Death Impends 7,916 Posted October 9 Unsurprisingly the DDP long stopped caring about him too. Last picked in 2014. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DoltonMoney 303 Posted October 9 I wasn't around here in 2007 (too busy learning how to walk and talk) so I was pretty surprised to see he even had a thread. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Book 3,530 Posted October 9 A little off topic, admittedly, but: If you look at the DL from 2007, I find the most interesting that the top 3 consists of a re-entry and 2 newcomers: re > 1 Fidel Castro new > 2 Ariel Sharon new > 3 Ruby Muhammad At that time, that was not unusual at all, for example in 2006: new > 1 Lou Rawls and new > 2 Alfred di Stefano 2008: re > 1 Charlton Heston and new > 2 Sydney Pollack But my favorite is definitely the DL from 1993 (Caution: The figures from the previous year do not match on the homepage!): new > 1 Doris Speed new > 2 Kim Il Sung new > 3 Victor Borge re > 4 Clive Dunn new > 5 Audrey Hepburn re > 6 Alistair Cooke re > 7 Richard Nixon There will probably never be anything like that again! And finally: The last new entry at number 1 was Wilko Johnson in 2014. It is very unlikely that this will happen again on the next DL, but it would be desirable. In recent years, the top of the DL has been very static, which is what I expect for 2025 as well (unless the entire top 20 dies by the end of the year ). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Death Impends 7,916 Posted October 9 4 hours ago, Book said: A little off topic, admittedly, but: If you look at the DL from 2007, I find the most interesting that the top 3 consists of a re-entry and 2 newcomers: re > 1 Fidel Castro new > 2 Ariel Sharon new > 3 Ruby Muhammad At that time, that was not unusual at all, for example in 2006: new > 1 Lou Rawls and new > 2 Alfred di Stefano 2008: re > 1 Charlton Heston and new > 2 Sydney Pollack The DeathList 2007 was my first time witnessing a brand new DeathList having discovered it the month before. I was a tween so genuinely thought Ruby Muhammad was a major celebrity! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Old Crem 3,538 Posted October 9 If King Charles was to announce he was terminally ill then I could see him being a N.1 debut but other than that it seems unlikely even for other massive global names. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sean 6,267 Posted October 9 7 minutes ago, The Old Crem said: If King Charles was to announce he was terminally ill then I could see him being a N.1 debut but other than that it seems unlikely even for other massive global names. There are many names like King Charles who could achieve a Number 1 debut if they were terminally ill.Depends on the nature of the terminal illness though. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sean 6,267 Posted October 9 The Queen Consort ,Duke and Duchess Of Cambridge ,Harry and Meghan ,All the UK Prime ministers living and every US President still living would make the Top spot if they announced they were terminally ill.Thats the tip of the iceberg. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sean 6,267 Posted October 9 For example if Taylor Swift ,Justin Bieber , Eminem or Tom Cruise announced they had stage 4 pancreatic cancer tomorrow they would be number 1 in 2025 almost certainly. 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Joey Russ 7,207 Posted October 9 I’m actually not so sure. I know they seem to be a bit more hesitant on putting people on the list who got famous after about 2005 or so lately, so I don’t know if a Taylor Swift type figure would ever top the list or even make it on. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Mango 150 Posted October 9 14 minutes ago, Joey Russ said: I’m actually not so sure. I know they seem to be a bit more hesitant on putting people on the list who got famous after about 2005 or so lately, so I don’t know if a Taylor Swift type figure would ever top the list or even make it on. cough Capt Tom cough 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sean 6,267 Posted October 9 19 minutes ago, Joey Russ said: I’m actually not so sure. I know they seem to be a bit more hesitant on putting people on the list who got famous after about 2005 or so lately, so I don’t know if a Taylor Swift type figure would ever top the list or even make it on. No they would.Swift was a household name long before Captain Tom.Plus she is one of the most famous women in the world.She is much more famous and notable than many on the list currently.I don't get her appeal but she is at the top of the A list on an objective basis .The committeee would definitely put her as number 1 if she had stage 4 pancreatic cancer.No brainer.The committee aren't stupid. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sean 6,267 Posted October 9 The committee wouldn't have picked Sir Keir Starmer or Kamala Harris if they had terminal cancer in 2015 let alone 2005 but if either declared they had stage 4 pancreatic cancer or grade 4 glioblastoma they would top the list next year without a second thought.And Taylor Swift is the same story.If she was dying in 2005 no one would have batted an eyelid but things change.Say for example an obscure scientist comes up with a cure for cancer in the next two months and is then diagnosed with ALS and also has heart failure and he makes it known before Xmas that he will end his life in Switzerland on New Years Day and the story goes around the world do you honestly think he wouldn't be number 1 on DL 2025? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arrowsmith 431 Posted October 9 7 minutes ago, Sean said: No they would.Swift was a household name long before Captain Tom.Plus she is one of the most famous women in the world.She is much more famous and notable than many on the list currently.I don't get her appeal but she is at the top of the A list on an objective basis .The committeee would definitely put her as number 1 if she had stage 4 pancreatic cancer.No brainer.The committee aren't stupid. Agreed, but put spaces after your periods (full stops for some of you). Reading that felt like looking at one of those optical illusion posters. 1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sean 6,267 Posted October 9 Just now, arrowsmith said: Agreed, but put spaces after your periods (full stops for some of you). Reading that felt like looking at one of those optical illusion posters. You would think as a Linguistics graduate I would know better. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tracy 2,352 Posted October 9 Robert Durst also wasn't very well-known prior to the mid-2010s. His DL description and obituary make it pretty obvious that without The Jinx, which isn't even a decade old, he never would have been picked. (I'd equate his name recognition pre-HBO to, say, Steve Bechtel or T. Cullen Davis.) And obviously this year's list has Josef Fritzl, and Swift was already famous before he ever made the news. Yeah, there is a bit of a theme with the guy from The Wanted, Sarah Harding, Irwin, maybe others I'm blanking on, but there haven't been that many young DLworthy A-listers for pretty obvious reasons, so you can't really rule anything out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
msc 18,379 Posted October 10 24 minutes ago, Sean said: I don't get her appeal but she is at the top of the A list on an objective basis Attractive young female singer singing catchy songs with a degree of girl power to a young adult audience. It worked for Joni Mitchell and Dolly Parton in the 70s, Madonna and Kate Bush in the 80s, Alanis Morrisette and Mariah Carey in the 90s, etc. That she overtook all of them into becoming a GDP altering behemoth was a surprise but Swift seemed to get modern pr and social media before a lot of the rest of her peers and used it to create a very loyal fanbase. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
En Passant 3,723 Posted October 10 8 hours ago, Sean said: Say for example an obscure scientist comes up with a cure for cancer in the next two months and is then diagnosed with ALS and also has heart failure and he makes it known before Xmas that he will end his life in Switzerland on New Years Day and the story goes around the world do you honestly think he wouldn't be number 1 on DL 2025? I don't know about #1 inclusion on the Main DL, but it would absolutely make #1 on any Ironic Deaths List. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites