THE O.B.E. MAIL BAG
This portion of the O.B.E is dedicated to those of you who are among the living. During the course of the year, feel free to e-mail the O.B.E. with thoughts, opinions,
and general fun stuff.
This page reads from the top down. Wanna go directly to the most recent postings? Just press this thingy.
METSIE:
Here matthew's list....he is out drinking so I am sending his for him
THE GUYS:
This email makes us feel very happy (and less alone...)
WAYNE MANOR:
Hey Guys, thanks for that great shout out! I have enjoyed your pool for a number of years now, and also participate in the
Derby Dead Pool, where my lists have always consisted of personalities related to the old "Batman" series.
With the loss of both Yvonne Craig and Lesley Gore last year, the numbers are rapidly dwindling, (as seen by the "windows" participants),
for folks with a connection to the show. So it just seemed time to carry the list over to the OBE. Glad you enjoyed the list and
sorry to hear about the donations being down. I shall get mine to you forthwith, but I am concerned that it may hold a clue to my
true identity. Until then....to the Batpoles.......
MATT:
Sure...When I had Pat Harrington, Jr., on my list last year, he doesn't die! Six days too late. Grrrr.
And he was only of four I changed from last year! Damn the Grim Reaper for showing up late!!
THE GUYS:
Patience you must have....
MATT:
Kitty Kallen died January 7, 2016
Not sure if she was "celebrity enough" so I kept her off my list (as I see no one else had her last year) and now she's dead, too,
right after my guy Pat Harrington died on the 6th!!...(and whom I did not keep on my slightly altered list this year)
CELESTE:
First of all, love your site. Your clever wordplay is much appreciated...
Jerry "The Ice Man" Butler IS a Celebrity. See Wikipedia and Google. He is in the R&R Hall of Fame and will be mentioned in
the AP when he passes!
THE GUYS:
Thank you Celeste! When our "fans" like what we do, it makes us happy.
As for Mr. Butler, we don't argue our decisions as per the "Ronnie Hawkins Requirement" which reads,
If one or more of your picks is deemed ***Not a Celebrity***, there will be absolutely no belly-aching, whining, snivelling,
wincing, guffawing, or donning of faux expressions of shock allowed. Furthermore, you are forbidden to bring up said deeming of
said un-celebrity-like person in any bar where you are having a few beers with The Guys. Don't do it. Never. Not even once. Ronnie
Hawkins, puh-lease.
We've long ago come to realize everyone has some folks they will consider celebrities while others will not. We do our best to make
determinations. Sometimes folks aren't too happy with us. Such is the way of the world.
Just thinking about the great tagline (The Ice Man Goeth), maybe we shoulda counted Jerry. Oh well.
MATT:
Sure...When I had Pat Harrington, Jr., on my list last year, he doesn't die! Six days too late. Grrrr.
And he was only of four I changed from last year! Damn the Grim Reaper for showing up late!!
THE GUYS:
Patience you must have....
MATT:
Kitty Kallen died January 7, 2016
Not sure if she was "celebrity enough" so I kept her off my list (as I see no one else had her last year) and now she's dead, too,
right after my guy Pat Harrington died on the 6th!!...(and whom I did not keep on my slightly altered list this year)
THE BABY CRUSHERS:
I know that you have had poetry contests and limerick contests in the past so
I thought I would start 2016 with a poem for the OBE!!!
The OBE is lots of fun
I want more and more
Maybe 2016 will be
the year of Zsa Zsa Gabor
THE GUYS:
A team named "The..Crushers" did play
Wouk, Douglas, Gabor and Foray.
No "Babies" therein
Only old, saggy skin.
And an architect named I M Pei.
THE BABY CRUSHERS:
Now, that that is what I'm talking about.
That was a great limerick!!!
THE GUYS:
We just fired off the email opening the 2016 OBE and quickly realized we screwed up the 2016 standings in the email.
Eternity Tours is also tied for 2/3 place. Our bad. A little too much time at the brewery before we sent the email.
We will update with the next Bulletin. We are limited to one per day with the free service so we can't fix today.
ETERNITY TOURS:
No problem Guys. You have a lot to handle at the beginning of the year.
ABE VIGODA ALL-STARS:
Guys, thanks again for doing this (and for not striking Van Williams).
Due to an unforeseen set of circumstances I should be able to donate to the cause for the first time! (Yay!)
However it will be late January/early February before I can do so. (Boo!) I intend to make up for prior years,
so hopefully some more of your costs will be covered.
THE GUYS:
It's all good. We appreciate your kind words!
