Thoughts On The 2024 List

[bfc 52]

Next year will be an avalanche of female hits: Woodward, Scales, Marcos, Redgrave, Laine, Flack.

[livingbygrace 532]

6 hours ago, bfc said:

Next year will be an avalanche of female hits: Woodward, Scales, Marcos, Redgrave, Laine, Flack.

Many others as well that I feel could make it a big hitter year.  For Men as well.  But then who is to say.. There are plenty of people that I would have bet the farm that were not going to survive 2024, and yet here we are within days of them reaching 2025.

[Gooseberry Crumble 5,450]

7 hours ago, livingbygrace said:

Many others as well that I feel could make it a big hitter year.  For Men as well.  But then who is to say.. There are plenty of people that I would have bet the farm that were not going to survive 2024, and yet here we are within days of them reaching 2025.

There's still time....

[Bibliogryphon 9,700]

18 hours ago, arghton said:

Norman Tebbit - Heart problems, in a motorized wheelchair, ghoulish.

 

That isn't really an update more of a character description

[prussianblue 1,101]

On 05/12/2024 at 16:57, arghton said:

Seem quite ill:

Carter - We all know at this point.

DVD - Said to be rapidly declining in September (but has made appearances since). Possibly suffers from some condition you usually have at nearly 99.

Pete Murray - Looked horrible with purpleish arms and bandages on hands many years ago. Now doing better, somehow?

Alan Greenspan - No appearances in more than a year. Seems to have had a hard decline, but that was some time ago.

Pope Francis - Recurring pneumonia, rumored cancer, tons of health problems. Feels indestructible.

Cleo Laine - Has looked horrible for years.

Sandy Gall - Looked unrecognizable in 2021. Last appearance anywhere in 2022, AFAIK.

Noam Chomsky - Massive stroke last summer. Paralyzed and probably tubefed.

Robert Wagner - COPD and 94. Would be an amazing pick in normal circumstances.

Dennis Skinner - Cancer survivor, major heart problems, falls and allegedly dementia.

Nigel Starmer-Smith - Years with end-stage dementia of the bruce willis type.

James Whale - Cancer for ages, 15 tumors, on the last type of chemo available.

Stanley Baxter - In a care home for years, probably suffering from dementia.

Joanne Woodward - Alzheimer's for sixteen years.

Clint Eastwood - Decrepit and has been said to suffer from heart problems.

Vanessa Redgrave - Emphysema and heart attack etc. One of those people who DLees seem to have expected to die within 6 months back a few years ago.

Gene Hackman - Severe heart problems since 1990, frail as fuck as drol mentioned above.

Jean-Marie Le Pen - Heart attack, pulmonary oedema in the past and stroke. Heart failure sufferer.

Denis Law - Mixed dementia for years.

Hans Blix - Spent weeks in ICU with tick-borne encephalitis some years ago. Frail, housebound, still ill but still relatively active.

Tom Brokaw - Multiple myeloma for years, severe infections, 24/7 care, ultrafrail.

Linda Nolan - Cancer with metastases everywhere. Dying for 7 years now.

Norman Tebbit - Heart problems, in a motorized wheelchair, ghoulish.

Willie Nelson - Emphysema for ages, nearly died from covid around two years ago.

Esther Rantzen - Terminal lung cancer.

Roberta Flack - ALS at eighty fucking seven. There's a post on facebook on someone visiting her back in the summer and it sounded like she didn't have much time left and might've not been lucid anymore.

Prunella Scales - Dementia for more than a decade. I fully believe the end could be near now that Timothy is dead.

Brigitte Bardot - Severe heart and respiratory problems.

Imelda Marcos - Heart problems, diabetes, ministrokes etc. ICU hospitalisation earlier this year.

Ted Turner - Must've be past the average life expectancy of LBD by now.

Buzz Aldrin - On oxygen in his most recent appearance and looks fucking horrible.

Sonny Rollins - Pulmonary fibrosis for fucking ages and has outlived all expectancies by now.

Sly Stone - COPD and other serious health problems.

Tom Baker - Looks ghoulish, in and out of hospital earlier. Seems more stable now, but I don't think many would be suprised if he died sometime soon.

 

Don't seem to be doing that bad:

Mel Brooks - 98. Health-wise not much to say.

Patricia Routledge - Doing great for 95.

Desmond Morris - Looked pretty great in January. As great as you can at 96.

Julie Walters - Seems to be doing fine now.

