# The Celebrity Death Pool 2003

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2003/139798>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Tags:** death-pool\
**Created:** [December 1, 2002, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2003/139798 "2002-12-01T18:51:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 10

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**Author:** ![sbic56](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@sbic56](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sbic56)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2003/139798/181 "2002-12-30T03:10:41Z")

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1. Hamid Karzai- Afghan president
2. George Bush Jr.- ya know
3. Robert Blake- actor
4. Billy Graham-evangelist
5. Mother Angelica-TV nun
6. Pete Townsend-guitarist
7. Rodney Dangerfield-comedien
8. Mary Tyler Moore-actress
9. Scott Hamilton-skater  
10.Aretha Franklin-singer  
11.Joe Lieberman  
12.Abigail van Buren  
13.Paul Newman

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**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2003/139798/182 "2002-12-30T03:32:23Z")

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If I can be a total pain in the ass, I would like to change  
\*\*James Doohan \*\* to \*\*Gordon Lightfoot \*\*, A Canadian Icon and a staple of Golden AM radio.

\*\*A35362 \*\* I think it is great that you are doing this, and yes, I am sucking up.

Can I call you The Lord Of Death? 😃

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**Author:** ![psychobunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/54ee81/32.png) [@psychobunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychobunny)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2003/139798/183 "2002-12-30T05:24:23Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> I’d like to replace him with a name I’ve pulled out of my backside:\*\* Larry Hagman \*\* \*\*

I am NOT your backside!!! (see my list above)  
Also, can I PLEASE PLEASE change my #5 Naomi Judd to Mary Tyler Moore.  
Thanks ever so much.

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**Author:** ![Dragon\_Phoenix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@Dragon\_Phoenix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragon_Phoenix)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2003/139798/184 "2002-12-30T07:20:06Z")

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Calista Flockhart  
George Best  
Lou Reed  
Michael Jackson  
Muhammad Ali  
Richard Branson  
Salman Rushdie  
Whitney Houston  
Yassir Arafat  
Ralf Schumacher  
Elizabeth Taylor  
Stephen Hawking  
Tom Clancy

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**Author:** ![widdershins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f0a364/32.png) [@widdershins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/widdershins)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2003/139798/185 "2002-12-30T08:45:16Z")

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I’ll give it a try:

1. Ol’ Dirty Bastard (troubled rapper)
2. Richard Widmark (actor)
3. Charles Bronson (actor)
4. Warren Zevon (musician)
5. Sly Stone (musician)
6. Margot Kidder (actress)
7. Ronald Reagan (former POTUS)
8. Phil Spector (record producer, recluse)
9. Holly Johnson (singer from Frankie Goes To Hollywood)
10. Robert Crumb (cult comic artist)
11. Saddam Hussein (dictator, moving target)
12. Forrest J. Ackerman (editor, publisher, literary agent, embarassingly gushy sci-fi fan)
13. Lech Walesa (labor leader, former Polish president)

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**Author:** ![MSU\_1978](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@MSU\_1978](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MSU_1978)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2003/139798/186 "2002-12-30T14:31:32Z")

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Great idea for a contest and love the rules- do you pick easy targets like Reagan or go for more points for younger celebs?

In no particular order:

1- Al Kaline, baseball hall of famer  
2- Roseanne Barr, actress  
3- Rosie O’Donnell, actress and talk show hostess  
4- Jeff Gordon, NASCAR driver  
5- Mark McGwire, home run slugger  
6- Roy Clark, country singer of Hee-Haw fame  
7- Annette Funicello, mouseketeer  
8- William Shatner, actor (you’re dead, Jim)  
9- George Carlin, comedian  
10- Saddam Hussein, dictator  
11- G. Gordon Liddy, radio talk show host, convicted felon  
12- John Madden, sports analyst  
13- Neil Diamond, singer

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**Author:** ![rexnervous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e9c0ed/32.png) [@rexnervous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rexnervous)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2003/139798/187 "2002-12-30T16:23:11Z")