JUST KILL ME:
I can't believe no one else had Pierre Boulez. I mean, what's the point of winning if no one copies your picks?
And I only knew about him because he was on your list of verified celebrities, so thanks for that. But I notice he's
only listed as being worth one point on the Entries page.
THE GUYS:
Not any more... And by the way. One hell of a start to the 2016!!!
JUST KILL ME:
I have no explanation. I just tried to pick people who (A) might have a chance and (B) wouldn't be on too many lists.
On second thought, I guess I do have an explanation.
SCOTT:
Awesome job as always, but a couple of stats corrections (yeah, I'm an Excel geek):
36 entries have Fidel Castro, not 37
3 entries have Mike Connors, who you missed on your Stats list
Not bitching, just trying to help. You guys rock!!!
THE GUYS:
37 Fidel. 1 Raul. Connors was missing due to a spelling error in the database. All to be corrected soon.
SCOTT:
My mistake on Castro... 37 is correct, one of the entries had an extra blank space so it was looking like a different name.
But I did also just notice though that you listed Ted Cruz twice.
THE BABY CRUSHERS:
I was reading through the rules page and came to the "what the Guys Do" section and I got confused
for a a second. I read this line:
The Guys reserve the right to alter, waive, omit,
as
The Guys reserve the right to alter, waive, vomit,
How silly of me!!!!! If you say it fast it sounds like vomit but ...well....oh..never mind!!!!
THE GUYS:
We do reserve the right to vomit too. However, we try not to publicize that one.
ROBERT:
The new 2016 list looks great so far - kudos for all your hard work assembling the entries.
I noticed a few misspelled celebrity names remaining - all are off by just a vowel or a transposition:
Henry Kissinger (listed as Kissenger)
Tom Brokaw (listed as Brokow)
Louis Farrakhan (listed as Farrakahn)
Stephen Sondheim (listed as Soundheim)
Berry Gordy (listed as Barry)
Bashar al-Assad (listed as Bashir)
Keep up the great work!
THE GUYS:
Man, our spelling sucks. That or it's a bunch of typos. Ya know, ever since we lost those two fingers in that keg accident.....
ROBERT:
I have 3 more for you:
Hamid Karzai (listed as Hamed)
Brigitte Nielsen (listed as Brigette Nielson)
Dan Haggerty (listed as Haggarty)
Keep an eye on those 8 good fingers!
THE GUYS:
Three more? No, we only lost two and we don't need eleven....
Oh, you mean spelling errors. Ok. We'll fix them.
BECKEY:
One of the entries misspelled Eternity: From Here to Enternity (GZ).
I see that you disallowed 2 of one of my family's entries, but I will not comment on that, as per your instructions. :)
We will, however, make a note that some very famous people in the music world don't seem to rise to your standards.
Our next lists will reflect that. No hard feelings on our part.
Looking forward to a year of that guilty twinge when someone's last breath is noted in the news, and we go back to our lists
to see if we get a point or not. Somehow that seems wrong. But somehow it seems right.
Hope you don't get tired of being thanked, but my family & friends find guilty pleasure in this, and our group includes a bank manager,
a journalist, a graphic artist, an insurance rep, a grocery store clerk, and a teacher. Thanks! :)
THE GUYS:
Thanks for the edit. Our spelling and typing isn't all that great.
As for the bumped names....
Dave Bartholomew wrote some great songs. The songs are quite well known. His name, his face and his "character" (actual or acted) are
not well known. That is why he got knocked out. Ain't that a shame?
The Kingston Trio are clearly a celebrity band. However, show most anyone a picture of Bob Shane or mention the name Bob Shane and
they'll say, "Hey, isn't that the guy who cuts your hair." See the rules about bands. Just because a band is "celebrity" doesn't mean
every member is a celebrity. Sure all the Beatles are/were celebrities. All the members of Toto. Not so much.
Regardless, we love you and your whole darn family for playing this little internet abstraction. All the best!
BECKEY:
Bless your heart for the explanations, which I didn't expect but appreciate very much. :) As a firstborn and a teacher, I'm all for
rules, so I have no problem following them.
For the foreseeable future, my son and I are still going to try to submit one entry per year that has 13 names that aren't on
The Big List. In 2015 he hit 100%, then ended up with the most points for the year. 85% in 2016 isn't that bad. :)
THE GUYS:
And we truly do appreciate the new picks. However, it does come with some risk. Interestingly, if you look at the 2015 winners,
you'll find that two of them had folks knocked off their lists and the third entered a list one pick short. The point being,
it's not just the number of picks but the quality of those picks.
BECKEY:
Good point.
