# Henning, Varney, and ? (death trifecta) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 12, 2000, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/henning-varney-and-death-trifecta/13738 "2000-02-12T06:18:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RTA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@RTA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTA)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2000, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/henning-varney-and-death-trifecta/13738/1 "2000-02-12T06:18:00Z")
Regular observers of death trifectae will no doubt have seen by now that we near the completion of a powerful and convincing “three-fer”. Doug Henning and Jim Varney, both fringe showbiz types who became caricatures of themselves before fading into realtive obscurity (though never losing their name recognition) several years ago. Henning croaks; Varney follows pretty quickly therafter, one-two. So who completes the trinity? Surely the individual would have to share a similar and cosmologically appropriate status (a Hope or Reagan, for example, would begin a new - and far more intense - death trifecta). My nominees are: Pauly Shore, Sandy Duncan, David Arquette, Ruth Buzzi, Adam West, Kristy McNichol. * * * I’m a loner, Dottie … a rebel. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2000, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/henning-varney-and-death-trifecta/13738/2 "2000-02-12T07:05:00Z")
Roger Vadim, director of _And God Created Woman_ and many other films, died on 2/11/2000 at age 72. Does he count? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2000, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/henning-varney-and-death-trifecta/13738/3 "2000-02-12T09:37:00Z")
Professional football player Derrick Thomas and vocalist/guitarist “Lonesome” Dave Peverett, of Foghat and Savoy Brown fame, both died within hours of Doug Henning’s death. ---
**Author:** ![zuma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9c0ed/32.png) [@zuma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zuma)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2000, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/henning-varney-and-death-trifecta/13738/4 "2000-02-12T11:40:00Z")
For some reason, the first annoying why-the-hell-are-they-famous-anyway person who came to mind was bronson “balki” pinchot. I’ll go with him, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Jomolungma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b2d939/32.png) [@Jomolungma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jomolungma)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2000, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/henning-varney-and-death-trifecta/13738/5 "2000-02-12T14:10:00Z")
I’ll nominate Morris Albert. \*Feelings – nothing more than feelings . . . \* ---
**Author:** ![RTA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@RTA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTA)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2000, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/henning-varney-and-death-trifecta/13738/6 "2000-02-12T16:29:00Z")
Roger Vadim could indeed be the stealth entry if nobody else qualifies … I _guess_ … though I confess it doesn’t ring true. Still watching the news for someone more appropriate to the jive-pop status of the previous 2; if nobody croaks then Vadim wins. Derrick Thomas does not qualify, he goes into a separate trifecta with the 4-time Super-Bowl Steel Curtain lineman who passed away the other day and whose name totally escapes me right now though we were talking about him yesterday. Another athlete must perish. Regrettably “Lonesome” Dave Peverett does not qualify because we are looking for someone of, shall we say, more notable across-the-board name recognition (if you had said his name to me yesterday, I would have guessed that he was a NASCAR driver). * * * I’m a loner, Dottie … a rebel. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2000, 6:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/henning-varney-and-death-trifecta/13738/7 "2000-02-13T06:25:00Z")
I’d disagree with David Arquette. His appearances in the still “hot” _Scream_ series as well as his recent marriage to top-rated TV star Courtney Cox has temporarily elevated him out of the show biz fringe. Emo Phillips, on the other hand, when’s the last time you heard his name? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2000, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/henning-varney-and-death-trifecta/13738/8 "2000-02-13T06:29:00Z")
my first thought was Chuck Barris. ---
**Author:** ![Alphagene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Alphagene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alphagene)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2000, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/henning-varney-and-death-trifecta/13738/9 "2000-02-12T21:42:00Z")
Nah, Arquette is still very much fringe. He’s got the embarrassing collect call commercials and his marraige to an actress who clearly needs a sperm donor desperately. Plus he’s incoherent on talk shows. I’ll vote for Jason Alexander. Here’s the headline too: _Dunston Checks Out_. * * * **Marge** : Your father is… resting. **Bart** : “Resting” hung over? “Resting” got fired? Help me out here. ---
