19 comments

[ 2.6 ms ] story [ 54.7 ms ] thread
Is it just me or has the frequency of celebrity deaths made an uptick recently?

I'm wondering if this is just observational bias or a complication of the dense baby boomer population aging into their mortality.

> or a complication of the density baby boomer population aging into their mortality.

I'd wager its this. In emotionless, clinical terms, the Boomer cohort is "aging out". :(

That's the direction I'm leaning as well, if not anomalous this means that there is going to be a lot more death in this demographic coming in the near years.

This could readily change the face of politics in the country as the old guard disappears in nearly one uniform event (decade level).

(comment deleted)
How many celebrities did you know who were born in the 1920's and 1930's? You're just observing more people who you've known. Television didn't get big until the 1970's and cable didn't really impact until the 1980's, which made a lot more people well-known.
Television was huge well before the 1970's. Movies have been big since before the 1930's.

Stars are not a new phenomenon, seeing one die more than once a week is.

There weren't nearly as many shows so there weren't nearly as many stars.

No one said movies weren't big before the 1930. Most of us weren't around to see them so it's irrelevant to the conversation.

Fair point.
I think that's been going on for a while.

But what may be new is that Gen X is starting to have to wrestle with their mortality. People who were on TV when we were kids are starting to go, and it's becoming real for us. "Jesus, that guy was only 15 years older than me."

2016-1945 is 71. So no, it's not your imagination.
Very sad. Here's some gold:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfNHX_gVKJ0

Watch all seasons of The Larry Sanders Show!

true that, one of the best shows of all time. You can get all six seasons on DVD for $20. It's hard to find a better bargain out there.
It truly is the godfather of modern cringe comedy - today's landscape of comedies centered around fundamentally unlikable characters in uncomfortable situations is something I think wouldn't exist without Larry Sanders. RIP
They got Carol Burnette to "go blue"( her term, not mine ) on that show for which I am eternally grateful.