Thoughts On The 2022 List

[RoverAndOut 3,455]

Just a couple of observations now the dust has settled. Betty White's late demise saw her replaced by someone not on the 2021 Deathlist. There are only 24 survivors on the 2022 DL, with Betty being the 25th that got lost. It's the first time since 2014 that the Committee haven't used their full complement of 25 survivors, and there is also a (recent) record 21 new names on the list this year, the highest since at least 2011 (I haven't looked further back - previous best was 18 in 2019 and 2013).

 

All of which leads to the obvious question, which I don't think's been asked yet: who do we think was the late replacement for Betty White? Could it be Estelle Harris, who fulfils a similar role in some ways? And I wonder why the Committee didn't take the opportunity to save another survivor? (Pope Benny, Linda Nolan and Barbara Walters perhaps being the biggest surprises).

[The Old Crem 3,173]

1 minute ago, RoverAndOut said:

Just a couple of observations now the dust has settled. Betty White's late demise saw her replaced by someone not on the 2021 Deathlist. There are only 24 survivors on the 2022 DL, with Betty being the 25th that got lost. It's the first time since 2014 that the Committee haven't used their full complement of 25 survivors, and there is also a (recent) record 21 new names on the list this year, the highest since at least 2011 (I haven't looked further back - previous best was 18 in 2019 and 2013).

 

All of which leads to the obvious question, which I don't think's been asked yet: who do we think was the late replacement for Betty White? Could it be Estelle Harris, who fulfils a similar role in some ways?

I could see it being Ted Kaczynski

 

I suspect next year a full subs list will be written by the committee.

[drol 10,051]

Opionions are like assholes. Everyone has one. So here's mine:

 

1)Dick Van Dyke: why so high? I get he has become a bedblocker and it is worse every year that passes, but he is doing sit-ups at 96! He should have been dropped, not promoted to #1. Sucks.

2)Henry Kissinger: obvious pick and deserves the spot, cause every year that passes we wonder how the hell is the fatso still alive. Well done.

3)Angela Lansbury: to me not responding the fan mail seems a sign of failing health. And she has not been seen in public for a bit. Well done.

4)Bob Barker: so old and ill it's even hard to think he is still alive. Well done.

5)Alan Greenspan: active and healthy at 95, no reason why he should die, beside being 95. Why the hell here and why the hell so high? Sucks.

6)Nigel Starmer-Smith: Whooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo?????????????????????????????????????? Fails fame requirements and not even that ill.

7)Loretta Lynn: healthy, active and not so old, but let's keep her another year just to waste a spot. Hate it, hate it, hate it.

8)June Brown: another one who won't die for a long time. I get the cult status, but it's wasted again. Sucks.

9)Jimmy Carter: how the hell is he still alive? Should have been much higher. Well done.

10)Tony Bennett: he has Alzheimer's but is physically well, so early for him. Much early. Nah.

11)Dick Cheney: seems alright, but will be running out of fuel. Not that bad, not that good.

12)QEII: another wasted spot, but I guess she is on until death. Bah.

13)Harry Belafonte: looking more and more like a goblin, I feel his time is close. Nice.

14)Mel Brooks: still active. too early. Just no.

15)Mikhail Gorbachev: finally back! How is this fucker still alive? Great

16)Bobby Charlton: way too early, way too early. Wasted pick.

17)David Attenborough: go on with the healthies nonagenarians in the world. No way.

18)Akihito: why the hell this guy is here again???? He is relatively young, has no major health problems! Why not fucking Jiang Zemin instead of him. What a stupid pick.

19)Leslie Phillips: why still alive? Ding dong time finally!

20)Rosalynn Carter: some minor health issues, I don't think it's her time yet. Mediocre.

21)Sandy Gall: boring boring boring pick. I hope he dies so we won't see him again. Booooring.

22)Desmond Morris: surely famous and old. So-so pick.

23)Ted Kaczinsky: in failing health and very famous. Great!

24)Jean-Marie Le Pen: not that bad of a pick. Could be his year. 50-50

25)Estelle Harris: don't know, she seems so random. Could be a post for Eve Marie Saint, waaaay more iconic.

