# The Celebrity Death Pool 2004 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** death-pool\ **Created:** [December 1, 2003, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359 "2003-12-01T22:29:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/101 "2003-12-09T14:36:31Z")
Yeah, seven people picked Ozzy for 2003. ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/102 "2003-12-09T20:40:57Z")
1. John Paul II (Roman Catholic Pope) 2. James Garner (Actor) 3. Micheal Jackson (Singer) 4. Yassir Arafat (Palestinian Leader) 5. Saddam Hussien (deposed Iraqi dictator) 6. Christina Aguilera (singer) 7. Paris Hilton (Socialite) 8. Woody Allen (Filmmaker) 9. Elizabeth II (Monarch of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) 10. Stephen Hawking (Astrophysicist) 11. John Travolta (Actor) 12. Mick Jagger (Singer) 13. Candace Cameron (Actor) ---
**Author:** ![lel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8797f3/32.png) [@lel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lel)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/103 "2003-12-09T22:30:56Z")
Gosh, it’s difficult just picking thirteen. 1. Pope John Paul II 2. Ronald Reagan 3. O.J. Simpson 4. James Watson (co-discoverer of DNA structure) 5. Betty White (actress) 6. Francis Crick (co-discoverer of DNA structure) 7. Dick Clark 8. Henry Kissinger (politician) 9. John Ramsey (JonBenet Ramsey’s father) 10. Patsy Ramsey (JonBenet Ramsey’s mother) 11. Bea Arthur 12. Jiang Zemin (leader of China) 13. Rosalynn Carter (former US first lady) ---
**Author:** ![Miabella](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ccd318/32.png) [@Miabella](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miabella)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2003, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/104 "2003-12-09T23:30:23Z")
I am really after the quantity award for next year. A few of mine haven’t come up yet, but I have high hopes they will come through for me. 1. Ronald Reagan 2. Roy Horn 3. Luther Vandross 4. Ed McMahon 5. Pope John Paul 6. Saddam Hussein 7. Osama Bin Laden 8. Jerry Lewis (No one who saw this year’s telethon could doubt his inclusion) 9. Jesse Helms 10. James Doohan 11. Ozzy Osbourne 12. Sid Caesar 13. Wilford Brimley ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2003, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/105 "2003-12-10T08:06:53Z")
Without looking at anyone else’s choices, I’ve put together my list for 2004. My list of long shots didn’t do very well last year, and my one pick that did die was one I was hoping would stay alive (Warren Zevon), so this year I’ve gone more to aging TV and movie stars who have been out of the spotlight in recent years, as they seemed to be particularly susceptible in 2003. \*\*Sublight’s 2004 Celebrity Death Pool Picks 1. Bea Arthur 2. Kirk Douglas 3. Roger Moore 4. Cicely Tyson 5. Harry Dean Stanton 6. Jean Stapleton 7. Conrad Bain (“Mr. Drummond” from Diffrent Strokes) 8. Russell Johnson (“The Professor” from Gilligan’s Island) 9. Howard Hesseman 10. Gavin MacLeod 11. Jim Nabors 12. Darryl Strawberry 13. Saddam Hussein \*\* If any of the above choices should die before 1 Jan. 2004, or are otherwise ruled inelligible, they are to be replaced with the following substitutes, in the order listed below. a. Ronald Regan b. Pope John Paul II c. Heisei Emperor of Japan Akihito d. Beyonce Knowles ---
**Author:** ![Spiff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiff/32/9852_2.png) [@Spiff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiff)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2003, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/106 "2003-12-10T19:48:50Z")
1. Abe Vigoda 2. Margaret Thatcher (die, Maggie, die!) 3. Andy Dick 4. Jack Nicholson 5. Marlon Brando 6. Mick Jagger (I know Keith Richards is unhealthier, but I’m stickin’ with Mick) 7. Don Van Vliet (a.k.a. Captain Beefheart) 8. Martin Chambers (drummer for the Pretenders) 9. Iggy Pop 10. George Jones 11. Johnny Ramone (John Cummings) 12. Richard Pryor 13. Ann Coulter (please!) (Hmmmmm … I guess I don’t think that musicians take very good care of themselves …) ---