Each year my list has a bunch of the oldest celebrities still drawing breath. Seems like they would go first, but no. This year my
list has SIX people who are 100 or are turning 100 this year, except Norman Lloyd, who is already 101. Time will tell.
Really, though, I think I'd feel strange if my list was the winner. I just like the excitement of the challenge.
I didn't check yet - did You Guys post your list?
THE GUYS:
Of course we posted our list!!!
DIRTYLOU:
I know it's late. I never pushed send and i found this in my drafts. Im not expecting to get in this year, just want to show you all
the winning board this year. Now i need a beer. Have a good year guys.
DIRTY LOU'S LIST
kirk douglas-actor/producer
Fidel Castro-former cuban president
Doris day-american singer
jerry lewis-american comedian
queen elizibeth-queen of england
Zsa Zsa Gabor-actress
Bill Cosby-Comedian, actor
Pope Benedict XVI-Pope
John Travolta-american actor
carol channing-actress, singer
Sir Bernard Ingham-(ex Press Secretary to Margaret Thatcher)
Olivia DeHavilland-actress
Sir John Hurt-actor in Alien and Harry potter movies
Alternate
Willie Nelson-Country musician
THE GUYS:
If nothing else, your list will get posted in the mail bag. Heck, maybe we'll even update it in there over the course of the year.
BTW, we probably would have knocked Bernard off the list as ***Not a Celebrity***.
Join up next year!!!!
DIRTY LOU:
I knew benard was a stretch. Ha-ha. Hey, if you guys get me in that'd be great, but I'd understand to if you couldn't.
Crack a beer for my "dirty death team" and I'll do the same.
Is the PayPal address the same? Wink wink, nudge nudge.
But, seriously it's cool.
Have a good year guys. I'll be back for sure next year.
METSIE:
Thanks for all you do .......my list has been checked...its good.
and a happy hans gruber to you!!!!!
THE GUYS:
We checked your list too. It was okay. We liked the Debbie Reynolds pick.
Forget Hans Gruber. We liked him as Hilly Kristal in that CBGB movie.
COPELAND'S CRAZY CORPSES:
I just noticed I had 3 of my members removed as not celebrities. While I can agree with one of them(Bea Wain), I have to just ask about
my other two. Juao Havelange was the president of FIFA for 24 years. He was responsible for alot of major soccer events such as the
Women's World Cup. These are all world wide televised events. Most soccer fans will know this name. And than Bhumibol Adulyadej
(the current King of Thailand). How can a King of a country not be a celebrity, He rules an entire country!! I don't expect any
changes, I was just curious on them. Anyways, Good luck on your list(s).
THE GUYS:
This may be the easiest response to one of these types of emails ever. Here goes.....
Each year we post the list of people who we excluded as celebrities for that year. We post it on a section of the web page
cleverly named "NOT CELEBRITIES." Guess what two names were on the list that was posted ALL OF 2015. Go ahead.... Yup, Juao Havelange
and Bhumibol Adulyadej. So, if we flat out tell you for a year "hey, don't put these people on your list, they're not Celebrities"
and then you put them on your list, we find it hard to feel even a tinge of guilt.
All that having been said, we're still super glad you're a player in our little amusement. Think of this. All three winners of the
2015 OBE played with short lists. Two lists had picks knocked off and one list entered a 12 pick list.
BRING OUT YOUR DEAD:
We're off to a big start already (not that I picked any of them). Congrats to the winners! Just Kill Me Now - you rock!
THE GUYS:
You're welcome. And as always, thanks for playing.
GARY:
Disappointed that Glen Frey died ... but happy that Just Kill Me Now didn't notch yet another DOA.
THE GUYS:
Glen was likely a little bummed too.
GONE WITH THE WORMS:
Anxiously awaiting what ceremony you have planned for Frank Sinatra Jr.
THE GUYS:
We already had it. We knocked a few back and missed his dad. Damn that guy was good. Hey, the kid was okay too but the dad....
ANDREW:
I'm just curious, did Keith Emerson fall under "Not A Celebrity"?
THE GUYS:
Since Keith was not on any lists, we did not have to make that call. We did, of course, decide not to post an obit with the thinking that if we did have to make that call, it probably would have been a ***Not A Celebrity***.
THE BABY CRUSHERS:
I was tooling around the world wide web when I decided to check on the health status of our
dear Zsa Zsa Gabor. I found her facebook page(managed by the Gabor family) and on April
11th, This was posted
"Zsa Zsa Gabor desperately wants to spend her final days in her native Hungary. Now her loving husband
Frédéric von Anhalt is determined to make the 99-year-old star's last wish come true!"