26)James Whale: he might even die. No one knows him outside UK, so fuck him. Who?

27)Cleo Laine: see Sandy Gall. Another boring pick. Zzzzzzzz

28)Bill Turnbull: see James Whale. Whooooo?

29)Jerry Lee Lewis: how is this guy still alive? Great!

30)Jacques Delors: I thin he is a very good pick.

31)Denis Law: see Charlton. Way too early.

32)Prunella Scales: oh, God, I don't understand the fixation with this woman. She ain't dying in the near future. Wasted spot.

33)Sidney Poitier: very old and apparently not so healthy. May it finally be it.

34)Burt Bacharach: they feared he would die off-list if dropped. But he seems alright. No es bueno.

35)Stanley Baxter: generically old and frail. No specific issues. Decent.

36)Robert Durst: good pick, but I suspect if he was as sick as he said he would be already dead. Does he meet fame criteria?

37)Noam Chomsky: old and frail, finally on. Well done.

38)Bill Treacher: completely unknown outside the UK. Don't know much about him. ?.

39)Norman Tebbit: finally the old bastard on the list! Great

40)David Crosby: wasted pick as usual. Complainer à la Superstar Billy Graham. Drop him!

41)Pelé: a shoe-in. Famous and very ill. Good pick.

42)Michael Gambon: based only on some dementia rumours. Likely too early, but I won't be too surprised if it happens. Let's see.

43)Douglas Hurd: seems he has been around forever. Could be a nice choice.

44)Silvio Berlusconi: this guy is running for fucking president! Stupidest pick ever.

45)Marianne Faithful: has been on oxygen for ages and COVID has not helped. Still think it's too early.

46)Milan Kundera: a French colleague of mine told me he had terminal heart failure and was dying. That was 4 years ago. Immortal potential.

47)Linda Ronstadt: too early, you can live decades with palsy. Another wasted spot.

48)Jean-Luc Godard: clearly frail, has Parkinson and maybe cancer. Great pick.

49)Joss Ackland: known enough, old and likely frail. Like this pick.

50)Shane McGowan: Now that's really the stupidest pick ever. Leave this guy alone!!!!

[Grim News 16]

Could have added Bobby Vinton or Frankie Valli but it is pretty good so far

[Toast 14,839]

I haven't picked Dick van Dyke in any deadpools myself, but healthy people in their 90s are always liable to keel over.  Take Charles Aznavour.  He was fit and performing until a back strain and then a fall stopped him, and then he died quite suddenly.

[Lord Fellatio Nelson 6,132]

It is just a list compiled to fulfil a moral obligation to members of a forum, long ago created by people who have little to NFI in the place.

That is all it is, they bodge a list together using other members picks, old age and people suffering from terminal illnesses.

Why the fuck the list is debated STILL every sodding year is the real question.

It is a list, it may be shit, it may be great but don't bother discussing the why's and why nots of a list that was thrown together on the quick by person(s) that only do it to keep the forum existing.

[Lafaucheuse 3,651]

2 minutes ago, Lord Fellatio Nelson said:

Why the fuck the list is debated STILL every sodding year is the real question.

the thing is, the list is also made to debate about it ! We all have opinions on it and I like reading about other's feelings on the list every year ! 

If the committee is "too lazy" and not interested in doing great list nowadays (don't get me wrong, I think this list is quite good but that's what comes from your post), then maybe some new members (maybe forum members ?) should be contacted and participate in the elaboration of the annual list. It has been talked already a while ago if I remember well and I know it won't happen since the committee doesn't look much into the forum but well, it doesn't prevent me from posting my opinion !

[Lord Fellatio Nelson 6,132]

4 minutes ago, Lafaucheuse said:

the thing is, the list is also made to debate about it ! We all have opinions on it and I like reading about other's feelings on the list every year ! 

If the committee is "too lazy" and not interested in doing great list nowadays (don't get me wrong, I think this list is quite good but that's what comes from your post), then maybe some new members (maybe forum members ?) should be contacted and participate in the elaboration of the annual list. It has been talked already a while ago if I remember well and I know it won't happen since the committee doesn't look much into the forum but well, it doesn't prevent me from posting my opinion !

