Leaderboard

Erm...a tad biased towards America isn't it?

# OH NO! How awful! Christ. If only we could get Mandela to die just before 10PM British time every Thursday night for the rest of all time, he truly would be worthy of the word saint. That is the first time i remember them taking off normal programming since michael jackson died . I wonder what other deaths would command this ? Castro ? ex pm ? A list celeb dying before their time? When does a death become big enough to take off normal the programming ? I have been thinking along roughly the same lines today, actually. I was considering starting a thread about "deaths that stunned the world" but I might just stick my thoughts here. We have had "Most Important Deaths of Each Year" threads before that have degenerated into debates about the nature of what is important (for instance, was Ronald Reagan's death "important" since he had been out of office for years?) Mandela wouldn't actually count amongst the deaths that have stunned people since we have all been expecting it though. Here is my list: ************** Mega-Deaths that Have Shocked the (Western) World. Deaths that have come very unexpectedly to relatively young people of vast fame over the last 50 years would be: JFK Elvis (though he had obvious health and drug issues) John Lennon Grace Kelly Christa McAuliffe (she had become very well-known through the American hype machine prior to the flight) Ayrton Senna Diana Steve Irwin Michael Jackson (though he had obvious health and drug issues) Borderline cases: Cary Grant (he was old but it was shocking enough to kickstart DeathList) Pope John Paul I (old man but it was sudden... and suspicions still linger) Heath Ledger (he was on the cusp of superstardom but I would argue he didn't quite make it. Would his Dark Knight performance be that revered if he hadn't died? His fame and death feed into each other.) Harold Holt (It shocked Australia but did it have that much impact overseas?) Graeme "Shirley" Strachan (ditto) Hendrix, Joplin, Cobain and other members of the 27 Club. I don't think people were that shocked that they went. Their deaths were big but didn't have the same cultural impact as that of Elvis or Lennon. Jayne Mansfield (Never an A-List actress.) Judy Garland (obvious health and drug issues made her death just a question of "when" I think, though it was still quite sudden and she was young.) Christopher Reeve (very borderline - obviously had health issues but his death was still a huge shock to most people.) Are there any that I am missing? I define "vast fame" as "people who never met them felt that they knew them anyway." Also, the old axiom of people remembering where they were when the celeb in question died also applies. ************** To go back to your question, I think any UK Royal, A-List celeb or a current world leader would do it. A B-List celeb like Brittney Murphy wouldn't do it. Would someone who was once very popular but has now faded like (to pick a name at random) Michelle Pfeiffer, be big enough? Hard to say. Surely we will find out in the next few years if Castro's death will do it. I doubt the death of a former Aussie leader like Whitlam would cause that kind of interruption in the UK but if Abbot steps under a bus tomorrow, I presume you will interrupt your broadcasts to show us revelling down here.

Do you see what you did there Maryport?...........You single handedly encouraged him to be a 2013 hit. There was no way he was going to be low hanging fruit for the DL in 2014, after your comment. Any chance of goedin No: 50 Ian Brady?

I didn't think Peter was on the list.

What happens if you have a "Mandela Overload"? Do you start dancing uncontrollably on the set of Breakfast with Frost?

Thank you RA, 5 points is better than nothing.

The last six months have be so disappointing, I don't think DL has another one in her! To quote Porky Pig............."That's all folks!"

Mirror spoprts photographer Monte Fresco has died aged 77. He took this rather famous photo...

Finally got another one for the year!

David Cameron "British Prime Minister David Cameron said "a great light had gone out" following Mandela's death, and said that flags would be flown at half-mast at his office at Number 10 Downing Street. "A great light has gone out in the world," he said in a statement. "Nelson Mandela was a towering figure in our time; a legend in life and now in death - a true global hero." He added: "Meeting him was one of the great honours of my life. My heart goes out to his family - and to all in South Africa and around the world whose lives were changed through his courage."" Source: http://www.abc.net.a...mandela/5139536

Wow, BBC really struggling for guests at the moment. They've got some guy who is only willing to be identified as "F.W., the clerk".

# OH NO! How awful! Christ. If only we could get Mandela to die just before 10PM British time every Thursday night for the rest of all time, he truly would be worthy of the word saint.

Yes, actually. Retard points.

Steady Doc. That's racism, and we don't like that kind of shit on this forum.

Hmmmmmmm, may have to revisit my views...

You know something major happened when half your attempts to access the site are met with resource limit reached. RIP.

I don't think either of them should go, both seem to be well but Pincher is a DL staple at this point, and LaMotta even moreso as he's been on there for the past 9 years. A name you didn't bring up that I definitely think should be off next year is Stan Lee, while he had the feelings of an inspired pick early in the year he's once again very active. Admittedly I've been thinking of doing an update rundown of all the survivors of the year's list, even those that are obviously staying on it until their death.

Apart from Caeser do any of these have realistic DDP counting obit chances? Deathrace would count them, obviously.