**Author:** ![Ebola\_Gay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a183cd/32.png) [@Ebola\_Gay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ebola_Gay)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/107 "2003-12-11T16:13:28Z")
1. Alan Alda 2. Peter Boyle 3. Whitney Houston 4. Gene Wilder 5. Larry King 6. B.B. King 7. Coretta Scott King 8. Stephen King 9. Keith Richards 10. Gerald R. Ford (the token politician on my list) 11. Rick James (“Super Freak” turned super junkie) 12. Lady Bird Johnson 13. Magic Johnson No real “ringers” on my list, with the possible exception of Keith Richards and Lady Bird Johnson. I guess I’m takin’ the longshot strategy … ---
**Author:** ![Janie\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/13edae/32.png) [@Janie\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Janie_Jones)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/108 "2003-12-11T16:58:58Z")
1 Pope John Paul II (pro-life activist and the only “ringer” on my list, I think) 2 George Clinton (the funkmeister’s recent mug shot didn’t look so good …) 3 Alex Trebek (Who is the Jeopardy host?) 4 Liza Minelli (actress/singer … and a boxer, apparently) 5 Ralph Nader (activist, politician) 6 Nicky “Topper” Headon (heroin addict and ex-drummer of The Clash) 7 Roger Moore (Bond actor) 8 John Cleese (ex-Python) 9 Studs Terkel (author, historian) 10 Yogi Berra (ex-Yankee, all-around character) 11 Wolf Blitzer (CNN reporter) 12 Bobby Brown (Houston abuser, drug abuser) 13 Janie Jones (former brothel-keeper, subject of a [Clash song](http://www.lyricsdepot.com/the-clash/janie-jones.html), and my namesake) ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/109 "2003-12-11T17:50:30Z")
Ok, here goes. I made up the list before looking through the thread…I think I’ve got some long shots, but I’m hopeful! 1. Pope John Paul II (current pope) 2. Ozzy Osbourne 3. Matt Lauer (NBC Today show host) 4. Mel Gibson 5. Ronald Reagan, former president 6. B. B. King 7. Jimmy Carter, former president 8. Tom Bosley (Howard Cunningham from _Happy Days_) 9. Bob Barker 10. James Earl Jones 11. Joe Piscopo 12. Margaret Thatcher 13. Jerry Lewis ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/110 "2003-12-11T20:56:12Z")
**The Entertainers** 1. Whitney Houston - OD 2. Charlton Heston - Damn you all to hell! organ failure. 3. Julia Child - Internal organs look like week old lobster bisque. 4. Darren McGavin - Night stalked. Seen him lately? Looking old. 5. Ozzy Ozborne - He won’t realize it for a week though. 6. Don Rickles - Where have you been lately, Don? **The Politicos** 1. Ron Reagan - As diagnosed 2. Yasser Arafat - Of natural causes! The big C. 3. Boris Yeltsin - When you love the bottle, you don’t break no hearts. You wreck your liver though. **The Rich and Powerful** 1. Warren Buffett - As it turns out, he takes some of it with him. 2. Alan Greenspan - Old age **The Sportive Gents** 1. Mike Ditka - How do all other Type A personalities die? Heart attack. \*\* The Brains \*\* 1. Stephen Hawking - Battery runs out. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [December 11, 2003, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/111 "2003-12-11T23:09:47Z")
I’m gonna drop Camilla’s ex (my #12 pick). I don’t want to go searching for his name, and it was really more of a joke than a serious pick. My new #12 is Jerry Lewis. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/112 "2003-12-12T14:43:53Z")
Btw, since a lot of people (including myself) have picked Saddam, I think an advance rule clarification is in order: If Saddam is found dead during 2004, will his death have to have occurred in 2004 for the points to count, or will the announcement of his death (with sufficient evidence that he is, in fact, dead) be sufficient? ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/113 "2003-12-12T15:18:57Z")
Argghhh, **Sublight** , that’s one of those questions that makes me grind my teeth. I want evidence that he actually died in calendar year 2004. Of course, we may find his body (or remains) and be unable to determine exactly _when_ he died. If his death is announced in 2004 and they just can’t determine when he died, I say anyone who’s picked him for 2004 should be given the benefit of the doubt and be awarded the points. And then we celebrate! ---
**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 12, 2003, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/114 "2003-12-12T16:10:09Z")
1. Pope John Paul 2 2. Prince Bernhard of The Netherlands 3. Maggie Thatcher 4. Whitney Houston 5. Boris Jeltsin 6. Mikhail Gorbachov 7. Nelson Mandela 8. Keith Richards 9. Lou Reed 10. George Bush (Dubya) 11. Dick Cheney 12. Helmut Kohl 13. JP Montero (Formula 1) ---
**Author:** ![zoog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7ea924/32.png) [@zoog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoog)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/115 "2003-12-12T17:07:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lsura \* > \*\* > 11. Joe Piscopo > \*\* Wait, is he still alive? I thought he died years ago. Oh, that was just his career. Never mind… ---
**Author:** ![PhiloVance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/e19adc/32.png) [@PhiloVance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhiloVance)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/116 "2003-12-12T19:24:15Z")
Haven’t picked yet, ewwww, this is a yicky thread. 😉 I thought Kirk Douglas already died, or maybe that was Burt Lancaster? Noticed quite a few people picked Whitney Houston. She isn’t that old, is she. What is she, a drug addict? Curious as I don’t follow the celebs too much. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/117 "2003-12-12T19:47:09Z")
My list for 2003 sucked. No one died. Then again, I did kind of pull it out of my butt at the last second. 2004’s more considered list: 1. Pope John Paul II (b. May 18, 1920) 2. Ronald Reagan (b. Feb. 6, 1911) 3. Keith Richards (b. Dec. 18, 1943) 4. Lee Iacocca (b. Oct. 15, 1924) 5. Stephen Hawking (b. Jan 8, 1942) 6. John Goodman (b. Jun. 20, 1952) 7. John Glenn (b. Jul. 18, 1921) 8. Rodney Dangerfield (b. Nov. 22, 1921) 9. Billy Graham (b. Nov. 7, 1918) Alternates: 11. Dick Van Dyke (b. Dec. 13, 1925) 12. Christopher Reeve (b. Sept. 25, 1952) 13. Jesse Helms (b. 1921) If one of my people kicks off before the end of the month, I ask that Jesse Helms be the first replacement. Is there going to be a website that lists everyone’s picks like the one for this year? That was really helpful if you couldn’t remember who you chose. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/118 "2003-12-12T19:56:16Z")
**SpazCat** , you get 13 picks, not ten. I will count all of these as your 13 choices, unless you post otherwise. Do you want to pick any more alternates? I was not the one who created that helpful website, and I’m not sure if I’ll have time to do a master list here. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/119 "2003-12-12T20:01:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by a35362 \* > \*\ ***SpazCat** , you get 13 picks, not ten. I will count all of these as your 13 choices, unless you post otherwise. Do you want to pick any more alternates? > \*\* Yeah, I realized that after I posted it. Stupid brain, comprehend what you read! Go ahead and count all of them as official picks. I’ll pick alternates if any of them die prematurely. A lot of people seem to think John Goodman will do poorly next year. Hmmm. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [December 12, 2003, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359/120 "2003-12-12T20:14:58Z")
1. Rodney Dangerfield 2. Da Pope 3. Charlton Heston 4. Marlon Brando 5. Alan Greenspan 6. Jim Neighbors 7. Julia Child 8. Lawrence Taylor (football) 9. Alan Alda 10. Kathy Bates 11. Barbara Bush 12. Henry Winkler (the Fonz) 13. Al Roker [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2004/216359.md?page=7)