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Okies, I’ll give it a shot…

1. Christopher Reeve (actor)
2. Woody Allen (actor/director)
3. Charo (actress/guitarist)
4. Gordie Howe (hockey player)
5. Yassar Arafat (foreign leader)
6. Whitney Houston (singer)
7. Uday Hussein (son of Saddam)
8. Keith Richards (guitarist)
9. Pope John Paul II (the current one)
10. Justin Timberlake (singer)
11. Vladimir Putin (foreign leader)
12. Scott Weiland (singer)
13. Oprah Winfrey

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**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2003/139798/188 "2002-12-30T18:06:07Z")

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Thirty-six hours…

ticka ticka ticka…

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**Author:** ![BrentLumkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9d8465/32.png) [@BrentLumkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrentLumkin)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2003/139798/189 "2002-12-30T18:51:44Z")

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What are the rules exactly? I’m not very clear on it.

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**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2003/139798/190 "2002-12-30T19:26:34Z")

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**BrentLumkin**

In this game, you select 13 celebrities who you think _may_ die in the year 2003.

If anyone from your list dies, you get 100 points, minus 1 point for every year he/she lived.

This means that “sure bets” like Reagan don’t win you many points, so most people balance their lists with a mixture of old people in ill health and young people who may run into an unfortunate accident.

The person with the most points at the end of the year, wins.

If you were to select (random celeb) Tom Cruise, born 1962, he would have the potential to give you 60 points (100 points, minus his age 40 = 60).

At the beginning of this thread are detailed rules, including those that state you cannot choose someone under 18 and you cannot assist your celeb’s death in any manner whatsoever.

Ghoulish but harmless fun for the whole family.

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**Author:** ![Jadis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@Jadis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jadis)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2003/139798/191 "2002-12-30T20:45:30Z")

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1. Jude Law
2. Carrot Top
3. Macauley Culkin
4. Axl Rose
5. Sharon Osbourne
6. Warren Zevon
7. Billy Bob Thornton
8. Angelina Jolie
9. Sean Penn
10. Woody Harrelson
11. Robert Downey Jr.
12. Michael Jackson
13. Dick Cheney

Alternates (in case any of the above kick off in the next day and a half):

1. Mr. T
2. Hulk Hogan

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**Author:** ![Jadis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/87869e/32.png) [@Jadis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jadis)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2003/139798/192 "2002-12-30T20:49:23Z")

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I have a question for the official rulekeepers. 😃

I know that at least one person has included **Jason Mewes** (Jay, of Jay and Silent Bob) fame in her list. Jason Mewes has been missing for quite some time, and there is speculation that he may already be dead. So my question is this:

If someone like Jason Mewes is _discovered_ to be dead in 2003 (for the sake of argument, let’s say he’s discovered in March), but he’s clearly been dead for 6 months (meaning he actually died in 2002)…who gets the points? Do you count the “death” date as the date he’s discovered to be dead, or the speculative date that he actually died?

Things that make you go “Hmmmm…”

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**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\
**Post date:** [December 30, 2002, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2003/139798/193 "2002-12-30T21:32:02Z")

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I think they’ve heard from him recently; I think IMDb wrote about this. But to use the example given, I’d go with the actual estimated date of death, not the “found” date. Of course, if it were estimated he died near his birthday, we’d be disputing exactly how many points he’d be worth _grinds teeth_ . I think this might apply to someone like Osama bin Laden, actually: we weren’t sure he wasn’t around most of this year until that videotape surfaced.

In any case, Jason: don’t be such a stranger. Check in with your friends and family now and again. Oh, and stay away from the heroin, would you?