Louis Farrakhan - Doing quite fine, somehow.

Barenboim - Doesn't seem to be dying that urgently. 5-year survival for vasculitis seems still quite high.

Dick Cheney - Has a near-Jayapatakaian health history, but very stable for 10 years now.

Robert Duvall - Yawn. Not much health history.

Josef Fritzl - I don't fucking believe he actually has dementia.

Raul Castro - Suffering from pancreatic dementia since 1910 and/or already died fifty years ago if you believe dissidents, but still well enough to regularly attend events.

Joe Bugner - Dementia but in relatively good physical condition atleast last year.

 

The list is most definitely not "full of random healthy nonagenarians" as some have claimed. Misses and the bitching about them are inevitable for 2025 but it will a pretty good year.

 

Maybe 2024 was actually a good list, just a year too early?

[Predictor 1,042]

On 03/12/2024 at 14:36, Mango said:

My own theory for the low score thus far is that Jimmy staying alive has cockblocked the List.

My theory is that years ago, a mysterious man in a dark alley told the committee never to pick Glynis Johns. When they asked why, they were not given an answer. Yet they obliged year after year, despite incessant calls for the aged British national treasure to be selected. Until one day, they finally caved in to peer-pressure and made her #15 on the DeathList 2024. Within merely 4 days, she was dead. A short-lived high, certainly, but at what cost? Has it unleashed a new dark era of DeathList filled with disappointment and sorrow? Can the curse ever be lifted? Only time will tell...

[msc 18,671]

In retrospect the highlight of the year for the DL was them picking the wrong Pope at midnight on the 1st. 

[Mango 231]

19 hours ago, msc said:

In retrospect the highlight of the year for the DL was them picking the wrong Pope at midnight on the 1st. 

The Curse of the Pope?
Or blessing, if you think about it, since his "curse" has allowed all but five on the List to survive.

ChatGPT's takes are gold:

Quote

The Curse of Benedict XVI:

1. Divine Irony: As a deeply theological figure, Benedict XVI might have taken offence at being listed as a "prediction" when he’d already departed. Perhaps his posthumous displeasure resulted in a divine intervention to thwart DeathList's accuracy.

2. A "Blessing" Instead of a Curse: Benedict, ever the intellectual, may have decided to "bless" those wrongly predicted to pass, sparing their lives as an unintended consequence of DeathList's mistake.

3. Theological Reinterpretation of Predictions: In Catholic theology, prayers and blessings for the living often invoke divine protection. Perhaps Benedict inadvertently redirected his heavenly focus to safeguard those named on the list.

4. Five Exceptions: The five correct predictions might be viewed as the "unavoidable will of God," slipping past Benedict's alleged curse.

Quote

The 2024 Curse of Benedict XVI: When DeathList Angered the Afterlife

As the clock struck midnight on January 1st, 2024, the DeathList admins hit publish on their highly anticipated annual list. Among the usual suspects of ageing actors, frail monarchs, and ailing political figures, one name stood out for all the wrong reasons: Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. The issue? He had already died—on December 31st, 2022.

A Posthumous Papal Retaliation?

Theologians may debate the afterlife, but it seems DeathList inadvertently tested Benedict XVI’s celestial patience. Could a man of such theological gravitas really let an oversight this significant slide? According to light-hearted believers in cosmic justice, Benedict didn't just notice the mistake—he acted.

• A Divine Curse: Offended by the clerical error, Benedict might have cast a celestial "curse" on the 2024 DeathList, ensuring its predictions would falter spectacularly.
• A Papal Blessing Instead: Alternatively, Benedict’s intrinsic holiness might have turned the list on its head, "blessing" its members with protection, health, and an extraordinary ability to defy odds.

2024: The Year of Celebrity Longevity

As December approaches, only five names on the 50-strong list have passed away. Compare this to 2020’s staggering 20 correct predictions, and you have what some are calling a miraculous intervention. Statistically, 2024’s DeathList may go down as one of the worst-performing in history—but could it also be the most divinely influenced?

• Statistical Outlier or Papal Miracle?: While some may call it luck, conspiracy theorists point to the Benedict-shaped elephant in the room. Did DeathList's mistake invoke the opposite of what it intended, sparing lives instead of dooming them?

The Five Exceptions

Despite Benedict’s alleged meddling, five individuals did pass away, leaving enthusiasts to wonder if they fell outside his divine jurisdiction—or if their time was simply unavoidable. Could these represent DeathList predictions that even heavenly intervention couldn't alter?

