# Why doesn't Mickey Rooney die? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 29, 2008, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-mickey-rooney-die/435456 "2008-01-29T15:11:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2008, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-mickey-rooney-die/435456/1 "2008-01-29T15:11:26Z")
Just saw him gibbering in a clip from the SAG Awards telecast. How old is he, a million? He’s pretty close to the Last Man Standing from the height of the studio days. I figure it’s either: - A unique body chemistry that had some bizarre interaction with all the meth he did at MGM; - Secret organ transplants and total blood replacement funded by Garden State Life Insurance; - Sold his soul to Satan but Satan finds him so irritating that every time Rooney’s about to die Satan’s like, uh, no that’s OK, hang out up there a while longer. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2008, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-mickey-rooney-die/435456/2 "2008-01-29T15:13:57Z")
On average, little dogs live a lot longer than big dogs. Perhaps the same holds true for actors? ---
**Author:** ![fatgail](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fatgail/32/7285_2.png) [@fatgail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fatgail)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2008, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-mickey-rooney-die/435456/3 "2008-01-29T15:13:59Z")
You…are batting a 1000 this week with tact and class OTTO. Shine on you crazy diamond. I can only assume that Mickey Rooney went out of his way to kill everyone you care about in order to garner a WISH OF DEATH on a guy that’s four feet tall and basically made of sugar and happiness. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2008, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-mickey-rooney-die/435456/4 "2008-01-29T15:15:25Z")
I was suprised at how functional he was in Night at the Museum- he was actually pretty funny, although I doubt he even knew where he was at the time. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2008, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-mickey-rooney-die/435456/5 "2008-01-29T15:22:39Z")
Maybe some of Judy Garlands magic pills preserved him. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2008, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-mickey-rooney-die/435456/6 "2008-01-29T15:23:55Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] He’s pretty close to the Last Man Standing from the \*\*height \*\* of the studio days. [/QUOTE] (bolding mine) No pun intended? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![fatgail](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fatgail/32/7285_2.png) [@fatgail](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fatgail)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2008, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-mickey-rooney-die/435456/7 "2008-01-29T15:26:12Z")
[QUOTE=Shoeless] (bolding mine) No pun intended? 😃 [/QUOTE] JIMINY JILLIKERS! JIMINY JILLIKERS! ---
**Author:** ![zuma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9c0ed/32.png) [@zuma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zuma)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2008, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-mickey-rooney-die/435456/8 "2008-01-29T15:28:20Z")
Why has Mickey Rooney pissed you off? ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2008, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-mickey-rooney-die/435456/9 "2008-01-29T15:34:15Z")
I see here that Mickey Rooney’s real name is Joseph Yule Jr. **Otto** , why do you hate Christmas? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2008, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-mickey-rooney-die/435456/10 "2008-01-29T15:52:36Z")
[QUOTE=fatgail] I can only assume that Mickey Rooney went out of his way to kill everyone you care about in order to garner a WISH OF DEATH on a guy that’s four feet tall and basically made of sugar and happiness. [/QUOTE] First, I have not wished death upon him. Second, to say that he is “made of sugar and happiness” displays a rather gaping ignorance of Rooney and his personal history. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2008, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-mickey-rooney-die/435456/11 "2008-01-29T15:54:30Z")
Gooooooogle ads: “Grief and Heath Ledger,” “Miscarriage Jewelry.” Seriously, though, **Otto** , who pissed in your cornflakes? ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2008, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-mickey-rooney-die/435456/12 "2008-01-29T15:57:20Z")
I thought he was a lot older than he appears. He’s 88. That’s four years younger than Kirk Douglas and two years older than Betty White. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2008, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-mickey-rooney-die/435456/13 "2008-01-29T16:08:16Z")
Hey **Otto** , Mickey is only 87, he is not even close to Bob Hope or George Burns level age yet. Some other old Studio Hands still kicking: \*\*June Lockhart \*\* born in 25 June 1925, New York, New York, USA \*\*Margaret O’Brien \*\* born 15 January 1937, San Diego, California, USA \*\*Lauren Bacall \*\* was born Betty Joan Perske on September 16, 1924 in New York City Ernestine \*\*Jane \*\* Geraldine \*\*Russell \*\* was born on June 21, 1921 in Bemidji, Minnesota. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2008, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-mickey-rooney-die/435456/14 "2008-01-29T16:13:57Z")
“Miscarriage jewelry”? I don’t have that one. The mind, as they say, boggles. Seriously people, lighten up. I’m just trying to have a little fun here. It’s not like I’m up nights plotting Rooney’s demise or anything. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2008, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-mickey-rooney-die/435456/15 "2008-01-29T16:20:14Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] “Miscarriage jewelry”? I don’t have that one. The mind, as they say, boggles. Seriously people, lighten up. I’m just trying to have a little fun here. It’s not like I’m up nights plotting Rooney’s demise or anything. [/QUOTE] Well that might explain why he is still around. Where were you the night of 22 January 2008? Can you prove you were no where near Manhattan? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Caricci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/85f322/32.png) [@Caricci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caricci)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2008, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-mickey-rooney-die/435456/16 "2008-01-29T16:23:44Z")
Fatgail, I think you might be thinking of Spongebob Squarepants who is actuall ymade of sugar and happiness and is, in fact, four feet tall. Mickey Rooney is the much married short actor who has a history of being mean to women and often complains about how fat his wife has gotten when someone, for some reason I can’t fathom, interviews him. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2008, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-mickey-rooney-die/435456/17 "2008-01-29T16:27:11Z")
[QUOTE=What Exit?] Well that might explain why he is still around. Where were you the night of 22 January 2008? Can you prove you were no where near Manhattan? [/QUOTE] Actually I can. I took my car into the shop and have a witness who can verify my presence in Madison that afternoon and early evening. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2008, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-mickey-rooney-die/435456/18 "2008-01-29T16:27:51Z")
[full disclosure]I’m currently awaiting delivery of the 5-disc Mickey-‘n’-Judy [boxed set](http://www.amazon.com/Mickey-Rooney-Garland-Collection-Broadway/dp/B000RT99FG/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1201624006&sr=8-1). [/fd] ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2008, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-mickey-rooney-die/435456/19 "2008-01-29T16:28:20Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] Second, to say that he is “made of sugar and happiness” displays a rather gaping ignorance of Rooney and his personal history. [/QUOTE] Some feel when you get that old you automatically become a Good Person, no matter what you did before 😉 ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [January 29, 2008, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-mickey-rooney-die/435456/20 "2008-01-29T16:28:34Z")
[QUOTE=Otto] Actually I can. I took my car into the shop and have a witness who can verify my presence in Madison that afternoon and early evening. [/QUOTE] Okay, I am sure the NYPD will want to check on your story, but it sounds like you are in the clear. [QUOTE=twickster] [full disclosure]I’m currently awaiting delivery of the 5-disc Mickey-‘n’-Judy [boxed set](http://www.amazon.com/Mickey-Rooney-Garland-Collection-Broadway/dp/B000RT99FG/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1201624006&sr=8-1). [/fd] [/QUOTE] I can’t remember, are these all Andy Hardy movies or was there a non-Andy Hardy that just seemed like an Andy Hardy movie? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-doesnt-mickey-rooney-die/435456.md?page=2)