# Madeline Kahn... I didn't even know she was sick! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 4, 1999, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madeline-kahn-i-didnt-even-know-she-was-sick/11729 "1999-12-04T00:07:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 1999, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madeline-kahn-i-didnt-even-know-she-was-sick/11729/1 "1999-12-04T00:07:00Z")
She died today of ovarian cancer. ☹ * * * – Teeming Millions: [http://fathom.org/teemingmillions](http://fathom.org/teemingmillions) “Meat flaps, yellow!” - DrainBead, naked co-ed Twister chat O p a l C a t [www.opalcat.com](http://www.opalcat.com) ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 1999, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madeline-kahn-i-didnt-even-know-she-was-sick/11729/2 "1999-12-04T00:13:00Z")
So sorry to hear that. She was a talented lady and a terrifically funny actress. I’ll pull out my DVDs of _Blazing Saddles_ and _Young Frankenstein_ this weekend. ---
**Author:** ![Cap\_n\_Crude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Cap\_n\_Crude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cap_n_Crude)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 1999, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madeline-kahn-i-didnt-even-know-she-was-sick/11729/3 "1999-12-04T00:14:00Z")
Yeah, I just heard that on the radio. We’ve lost a gifted performer. ---
**Author:** ![TVeblen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@TVeblen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TVeblen)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 1999, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madeline-kahn-i-didnt-even-know-she-was-sick/11729/4 "1999-12-04T00:16:00Z")
Damn. I didn’t know she was sick either. I enjoyed her work…a lot. She was such an unlikely comedienne, with that huge presence and amazing voice. May she rest in peace. She gave me some great moments of laughter. I hope somewhere, some of her fellow thespians throw a wake where they sing “I’m Tired” in her honor. Veb ---
**Author:** ![MrKnowItAll](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrknowitall/32/87_2.png) [@MrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 1999, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madeline-kahn-i-didnt-even-know-she-was-sick/11729/5 "1999-12-04T01:45:00Z")
All I hear today is about Gene Rayburn, and it took this long for me to hear about Madeline Kahn? My god, the world sucks. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 1999, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madeline-kahn-i-didnt-even-know-she-was-sick/11729/6 "1999-12-04T01:53:00Z")
No shit? That’s a shame. ---
**Author:** ![elelle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f0a364/32.png) [@elelle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elelle)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 1999, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madeline-kahn-i-didnt-even-know-she-was-sick/11729/7 "1999-12-04T03:05:00Z")
This is the first news & I’m sad, too. When I was 11, I was next to her at the baggage carousel in NYC, and recognised her (Young Frankenstein era), and was gaga in a kid way. She was sweet & gracious & funny, and gave her time to a kid. She did a lot to further the acceptance of a woman as sexy, tough, funny and feminine. Hot Stuff! ---
**Author:** ![SterlingNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@SterlingNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SterlingNorth)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 1999, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madeline-kahn-i-didnt-even-know-she-was-sick/11729/8 "1999-12-04T04:14:00Z")
I just heard about it five minutes ago. I don’t know what to say. . . ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 1999, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madeline-kahn-i-didnt-even-know-she-was-sick/11729/9 "1999-12-05T05:01:00Z")
Her first appearance on SNL was great, especially “I Feel Pretty” as bride of Frankenstein. ---
**Author:** ![Doug\_Bowe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/df788c/32.png) [@Doug\_Bowe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doug_Bowe)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 1999, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madeline-kahn-i-didnt-even-know-she-was-sick/11729/10 "1999-12-05T06:17:00Z")
MK announced that she had been fighting this about a month ago, according to the AP. But I guess where ever she announced it, none of us were watching that show. There seems to be one giveaway…or at least there seems to be a history here… Let’s say you’re watching 60 Minutes and one of the segments is dedicated to a famous person who really hasn’t done anything great _lately_. And it’s really complementary and Mike Wallace isn’t trying “expose” something… If you ask “Why are they dedicating time to this person?” it’s because they know something most of the public doesn’t. You’ll be reading that person’s obit within a year. ---
**Author:** ![Snark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Snark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snark)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 1999, 8:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madeline-kahn-i-didnt-even-know-she-was-sick/11729/11 "1999-12-05T08:32:00Z")
Darn it! I loved her in “High Anxiety” the most, but also her other movies. This is sad news. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 1999, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madeline-kahn-i-didnt-even-know-she-was-sick/11729/12 "1999-12-05T21:29:00Z")
This is a real bummer. She was one of the funniest performers, male or female, I’ve ever seen. ---
**Author:** ![Poto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@Poto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poto)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 1999, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madeline-kahn-i-didnt-even-know-she-was-sick/11729/13 "1999-12-05T22:16:00Z")
And a memorable “Sing What I Sing” with Grover on Sesame Street. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 1999, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/madeline-kahn-i-didnt-even-know-she-was-sick/11729/14 "1999-12-06T05:39:00Z")
I heard about it on the radio Friday. It sucks. I had no idea she was sick, either, nor did I know she was 57. 57? She looked at least a decade younger! I _love_ Madeline…_sigh_ * * * I used to think the world was against me. Now I know better. Some of the smaller countries are neutral. [Laura’s Stuff and Things](http://members.aol.com/lrconaway)