I do understand what you mean.

The problem is that you are debating a list that was created without care or interest.

Would it not mean more to talk about the list if the people who created it actually cared what you thought?

Ok, I get it, people will discuss the list every year, even if a Robot created it.

 

 

 

[msc 17,760]

Oh very well then, the annual tradition of looking like a fool in 12 months time...

 

Dick Van Dyke – Healthier than most of the other names on the list, hell, healthier than most of us? Still active, so it’d be a massive shock if he went this year.

 

Henry Kissinger – The Prince of Darkness, overweight and looks like shit but this hasn’t stopped his seemingly busy schedule of talking to people and slaughtering virgins. Allegedly. Think he’ll see 100.

 

Angela Lansbury – No longer doing fan mail. Aging happens to even the greatest. Of course, she may go overnight but at this point, all we know is of a slow decline, not imminent death.

 

Bob Barker – In and out of hospital pre-pandemic, due to that and advanced age, sort of going the Bruce Forsyth route. Not long left in this one imo.

 

Alan Greenspan- Boring pick, too lively. Also just boring in general.

 

Nigel Starmer-Smith – Looks fucked. He’ll be a one and done DL name.

 

Loretta Lynn – Gooseberry loves her, but he loves lots of actresses and singers who aren’t going to die in 2022. Lynn is one of them.

 

June Brown – Now quite frail (not that she ever looked robust) and possibly retired (though never say never), and accepted an OBE, which was the biggest red flag of all. I think she might be a DL hit this year.

 

Jimmy Carter – Surprised he’s outlived the Presidential historical expiry date by so long, given the previous cancer, falls, other health ailments. He was so clearly on the route out during the last US election that it was a low key surprise he made it through 2021. If he makes it through 2022, that will be Bob Dole levels, and where is Doley boy now? Oh yes, dead.

 

Tony Bennett – With the extensive dementia, a better pick than he felt 12 months ago, but maybe a year early.

 

Dick Cheney – Wont die. 10/10 for wishful thinking from the Cmme though.

 

Queen Elizabeth II – Wont die. I was going to say they can’t miss her but they seem OK with missing the Popes!

 

Harry Belafonte – Seemed frailer in his (rare) appearances in 2021 though that’s by his normal standards.

 

Mel Brooks – Has started to age. Sounds great for a guy of 95, but is starting to look old. Carl’s death may have taken time off Brooks longevity tbh.

 

GORBACHEV – Yes, brilliant pick. Spent much of 2019-2020 in hospital, referred to in the press during his big documentary launch as being in frail health, he feels like the big headline DL hit this year tbh.

 

Bobby Charlton – Advanced dementia, unable to attend brothers funeral, doubt we’ll not hear much about him till he goes sometime in the next 18 months.

 

David Attenborough – Hopefully wont die, still able to address the COP in October, but a nice name to have on the 50. In my book, anyhow.

 

Akihito – Abdication appears to have added years to his life, no idea why he’s still on the list.

 

Leslie Philips – He was frail and worrisome in 2011 when his missus topped herself. That was eleven years ago. The increasingly rare photos we get of this once ubiquitous star look like a condemned man, and yet, somehow, he’s still with us. Surely this is his year.

 

Rosalynn Carter – Frail and old, and had health issues in the last 2 years, but imo she’ll outlive Jimmy.

 

Sandy Gall – Still writing and keep active. Look forward to all these “this guy who stood up to a dictator had a really boring life” posts.

 

Desmond Morris – Oldest newcomer so doomed? He did move to Ireland last year so as to be nearer his family. His wife of 60 years died in 2019.

 

Unabomber – I see he’s moved to a hospice specialist prison – although it also does other advanced treatment. This might be an absolute steal of a pick if they’ve read the cards correctly here.

