# The Celebrity Death Pool 2006 **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** death-pool\ **Created:** [December 1, 2005, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2006/333632 "2005-12-01T22:25:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 28
**Author:** ![Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Only_Mostly_Dead)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2006, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2006/333632/541 "2006-02-04T21:39:52Z")
> [@bizzwire](#): > > What can I say? I just lost my cherry… You’ll never forget how lackluster your first was. ---
**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:** [February 4, 2006, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2006/333632/542 "2006-02-04T22:45:27Z")
Wow, CNN is saying Lewis was 83. Surely that’s got to be wrong, 95 sounds more likely to me. When I got the email notification, I saw the “obit.lewis” tail on the link and thought Jerry had moved on. Now I feel evil for being disappointed. ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2006/333632/543 "2006-02-05T00:57:10Z")
Wow, Al Lewis lived to be 95 and was still hosting a weekly radio show. That’s pretty impressive. And I got 5 points. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2006/333632/544 "2006-02-05T05:09:37Z")
Al Lewis lied about his age. A lot. He is one of the few people who seemed to enjoy being thought of as older than he was. Let the games begin. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2006/333632/545 "2006-02-05T09:34:52Z")
Anybody have [Betty Friedan](http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/02/04/friedan.obit.ap/index.html)? ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2006/333632/546 "2006-02-05T17:48:37Z")
Not a soul, although **Grits and Hard Toast** deserves honorable mention for listing her as an alternate. So close and yet so far. It’s sort of sad, in a way. If a celebrity dies and nobody had them in the Death Pool, did they _really_ die? ---
**Author:** ![uglybeech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/82dd89/32.png) [@uglybeech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uglybeech)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2006, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2006/333632/547 "2006-02-05T20:15:12Z")
> [@Freddy the Pig](#): > > It’s sort of sad, in a way. If a celebrity dies and nobody had them in the Death Pool, did they _really_ die? Yes and with dignity too. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2006/333632/548 "2006-02-06T13:00:10Z")
> [@bizzwire](#): > > Sheesh; that’s like equal to **3** Al Lewises!!! I’ll take “Really Bizarre Statements” for $100, Alex." ---
**Author:** ![Sean\_Factotum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/50afbb/32.png) [@Sean\_Factotum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sean_Factotum)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2006/333632/549 "2006-02-06T14:31:14Z")
From [cnn.com](http://cnn.com): [George McFadden](http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Music/02/06/music.mcfadden.reut/index.html), one-half of McFadden & Whitehead, the legendary R&B duo famed for the 1979 pop anthem “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now,” has died. Reports of a posthumously-released single, “Whoops, I Guess There Is,” are false. ---
**Author:** ![anyrose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/54ee81/32.png) [@anyrose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anyrose)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2006/333632/550 "2006-02-06T17:00:07Z")
all these deaths, and I’m still “pure” 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Lok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e8c25b/32.png) [@Lok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lok)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2006/333632/551 "2006-02-06T17:24:35Z")
You know what is worse? I lost my cherry in 2004, the first time I played, and haven’t scored a single point since. ☹ Lok ---
**Author:** ![bizzwire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bizzwire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizzwire)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2006/333632/552 "2006-02-06T23:08:56Z")
> [@Only Mostly Dead](#): > > And a whopping five points to ye 😉 NEW YORK (AP) – Al Lewis, the cigar-chomping patriarch of The Munsters whose work as a basketball scout, restaurateur and political candidate never eclipsed his role as Grandpa from the television sitcom, died after years of failing health. He was 82. ---
**Author:** ![bizzwire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/958977/32.png) [@bizzwire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bizzwire)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2006/333632/553 "2006-02-06T23:10:58Z")
> [@bizzwire](#): > > NEW YORK (AP) – Al Lewis, the cigar-chomping patriarch of The Munsters whose work as a basketball scout, restaurateur and political candidate never eclipsed his role as Grandpa from the television sitcom, died after years of failing health. He was 82. Darned rodents; I meant to add [cite](http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5189733) Take that, Betty Friedan!! I’ll take my 18 points, thank you. ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2006, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2006/333632/554 "2006-02-06T23:43:44Z")
Can we get a ruling on Al Lewis’ actual age? It’s been reported as anywhere from 82 to 95, but most news outlets now seem to be settling on 82 and saying he used to exaggerate his age. ---
**Author:** ![GraceTX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c4cdca/32.png) [@GraceTX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GraceTX)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2006/333632/555 "2006-02-07T00:52:10Z")
> [@cbawlmer](#): > > Can we get a ruling on Al Lewis’ actual age? It’s been reported as anywhere from 82 to 95, but most news outlets now seem to be settling on 82 and saying he used to exaggerate his age. What ruling? See Rule #5. > [@](#): > > 1. If we are uncertain about the celebrity’s age at death, we will go by the higher age (lower score). ---
**Author:** ![cbawlmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@cbawlmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cbawlmer)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2006/333632/556 "2006-02-07T01:55:31Z")
I’m aware of that rule, but since it’s entirely likely that Al Lewis was more than a decade younger than the highest reported age (95), I think it’s actually worth looking at. ---
**Author:** ![Large\_Marge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/50afbb/32.png) [@Large\_Marge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Large_Marge)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2006/333632/557 "2006-02-07T02:15:33Z")
I don’t know how “official” this is, but it is interesting. [Link 1](http://www.deadoraliveinfo.com/dead.nsf/lnames-nf/Lewis+Al) [Link 2](http://www.wa-wd.com/h_intro.asp#allewis) [Link 3](http://www.classicalvalues.com/archives/003303.html#011862) ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2006, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2006/333632/558 "2006-02-07T02:59:04Z")
[Former NBC News President Reuven Frank is dead at 85](http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060206/ap_en_tv/obit_frank) ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2006/333632/559 "2006-02-09T06:35:32Z")
[Alan Shalleck,](http://tmz.aol.com/article1?id=20060208162009990001) who collaborated with Margret Rey on over two dozen _Curious George_ books after the death of Margret’s husband Hans, was found dead in his driveway earlier this week. Shalleck, who also helped write and direct 104 _Curious George_ episodes for the Disney Channel, died just days before the theatrical release of a film based on the monkey created by the Reys. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2006, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2006/333632/560 "2006-02-09T13:43:35Z")
> [@cbawlmer](#): > > I’m aware of that rule, but since it’s entirely likely that Al Lewis was more than a decade younger than the highest reported age (95), I think it’s actually worth looking at. As I said earlier, let the games begin. I didn’t pick him so I can give an unbiased opinion. 95 was obviously a lie from everything I read. I think it should be thrown out without further thought. I have seen his age cited as 82, 83 and 85. 85 should be it unless absolute proof can be found. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2006/333632.md?page=27) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-celebrity-death-pool-2006/333632.md?page=29)