# Who are our current "Abe Vigodas"? (people you might be surprised to learn are still alive) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** actor-characters\ **Created:** [September 7, 2020, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985 "2020-09-07T01:18:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 19
**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:** [May 30, 2023, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/361 "2023-05-30T23:46:36Z")
A name which hasn’t been mentioned yet: Chubby Checker (Ernest Evans). He released “The Twist” back in 1960. And he’s still around sixty-three years later. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2023, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/362 "2023-05-31T02:08:59Z")
He even outlived members of the Fat Boys whom he teamed up with in the 80s for another version of The Twist. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2023, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/363 "2023-05-31T12:54:01Z")
Erich von Däniken (Chariots of the Gods) is still alive and has a new book out ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2023, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/364 "2023-05-31T13:17:14Z")
Is the title _Mobility Scooters of the Gods_? ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2023, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/365 "2023-05-31T13:38:42Z")
CBS Sunday Morning ran an interview of him a few weeks ago. The man’s mind is still clearly sharp as a tack. Even got pissed off at Ted Koppel at one point for dredging up policies he helped devise concerning Viet Nam 60 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2023, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/366 "2023-05-31T15:32:37Z")
Funny you should mention Ted Koppel in this thread. I could have sworn he died a few years back. I must be thinking of some other news guy who died unexpectedly, but I can’t recall who. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2023, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/367 "2023-05-31T16:12:10Z")
> [@Wheelz](#): > > I must be thinking of some other news guy who died unexpectedly, but I can’t recall who. Peter Jennings was a shock to me a few years ago. Dan Rather is alive and over 90. Ted is a young 83. ---
**Author:** ![medstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f07891/32.png) [@medstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/medstar)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2023, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/368 "2023-05-31T23:12:29Z")
Could it be Tim Russert? ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2023, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/369 "2023-06-01T00:58:04Z")
Possibly. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2023, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/370 "2023-06-01T00:59:41Z")
> [@Cardigan](#): > > CBS Sunday Morning ran an interview of him a few weeks ago. The man’s mind is still clearly sharp as a tack. Have you **read** _Chariots of the Gods_? He wasn’t sharp as a tack in the 80’s. Short form of his theory: Around the time of the parting of the Red Sea, Venus was burped out of Jupiter, for reasons. It came rocketing past Mars, knocking Mars out of its orbit. Then it careened past Earth, and its ‘tail’ provided Manna from Heaven because the Bible says so, and because the difference between hydrocarbons and carbohydrates was apparently lost on Mr. Daniken. The gravity of one of them was responsible for the parting of the Red Sea as well. Then as I recall, (haven’t read that piece of crap in 40 years), Venus also stopped the rotation of the Earth, because the Bible said so. Then Mars came swinging by and started the rotation again. Mars then went back into its original orbit, while Venus settled into the orbit it is in from a cometary orbit because the sun is electric and pulls things into a circle. Why then there are still old comets is left as an exercise for the reader. I could detail what’s wrong with this theory, but there aren’t enough bytes on the internet. Chariots of the Gods experts feel free to correct any details I got wrong. If you’re willing to admit to being an expert on Chariots of the Gods, that is. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2023, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/371 "2023-06-01T01:05:44Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > > [@Cardigan](#): > > > > CBS Sunday Morning ran an interview of him a few weeks ago. The man’s mind is still clearly sharp as a tack. > > Have you **read** _Chariots of the Gods_? He wasn’t sharp as a tack in the 80’s. @Cardigan was referring to Henry Kissinger, not Erich von Däniken. Unless Erich also created policies concerning Viet Nam 60 years ago. > [@Cardigan](#): > > Even got pissed off at Ted Koppel at one point for dredging up policies he helped devise concerning Viet Nam 60 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2023, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/372 "2023-06-01T01:23:57Z")
Oops! I missed the context for that. Oh well. Eric Von Daniken is still an idiot. ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2023, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/373 "2023-06-01T02:08:11Z")
.nvm. ---
**Author:** ![SuntanLotion](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suntanlotion/32/16165_2.png) [@SuntanLotion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuntanLotion)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2023, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/374 "2023-06-01T02:20:07Z")
That actually started to become interesting. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2023, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/375 "2023-06-01T02:45:46Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Dan Rather is alive and over 90. Okay, that’s a surprise to me! ---
**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:** [June 1, 2023, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/376 "2023-06-01T23:04:22Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Have you **read** _Chariots of the Gods_? He wasn’t sharp as a tack in the 80’s. > > Short form of his theory: Around the time of the parting of the Red Sea, Venus was burped out of Jupiter, for reasons. It came rocketing past Mars, knocking Mars out of its orbit. Then it careened past Earth, and its ‘tail’ provided Manna from Heaven because the Bible says so, and because the difference between hydrocarbons and carbohydrates was apparently lost on Mr. Daniken. The gravity of one of them was responsible for the parting of the Red Sea as well. > > Then as I recall, (haven’t read that piece of crap in 40 years), Venus also stopped the rotation of the Earth, because the Bible said so. Then Mars came swinging by and started the rotation again. Mars then went back into its original orbit, while Venus settled into the orbit it is in from a cometary orbit because the sun is electric and pulls things into a circle. Why then there are still old comets is left as an exercise for the reader. > > I could detail what’s wrong with this theory, but there aren’t enough bytes on the internet. > > Chariots of the Gods experts feel free to correct any details I got wrong. If you’re willing to admit to being an expert on Chariots of the Gods, that is. Are you sure you’ve got the right idiot? What you’re describing sounds more like Immanuel Velikovsky. Von Daniken’s craziness was centered around aliens visiting Earth and building ancient artifacts like the pyramids. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2023, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/377 "2023-06-01T23:49:52Z")
> **[Evolution Is Wrong: A Radical Approach to the Origin and Transformation of Life...](https://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Wrong-Radical-Approach-Transformation/dp/1637480059)** > > Buy Evolution Is Wrong: A Radical Approach to the Origin and Transformation of Life (Erich von Daniken Library) on Amazon.com ✓ FREE SHIPPING on qualified orders ---
**Author:** ![Reeses\_Monkey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reeses_monkey/32/2885_2.png) [@Reeses\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeses_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2023, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/378 "2023-06-02T01:25:24Z")
I read Chariots when i was an impressionable preteen. I may hold off on his latest endeavor. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2023, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/379 "2023-06-02T04:58:30Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Are you sure you’ve got the right idiot? What you’re describing sounds more like Immanuel Velikovsky. Von Daniken’s craziness was centered around aliens visiting Earth and building ancient artifacts like the pyramids. You are absolutely right. I blame age. It was “Worlds in Collision” by Velikovsky that featured yummy Venus. I even have a copy of _Chariots of the Gods_ somewhere in paperback. I’ve been hauling it around in my book collection since I was a teenager for some reason. Quality wasn’t it. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2023, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985/380 "2023-06-05T02:48:54Z")
Dr. Ruth Westheimer turned 95 today. I for one was surprised to hear she’s still around. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985.md?page=18) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-our-current-abe-vigodas-people-you-might-be-surprised-to-learn-are-still-alive/919985.md?page=20)