 

Jean Marie le Pen – Aging frail right winger. In hospital in 2017 and in 2018, and in 2018 his lawyer claimed he was dying. Maybe it was some other Jean Marie he got mixed up with. Lots of talk about Le Pen being frail and deteriorated but on he goes…

 

Estelle Harris – Semi-popular in TCD voting too. She beat cancer a decade ago, otherwise I’ve got nothing here.

 

James Whale – Got cancer everywhere, but its advanced kidney cancer, I believe, which is slower than if it was brain cancer primarily. Still, cancer spreading to the brain is rubbish anyhow, even if Whale seems quite active growling at idiots on the radio right now, watch out for the later in the year swift decline.

 

Cleo Laine – Actually, I saw her on the Sondheim tribute on BBC4 a few days ago. Archive footage from the 80s, doesn’t say much about a singer who has been very quiet most of the last decade.

 

Bill Turnbull – An odd pick tbh. He’s had setbacks last year, but terminal prostate still moves as a glacial pace, and Turnbull is keeping his treated. He’ll see 2023 imo.

 

Jerry Lee Lewis – Big name, looks like shit, probably hitting his expiry date for his lifestyle.

 

Jacques Delors – Our European friends said he was frail. Then he missed his own big celebration last month due to frail health.

 

Dennis Law – Has vascular dementia so on my radar, but this feels a year early. Still, his recent TV appearances before announcing his diagnosis looked like a man circling the drain.

 

Prunella Scales – On till she drops now, I guess, which would be today or 2024.

 

Sidney Poitier – Looked very frail before pandemic started. Probably isn’t any better now!

 

Burt Bacharach – The stories of him being incredibly frail but perking up to perform were numerous pre-lockdowns. Not many chances for those performances of late.

 

Stanley Baxter – Aging comic, Scottish so about 400 years old now.

 

Robert Durst – I trust him as far as I can throw him.

 

Noam Chomsky – He’s aging, yes. Still waffles for America.

 

Bill Treacher – Wheelchair bound and retired. Very DLy.

 

Norman Tebbit – Looked frail but still his usual angry self. Ulitzer said he looked like shit (or words to that effect). It is notable that the once ever-present figure in the Lords hasn’t spoken there for nearly 2 years, or even voted in 4 months. The only thing I could imagine silencing Norman Tebbit is death…

 

David Crosby – Has heart issues, yes, but seems far too active for a man who is meant to be able to drop dead at any minute.

 

Pele – Looks absolutely fucked.

 

Michael Gambon – Might be an early pick, but he is MIA from events he would normally show up at, and he did have to retire from full time acting due to memory issues…

 

Douglas Hurd – Given we first heard he was frail and unable to give interviews (?) years ago, surprised he’s still going. There’s a post from me eleven years ago on this forum saying Douglas Hurd looked very rough in a recent interview. Then he looked like death warmed up when Thatcher died. In fact, you can search back over a decade of this forum and find many posts, by respected DLers, saying Hurd is doing badly and can’t have much longer left. He keeps bloody well showing us all up. I have learned nothing, he’s meant to be quite frail, this is his year!

 

Silvio Berlusconi – Still active, might be President soon, crap pick.

 

Marianne Faithful – COPD, covid fucked her lungs, and she’s on oxygen. Alas, a likely hit.

 

Milan Kundera – Drol told us he had heart failure in 2017. If you’re going to have to have heart trouble, sign me up for the one where you waltz around half a decade in your 90s like nothing has happened…

 

Linda Ronstadt – Has PSP. My DDP pick Rob Rensenbrink was an outlier with a similar ailment and he lasted 7 years. Ronstadt’s had hers for 9 years now.

 

Jean-Luc Godard – Health hoax last year, seems OK.

 

Joss Ackland – Odd for them to pick a 23 year old actor.

 

Shane MacGowan – Looks like shite. If he’s on till he drops he wont be on for long.

 

 

With all that, my feeling is this is a 14/50 list. Which is better than it seemed at midnight. Still not really feeling it but I may warm to it.

[msc 17,760]

26 minutes ago, Lord Fellatio Nelson said:

 

Why the fuck the list is debated STILL every sodding year is the real question.

 

When George Mallory was asked why he wanted to climb Everest, he told the Times: "Because it's there".