Lessons for DeathList 2025

The Curse of Benedict XVI is a cautionary tale for DeathList enthusiasts and admins alike:

1. Double-Check Your Picks: If there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s this: never list a figure who's already died. Not even a pope.
2. The Benedict Rule: Future lists should steer clear of deceased religious leaders, just in case they hold grudges in the great beyond.
3. A New Tradition?: Perhaps DeathList should preface each new list with a cheeky "apology prayer," ensuring no further divine interruptions.

---

Final Thoughts Whether you see this as divine humour, a statistical blip, or the makings of a quirky new DeathList legend, 2024’s "Curse of Benedict XVI" will go down as one of the most bizarre and amusing footnotes in DeathList history.

Who knows? Maybe Pope Francis will watch 2025’s list a little more closely—just to ensure the same mistake isn’t made again!

[Mango 231]

Edited December 22, 2024 by Mango

[YoungWillz 21,487]

On 01/01/2024 at 00:31, YoungWillz said:

Loved the 2023 list. This one is chancey. There’s yer  nailed ons, get you 8 or so. Hmm.

 

But I’m garbage at this in general, so what do I know? Ha!

Looks like even I was optimistic!

 

Will there be dying days ahead in the dying days of 2024?

 

Looking at the early posts bemoaning the lack of Attenborough and calling it a great list - well, I do like a Christmas chuckle.

[Sly Ronnie 949]

It looked a decent list on paper and got off to a cracking start, they then just Manchester Cityed it this year.

[drol 12,445]

At this point there's clearly no redemption for the list. What 25 are to be kept next year?

 

1)Jimmy Carter

2)Dick Van Dyke

3)Pete Murray

4)Alan Greenspan

5)Cleo Laine

6)Noam Chomsky

7)Mel Brooks

8)Dennis Skinner

9)Stanley Baxter

10)Joanne Woodward

11)Clint Eastwood

12)Gene Hackman

13)Jean Marie Le Pen

14)Denis Law

15)Tom Brokaw

16)Norman Tebbit

17)Willie Nelson

18)Esther Rantzen

19)Roberta Flack

20)Prunella Scales

21)Raul Castro

22)Imelda Marcos

23)Buzz Aldrin

24)Sonny Rollins

25)Sandy Gall

 

Some dangerous drops but not too many.

[dimreaper 831]

[gcreptile 11,303]

Bit of a tangent, but I was reading about Hans Zimmer, potential future german DeathList entry and saw that he was an associate producer of the Last Emperor soundtrack. Kept me going back to the 2023 deathlist (Ryuichi Sakamoto) which in retrospect, was such a killer result in quantity and quality. The variety of hits, and sheer star power... did the committee also improve on the headlines since then?

Maybe it's no wonder that the 2024 list has disappointed, a reversion to the mean, so to say.

[Philheybrookbay1 256]

On 01/01/2024 at 00:07, RIP Wee Jum said:

I like this list

 

I predict a record breaking year or close to a record breaking year

This aged well. Just not in the way we hoped.

 

2024 The Bee Gees year

 

"staying alive, staying alive ha ha ha ha."

[Sly Ronnie 949]

So, barring a miracle last couple of days, the worst list since 1993. Better luck next time I guess.

[wildstorm 315]

 

i agree that the performance of the 2024 list was just bad luck, but i thought this would give people a cheap chuckle. 

[DCI Frank Burnside 3,921]

Still think it wasn't a bad list overall. It's just incredible how many have appeared to have clung on. I think we'll see at least 4 or 5 from this years list go in 2025

[Steve 709]

I'm calling it right here, right now - 2025 to be a very very busy year for us dead poolers. This will make up for the disappointment of 2024. 

[DoorSlammer 597]

The chance of a list like this having this few hits must be as low as having three hits on the exact same day, which has also happened before.

[Sly Ronnie 949]

To be fair, the Italian DeathList have had a shit year too!

[gcreptile 11,303]

The french list sucked up all the deadpooling energy!

[Deathtreat23 210]

28 minutes ago, Sly Ronnie said:

To be fair, the Italian DeathList have had a shit year too!

And that list is only doing slightly better because they had Maggie Smith on their list.

[Summer in Transylvania 2,362]

On that topic, I have been meaning to point out to @Mercarte that Alexandre do Nascimento was never counted when he died back in September.

[arghton 7,043]

The Russian DL seems to have gotten a whopping 10 hits.