Check it out:
https://www.facebook.com/ZsaZsaGaborOfficial
It looks like Zsa Zsa may be joining the ranks of the celebrities with a line going through their name
in the entries page of the O.B.E.
TOP OF THE REAP:
Gordie Howe, now on ice... we had him on our list. Can you check him off?
THE GUYS:
We will. We're on our summer hours (pretty much all year).
THE BABY CRUSHERS:
I just wanted to say that the BABY CRUSHERS have finally gotten on the board after more than a year
and a half of no deaths credited. Lois Lane did it for me. Superman couldn't save her this time.
The BABY CRUSHERS are back, baby!!!
Have a beer for Noel Niell!!!
BILL:
How about Glenn Yarbrough just recently passed?
THE GUYS:
Well, Glenn wasn't on any lists. Glen wasn't a name we had made a ***Not A Celebrity*** ruling on before.
And Glenn was not a name or a face we immediately recognized. So, we left him off our obits. We did hesitate when we
noted that he was responsible for the songs from the animated Hobbit films from the early 1970s (which we actually own btw),
however that just wasn't enough.
BECKEY:
Rambling thoughts about the mortality rates of TV shows
Sitcoms in the 60s, and this is totally unscientific, but it might actually be true:
The Dick VanDyke Show has the highest mortality rate, with 4 major stars still alive -
Dick VanDyke
Mary Tyler Moore
Carl Reiner
Rose Marie
The kid who played Richie
(Ann Morgan-Guilbert just died this year.)
The lowest mortality rate is probably Bewitched, where those major cast members started dying left and right not long after the series
ended. In fact, 2 of them actually died during the series: Alice Pearce and Marion Lorne. As they kept dropping like flies, it made
me wonder if there was something on the set, some environmental danger like asbestos or lead, that contributed to their demise.
We'll never know for sure. The only ones left are the kids and Bernard Fox, who played Dr. Bombay.
Dead: Elizabeth Montgomery, Dick York, Dick Sargent, Agnes Moorehead, Paul Lynde, George Tobias, Irene Vernon, Maurice Evans,
Hermione Baddeley, David White, and Alice Ghostley.
What does this all mean? Absolutely nothing! :) But when you are on the lookout for aging TV stars as you watch old reruns, those
overlooked stars of the past who might be good to add to your list, your mind wanders to different kinds of death-related celebrity
topics. This is one of them. (Do you SEE what you do to some people???) :)
THE GUYS:
Interesting....
One comment. We think you have "lowest" and "highest" mixed up. The "lowest" mortality rate would be the Dick Van Dyke Show as the
least people have died. The "highest" mortality rate would be Bewitched as the most people died. Now, if your looking at
survival rates, that would be reversed.
BECKEY:
haha -- You're 100% right! Thanks for pointing that out. That's what I get for trying to be more polite - should've just said
MOST dead people
LEAST dead people.
Much clearer. :)
BECKEY:
I know you can't answer that. But John McCain and Dianne Feinstein are on the list. There are 100 senators,
and many of them are relative unknowns. But how do we know - or can we? - if some of the others who are in the news
a lot are considered celebrities by You Guys? I'm thinking of Orrin Hatch and Chuck Grassley, both of whom have put
down roots and overstayed their usefulness, as far as I'm concerned, (as has every member of congress who has made this
their career - greedy and corrupt, the whole lot of them, both parties), but that's another issue. -- Without giving a
definitive answer, what can you tell me? Thanks!
THE GUYS:
The best we can tell you is that some senators are definitely celebrities but not all of them are.
BECKEY:
You both should go into politics. You've nailed the speak-many-words-but-say-nothing skill. :)
MATT:
FYI: Tammy Grimes (10/30/16, age 82)
And some day I want to drink and discuss why Bea Wain should count LOL
Excited for the "new year of the dead" already!
And, for the hell of it, did anything really change in the rules?, or can I just re-enter without re-reading or looking at them!
Happy Drinking!
THE GUYS:
This is why...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9-WLXm_faE
VINCENT:
Does this mean ZsaZsa is safe until Jan 1st?
THE GUYS:
Jan 1, 2021.
METSIE 62:
I just wanted you to know that "Knocking on Heavens Door" passed away from Heart disease last Thursday.
He was an avid player and a big fan...we played this for a number of years ...it was part of our XMas week in the office
festivities for many years when we worked together ...then a Christmas lunch/dead pool when we moved to different places.
THE GUYS:
As much as we hate getting emails like this, we appreciate you letting us know.
THE BABY CRUSHERS:
R.I.P. Knocking on Heavens Door
Thank you for sharing the O.B.E. with us!!!!