 

That's pretty much the reason for all discussion of the diverting yet unimportant! 

[Joey Russ 7,119]

8 minutes ago, msc said:

Joss Ackland – Odd for them to pick a 23 year old actor.

[Lord Fellatio Nelson 6,132]

6 minutes ago, msc said:

 

When George Mallory was asked why he wanted to climb Everest, he told the Times: "Because it's there".

 

That's pretty much the reason for all discussion of the diverting yet unimportant! 

Smart arse.

[Dying Probably 542]

Eh. Could be worse I suppose.

[Gooseberry Crumble 5,210]

@msc  a good  detailed  post!

I can't  remember of the top of my head but how accurate was your 1st January DeathList analysis  for the DeathList of 2021?  It's interesting to look  back on such things not to humiliate  but just out of general  interest  .Like  reading  a political  columnists  article on say the future of Theresa May on January 1st  2017 and then fast forwarding to summer that year and seeing the difference

although  perhaps not quite as  extreme!

For clarity even  I thought if she called an election in 2017 she'd get a sizeable majority even a 3 figure one!!

 

I  feel this years  list overall is better and more interesting than last years .Not drastically better  but a notch better.

Definitely  a few things I'd have done differently.  A few curious drops and non picks like Pope Benedict, Linda Nolan and Joanne Woodward  and Frank Field and Liza Minnelli should have been included  . But overall  not unhappy and I expect it to beat the 12 hits of 2021. 

Linda Ronstadt,  Marianne Faithful and Douglas Hurd wise additions. 

 

Oh and of course   I couldn't  disagree more about  Loretta Lynn.. !!

 

[Gooseberry Crumble 5,210]

Now that I have had several days to digest and absorb the new list  . I actually like it even more and rate it that bit more overall.

 

Not withstanding  my reservations  about some of the drops and omissions  eg Pope Benedict,  Liza Minnelli,  Linda Nolan etc

 

Anyone else feel the same?

[Ulitzer95 11,021]

18 minutes ago, Gooseberry Crumble said:

Now that I have had several days to digest and absorb the new list  . I actually like it even more and rate it that bit more overall.

 

Not withstanding  my reservations  about some of the drops and omissions  eg Pope Benedict,  Liza Minnelli,  Linda Nolan etc

 

Anyone else feel the same?

Yeah, it's okay. Miles better than last year, but that was never going to be difficult. Still loads of room for improvement e.g. still a few silly drops and shot in the dark type picks.

[Gooseberry Crumble 5,210]

21 minutes ago, Ulitzer95 said:

Yeah, it's okay. Miles better than last year, but that was never going to be difficult. Still loads of room for improvement e.g. still a few silly drops and shot in the dark type picks.

Given quite a few big names or long servers died  in 2021 Prince Philip,  Bob Dole  following the loss of big names   Kirk,  Olivia , Vera Lynn in 2020  I think they've done  really well to come up with so many decent  quality picks this year.

 

At times the list seemed vary reliant on the old favourites that became  like furniture or deathlist stalwarts!

That is more an observation than criticism. 

[The Daredevil 1,096]

Very surprising that Leslie Phillips is only no. 19., he should have swapped positions with Dick Van Dyke. Jacques Delors at no. 30 was also much lower than I was expecting, he should have swapped positions with Alan Greenspan. Loretta Lynn and Queen Elizabeth II were positioned much too high, Pelé and Joss Ackland were more worthy of those higher positions. 

[TheCemetaryMan 53]

Since Dick Cheney is on the list why not Joe Biden?

I have a feeling Rice will be the sole survivor of the Bush Admins. 

[MortalCaso 1,426]

29 minutes ago, TheCemetaryMan said:

Since Dick Cheney is on the list why not Joe Biden?

I have a feeling Rice will be the sole survivor of the Bush Admins. 

What do Dick Cheney and Joe Biden have to do with each other? Don't understand your point

[Toast 14,839]

8 hours ago, MortalCaso said:

What do Dick Cheney and Joe Biden have to do with each other? Don't understand your point

 

They are both US politicians.  HTH.