**Author:** ![aseymayo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@aseymayo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aseymayo)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2000, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/henning-varney-and-death-trifecta/13738/10 "2000-02-13T00:23:00Z")
Well, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins can now be added to the Celebrity Death Toll. He doesn’t really fit in with Varney and Henning, though - Screamin’ actually had talent. > [@](#): > > I’ll vote for Jason Alexander Not Georgie! Nooooooooooo! ---
**Author:** ![ubermensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bcef8e/32.png) [@ubermensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ubermensch)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2000, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/henning-varney-and-death-trifecta/13738/11 "2000-02-13T01:07:00Z")
bob collins (very popular radio host of 720 am out of chicago) also died tuesday, and so did my grandmother, but she wasn’t famous, so that’s ok. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2000, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/henning-varney-and-death-trifecta/13738/12 "2000-02-13T01:24:00Z")
I nominate Stanley Myron Handelman! * * * =MqpN= ---
**Author:** ![Torgo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@Torgo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Torgo)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2000, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/henning-varney-and-death-trifecta/13738/13 "2000-02-13T02:22:00Z")
Coach Tom Landry, moments ago. * * * “My hovercraft is full of eels.” ---
**Author:** ![Sylence](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b19c9b/32.png) [@Sylence](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylence)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2000, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/henning-varney-and-death-trifecta/13738/14 "2000-02-13T02:38:00Z")
Well, that completes the football trifecta. . . – Sylence * * * If a bird doesn’t sing, I’ll wait until it sings. - Tokugawa Ieyasu ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2000, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/henning-varney-and-death-trifecta/13738/15 "2000-02-13T02:44:00Z")
What the ??? This doesn’t belong in the Pit. MPSIMS? GQ? ::flips coin:: MPSIMS. It’s trivia. Lynn For the Straight Dope ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2000, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/henning-varney-and-death-trifecta/13738/16 "2000-02-13T04:50:00Z")
Good call, Lynn. Having the question “Who’s the next celebrity to die?” in GQ might imply that someone knows the answer and I can foresee legal issues in that direction. Please, everyone, remember Rule #6. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2000, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/henning-varney-and-death-trifecta/13738/17 "2000-02-13T16:52:00Z")
Sadly enough, Charles Schultz completes the death trifecta. ---
**Author:** ![Arnold\_Winkelried](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Arnold\_Winkelried](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arnold_Winkelried)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2000, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/henning-varney-and-death-trifecta/13738/18 "2000-02-13T17:11:00Z")
Zette, the OP refers to _fringe showbiz types who became caricatures of themselves before fading into relative obscurity (though never losing their name recognition)_. I refuse to class Charles Schulz in that category (and I’m sure you didn’t mean it either.) ---
**Author:** ![RTA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b4bc9f/32.png) [@RTA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTA)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2000, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/henning-varney-and-death-trifecta/13738/19 "2000-02-13T17:19:00Z")
Right, Schulz certainly does NOT rank among the Varneys of the world … certainly not … He _may_ be in there with Vadim, we will see. Schulz’ is a powerful death and perhaps begins his own round of upper-echelon passings. At this time I do believe that “Screamin’” Jay Hawkins completes the Henning-Varney-Hawkins trifecta. But we’ll see; only time will tell. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2000, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/henning-varney-and-death-trifecta/13738/20 "2000-02-13T17:19:00Z")
Arnold, I certainly did not mean it that way…I meant it more in the manner of “bad things happen in threes”. I also really think I’m in shock over his death. I don’t normally get upset over celebrity deaths, but this reminds me of when Jim Henson died. I stood right there at work and cried. They were both a big part of my life. Zette * * * Love is like popsicles…you get too much you get too high. Not enough and you’re gonna die… [Zettecity](http://www.angelfire.com/ny3/zettecity/index.html) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/henning-varney-and-death-trifecta/13738.md?page=2)