BECKEY:
Please tell Metsie to convey our condolences to all those who knew and loved David!
BECKEY:
I didn't check all the lists, but he's on my friend Lucy's list: Hollywood Funerals, and his name is not
crossed off. :) I knew you'd want to know. Thanks!
THE GUYS:
Thanks Beckey. All up to date now.
THE BABY CRUSHERS:
Do you also put the "UGH" in Manslaughter??????
HA HA!!!!
Seriously, I never saw the word laughter in Manslaughter until you sent this email.
Bravo!!!!
OK...My Castro limerick. I hope you guys like it.
Fidel kicked the bucket and everyone cheered
He was the dictator that all peopled feared
His brother Raul
Will bury that fool
That Commy is dead and so is his beard
THE GUYS:
No but we put the "ART" in "depart" and in the "ASS" in "pass away".
KELLY:
Kenny Baker (R2D2) died Aug 13, 2016. You overlooked him.
THE GUYS:
Fixing that now. Kenny Baker, Fidgit in Time Bandits! Great movie.
GONE WITH THE WORMS:
Sorry Guys, I can't find the PayPal LINK anywhere on your website. Can you reply back with it so that I can donate?
I've got hundreds of dollars sitting here patiently waiting. (If it's there, really, I can't find it).
THE GUYS:
It's at the bottom of the main page of the website. It is cleverly titled $$$-DONATE-$$$.
GONE WITH THE WORMS:
Ouch!!! One of my 2017 picks just died! - John Glenn. Can I replace him on my list or am I screwed?
If I can replace him (since it's still 2016) I would like to add Rose Marie from the Dick Van Dyke show, 1960s.
If you have to use my alternate, then please add Rose Marie as my new alternate.
THE GUYS:
In accordance with the rules, we must exercise your Alternate pick. We cannot add a new alternate. You only get one.
Sorry, but we try to keep this thing fair.
THE BABY CRUSHERS:
Zsa Zsa Gabor finally kicked the bucket. And as a tribute, I wrote this limerick:
Every year I would ask myself why
I put her on my list but she just won't die
Well, finally today
Zsa Zsa Gabor passed away
So to Zsa Zsa we now say goodbye
Farewell Zsa Zsa. It's about time.
THE GUYS:
Well, your limerick skills need a bit of work but you are certainly correct, it is about time.
For so many years she was listed
But defied all the odds and resisted
Once the best legs in town
She died with one down
Took a full eighteen months 'til she missed it
(and it really did take a full 18 months, you can look it up).
The number one pick for this year
Was a lady without much career
Sure she once was quite hot
And she married a lot
Is it noon yet, we sure need a beer
ROB:
I'm putting my list together for 2017 and I wanna check the status of an individual:
FBI director James Comey
What say The Guys? Celebrity or NOT a Celebrity?
THE GUYS:
As a matter of OBE policy, we do not make such judgements in advance of Death Watch season.
It is unfair to other players. Instead, we advise you take a few minutes to read our rules over.
They should provide some guidance as to our thinking on the matter.
http://www.flymetothetomb.x10.mx/rules.html
ROB:
I had to chuckle a bit at how proper and professional we're being considering the subject matter. My apologies for not
reading the fine print thoroughly. You guys put a lot of work into this thing for seemingly very little reward.
It is a lot of fun, albeit a bit tasteless....but hey, that life! :)
THE GUYS:
Oh Rob, honestly...The rewards are endless.
BOB:
Have been a fan of your web page forever. Seems the world takes itself too seriously these days, so keep up the good work.
My entry is attached & I'll be sending in a modest donation.
THE GUYS:
Thanks for the kind words!
KYLE:
(RE: George Michael) Who knew that "someone special" was some lucky person on the organ donor waiting list.
Not that crone he was writing the song about, that's for sure.
Anyway, Merry Christmas guys. May it not be your Last.
GONE WITH THE WORMS:
I guess I learned my lesson this month not to send in my list for next year too early. I sent in my 2017 list on December 15,
and since then, 3 of my picks have passed, and #4 is looking possible before the end of the month! Next year you will get my list on
December 31st. But I'm not a sore loser. Just a loser.
THE GUYS:
Definitely one of the risks of an early entry.
SKIP:
I just noticed that you haven't noted the death of Anne Jackson. She died 04/12/2016.
THE GUYS:
Will be corrected shortly (and it was).
MATT:
I don't think you guys get a chance to lift a beer before the next celeb dies!
THE GUYS:
Sir! We always get that chance. It's a matter of priorities.
Back to the Archives