[Sean 5,997]

I think It is a pretty strong list even if I am less optimistic when I saw the list pissed at midnight on the 1st.Unabomber,Pele ,Whale, Starmer_Smith and Durst are very strong new picks as are Faithful and Ronstadt.Turnbull I  also think is a good pick as he stepped down from his radio show had a blood transfusion around the same time and has cancer throughout his bones.Dusappointed not to see Alagiah as he is a very deathlisty name clearly not going to recover and has already exceeded his prognosis.

 

I welcome Charlton but think Denis Law is too premature.Gordon McQueen would have been a better bet as is already having swallowing difficulties and his balance is going.

 

Pope Benedict is a risky drop but he seems stable at present.Surprised Redgrave was dropped also as she sounds awful.

 

Really pleased Philips ,Jimmy Carter ,Bob Barker ,Angela Lansbury ,Dick Van Dyke,QE2 ,Stanley ,Tony Bennett,Henry Kissenger,Mel Brooks,Sidney Poitier,Jean Marie le Pen,Harry Belafonte Prunella Scales  and Shane MacGowan are back on the list from last year.DVD and Kissinger are a bit to high up the list imo though.

 

Also glad Gorbachev ,Jerry Lee Lewis ,Cleo Laine and Sandy Gall back after being absent.

 

Would have been nice to see Jake The Snake and Liza Minelli back too

 

Would like to have seen Frank Field,Russell Bishop and Stan Bowles on the list.

 

Most of the older new picks are decent punts such as Chomsky ,Hurd,Tebbit and Treacher.

 

All in all a perfectly decent list by the committee.Really difficult this year as so many good names about with high levels of merit.I found doing a shadow list almost impossible and the DDP was tough too.

 

 

[Gooseberry Crumble 5,210]

@Sean Oh in some ways  I am the opposite  to  you. Now that a bottle or two of Bucks Fizz has left my body I am actually  more optimistic about the list not less. 

I am sceptical of the wisdom of some of the drops like Barbara Walters and Pope  Benedict  but I do feel this list will outperform  last years. 

I also feel there's an element of spreading their bets a bit more in this list both in terms of risk of success and making the list more interesting with the spice of variety  added in.

In relation to Vanessa Redgrave  when someone is given a big gong or prestigious form of recognition like a  damehood, knighthood,, honorary oscar  etc etc it can sometimes signify two possible  things  to deadpoolers  that can hand in hand or not.

 

One that the authorities  who bestowed the honour think that the person both really deserves the honour  and are anxious if they  try to leave it to next time it will be too late- in other words there are concerns about their health in the medium  term. Frank Field may arguably fall into this category. 

 

One example of this would the lifetime  achievement award the Baftas gave Elizabeth Taylor in 1999.

As a unique iconic figure born in the UK , it was rumoured they probably always wanted to give her this honour but after her brain tumour in 1997 they didn't want to take the risk of leaving it to long. 

 

The significant thing  for deadpoolers is that such prestigious honours and awards do seem to give a real psychological and emotional boost sometimes to its recipients and add  to their longevity. 

So it can either be a panic measure or have the effect of keeping  the receipents  ticking over for longer!

 

I have a vague memory  in the early 2000s of reading an article in a broadsheet that went through the statistics and said on average  actors and actresses  that won an oscar or multiple Oscars tended to live  longer than those who didn't  or those who were nominated  but never won. A psychological benefit of a win and acknowledgement from your peers was perceived to be a likely explanation. 

 

So maybe we should  expect Meryl Streep to live as long as Olivia De Havilland!

 

 

 

[msc 17,760]

I've not had any sodding booze yet due to painkillers at the weekend but yeah, I'm more in the school of thought of "could do very well if all the eggs land correctly" - but I also feel like if they'd kept this good tips nose AND gone a little more killer they could have produced a list that would absolute smash the record. Anyhow, it's their list, so be it!

[DevonDeathTrip 2,288]

I understand that Denis Law came off the subs bench after Betty White died during the warm up.   Probably only on this site would those two be mentioned in the same sentence.