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**Author:** ![Milossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Milossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milossarian)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2003/139798/194 "2002-12-31T00:19:10Z")

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1. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (NASCAR driver)
2. Ryan Newman (NASCAR driver)
3. Raul Boesel (Indy racing league driver)
4. Robby Buehl (Indy racing league driver)
5. Paul Tracy (CART racing league driver)
6. Roberto Gonzalez (CART racing league driver)
7. Russell Johnson (played the Professor on Gilligan’s Island)
8. Art Carney
9. Harry Morgan (Dragnet, MASH)
10. Garrett Morris (nobody from SNL has died in a while)
11. George Herbert Walker Bush
12. Boris Yeltsen (though all that vodka may be acting like formaldehyde)
13. Saddam Hussein 😃

Hang on, Ronnie, hang on! Show 'em all!

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**Author:** ![malkavia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malkavia/32/5621_2.png) [@malkavia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/malkavia)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2003/139798/195 "2002-12-31T00:40:01Z")

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1. Zsa Zsa Gabor
2. Warren Zevon
3. Bob Larson
4. Dick Cheney
5. Fiona Apple
6. Cameron Diaz
7. Ronald Reagan
8. Nancy Reagan
9. Paul McCartney
10. Ringo Starr
11. Snoop Dogg
12. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
13. Brittany Murphy

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**Author:** ![capybara](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/capybara/32/202_2.png) [@capybara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/capybara)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2003/139798/196 "2002-12-31T00:49:04Z")

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Hmm.

1. Johannes Paulus II
2. Ronald Reagan
3. Muhammed Ali
4. Fidel Castro
5. Johnny Cash
6. Yassir Arafat
7. Binjamin Netanyahu (for parity)
8. Keith Richards
9. Eminem
10. Tommy Lee (of Motley Crue)
11. Iggy Pop (sorry!)
12. Mwai Kibaki (new president of Kenya)
13. Robert Blake

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**Author:** ![Sapphyre\_Rose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Sapphyre\_Rose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapphyre_Rose)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 1:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2003/139798/197 "2002-12-31T01:33:46Z")

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1. Michael Jackson
2. Barbra Streisand
3. James Brolin
4. Nick Nolte
5. Dr. Laura Schlessinger
6. Louie Anderson
7. Peter Jackson
8. Andy Rooney
9. Dan Rather
10. Phil Donahue
11. Calista Flockhart
12. Fred Rogers
13. Rosie O’Donnell

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![CasperQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@CasperQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CasperQ)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2003/139798/198 "2002-12-31T02:03:16Z")

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Some of these people may or may not already be dead (I’m too full of fajitas and queso right now to double-check) but here’s my list:

1. Elvira
2. David Bowie
3. Will Smith (just because my daughter is watching MIB for the !#$@# time - really I’d miss him!)
4. Prince (the symbol guy)
5. Tom Cruise
6. The girl who plays ‘Sabrina the Teenaged Witch’ (I can’t remember her name, somebody help me out here!) on the TV sitcom
7. Charles “Charlie” Manson
8. Johnny Cash
9. Anthony Hopkins
10. Jim Carey
11. Murray (the guy who played in Ghostbusters and Scrooged)
12. Charles (king? prince?) of England (Diana’s ex)
13. Clive Cussler

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2003/139798/199 "2002-12-31T02:06:19Z")

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**malkavia** , who is Bob Larson? Somehow I’m guessing a Google search wouldn’t enlighten me. The name sounds like it could be one of my neighbors.

BTW, a big **Welcome!** to all the newbies joining our macabre little game!

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**Author:** ![CasperQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@CasperQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CasperQ)\
**Post date:** [December 31, 2002, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2003/139798/200 "2002-12-31T02:22:47Z")

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Thanks **a35362**!

Bob Larson could be [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/p/BobLarson-1030513/](http://www.rottentomatoes.com/p/BobLarson-1030513/) or I think there’s an evangalist by that name? Which one, **malkavia**?

Here’s one way to search ‘celebs’ [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/features/cachestats/index-celebs/l/2.html](http://www.rottentomatoes.com/features/cachestats/index-celebs/l/2.html)

Interesting to keep track… ::yuck!:: [http://kickthebucket.tripod.com/news.html](http://kickthebucket.tripod.com/news.html)

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