025-06-25T21:57:46Z")
I’ll vote Amory Lovins. A lot of concept, not so much practical. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2025, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/84 "2025-06-25T22:04:54Z")
Amanda Gorman again. I fail to see how, if you’re voting out artists, she’s ahead of Taylor Swift or Stephen King. Purely that poetry is higher status than music and novels? ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2025, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/85 "2025-06-25T22:27:36Z")
Tim Walz. Good man, not great. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2025, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/86 "2025-06-25T23:02:21Z")
Simon Biles ---
**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:** [June 25, 2025, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/87 "2025-06-25T23:03:21Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Tim Walz. Good man, not great. I’m voting for Tim Walz again this round as well, especially when considering the other people in his lane. ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2025, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/88 "2025-06-25T23:30:10Z")
Right? Who nominated that Walz guy? [checks notes] Ah, Christ. Well, I’m fine with that, but I’ll still take him over Taylor Swift. So, she gets my vote. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2025, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/89 "2025-06-25T23:59:41Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > Amanda Gorman again. I fail to see how, if you’re voting out artists, she’s ahead of Taylor Swift or Stephen King. Purely that poetry is higher status than music and novels? I agree with this. Also not sure how one could argue that Taylor Swift deserves to be voted out before Dolly Parton. They’re both female pop singers who promote positive feminist values, but Swift’s influence on American culture has been far greater. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2025, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/90 "2025-06-26T01:27:41Z")
I’ll vote Walz off the island this round. Good guy, but great? ---
**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2025, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/91 "2025-06-26T01:30:25Z")
Joining the Taylor Swift bandwagon ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2025, 9:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/92 "2025-06-26T09:49:11Z")
Tim Walz WRT Dolly Parton, it’s not entirely the music, it’s also the philanthropy, and highly kindness forward lifestyle. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2025, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/93 "2025-06-26T14:56:56Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > WRT Dolly Parton, it’s not entirely the music, it’s also the philanthropy, and highly kindness forward lifestyle. How does that differ from Taylor Swift? She also [gives a great deal of money to charity](https://www.newsweek.com/taylor-swift-charity-donations-2024-hurricane-milton-helene-food-banks-1967664) and seems to be living a “highly kindness forward” lifestyle. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2025, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/94 "2025-06-26T19:19:37Z")
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. I’ve never been able to decide which is more boring – basketball or baseball. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2025, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/95 "2025-06-26T19:33:17Z")
Kareem makes an interesting analogue to Biles, in that both were so darn good at their sports that they kind of “broke” them at one point in their careers: > **[Slam dunk | Lew Alcindor rule](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slam_dunk#Lew_Alcindor_rule)** > > Dunking was banned in the NCAA and high school sports from 1967 to 1976. Many people have attributed the ban to the dominance of the college phenomenon Lew Alcindor (now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar); the no-dunking rule is sometimes referred to as the "Lew Alcindor rule." Others have attributed the ban to racial motivations, as at the time most of the prominent dunkers in college basketball were African-American, and the ban took place less than a year after the 1966 NCAA But frankly, with Robert Hays unnominated and Barbara Billingsley dead, who else can occupy that vital “member of Airplane! cast” slot? ---
**Author:** ![Southern\_Yankee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/southern_yankee/32/2800_2.png) [@Southern\_Yankee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southern_Yankee)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2025, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/96 "2025-06-26T22:54:53Z")
I’ll stay with Walz again. No offense and keep on fighting the good fight. I think he would probably vote himself off after a few rounds. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2025, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/97 "2025-06-26T23:11:00Z")
> [@Thing.Fish](#): > > How does that differ from Taylor Swift? She also [gives a great deal of money to charity](https://www.newsweek.com/taylor-swift-charity-donations-2024-hurricane-milton-helene-food-banks-1967664) and seems to be living a “highly kindness forward” lifestyle. Dolly has been running a charity for decades that has distributed millions of books to children and helped fund the research for the first COVID vaccine. > **[Fact check: Dolly Parton helped fund Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine research](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/11/21/fact-check-dolly-parton-donated-modernas-covid-19-vaccine-studies/6373339002/)** > > A large donation made in April by Dolly Parton caught the attention of social media users after Moderna announced a promising new COVID-19 vaccine. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2025, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/98 "2025-06-26T23:17:36Z")
Kareem is also an actor, writer, and activist, btw. ---
**Author:** ![Thing.Fish](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thing.fish/32/9168_2.png) [@Thing.Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing.Fish)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/99 "2025-06-27T00:07:34Z")
Yes, I didn’t nominate him just because he was a great athlete, though obviously he was. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2025, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715/100 "2025-06-27T00:19:38Z")
I’m pretty sure I nominated Kareem. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greatest-living-american-elimination-game-game-thread/1019715.md?page=6)