Why so many celebrities have died in 2016 (BBC) - Polidicks

[img]http://imgkk.com/i/mkst.png[/img] [url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-36108133[/url] [quote]We are only four months in, but it's already been a dark, dark 2016. It now seems rare for a week to pass without a significant celebrity death being reported - from David Bowie in the second week of January, to actor Alan Rickman a week later, to comedian Victoria Wood and Prince this week. "Enough, 2016" and a more vulgar alternative are phrases people are uttering more and more regularly. So is this wave of celebrity deaths the new normal? The answer is yes, according BBC's obituary editor Nick Serpell, who ought to know about such things.[/quote]

My guess is it's because we are constantly making new celebrities at an astonishingly fast rate. More sample size means more of them are bound to die in one year.

-snip

[QUOTE=Zenreon117;50179489]My guess is it's because we are constantly making new celebrities at an astonishingly fast rate. More sample size means more of them are bound to die in one year.[/QUOTE] But most of the celebrities that have passed are not these one-hit stars: they're long time established icons. Before I read, I'm going to guess it's about the time they were born being post-WWII or 60's with the increased birth rates, and new technology mediums that came out around the same times made them still noteworthy today.

[QUOTE=Zenreon117;50179489]My guess is it's because we are constantly making new celebrities at an astonishingly fast rate. More sample size means more of them are bound to die in one year.[/QUOTE] That should only mean the death rate of celebrities in the year 2050 should be extremely high, not now. The people dying this year are all in their older years.

[QUOTE=Emperor Scorpious II;50179574]That should only mean the death rate of celebrities in the year 2050 should be extremely high, not now. The people dying this year are all in their older years.[/QUOTE] He didn't say the growth started today

If you read the article they talk about how the celebrities of the 1960s are now reaching an age where the death rate goes up a lot. The 2050s will just be worse.

Wait where are the "Celebrities die every year quit acting surprised" posters?

Basically we are starting to see the decline of the baby boomer generation, one of the biggest population booms. Logic dictates that at the other end of the spectrum there also be a big implosion of the population.

"People who started becoming famous in the 1960s are now entering their 70s and are starting to die," This here really gets to the meat of it. Celebrities we've come accustomed to know are simply growing old. There isn't some voodoo spell or disease going around. You can also couple this with the fact that we're more connected than ever and celebrity deaths are becoming more and more noticeable because of social media. [editline]22nd April 2016[/editline] [QUOTE=BelatedGamer;50179595]Wait where are the "Celebrities die every year quit acting surprised" posters?[/QUOTE] Celebrities DO die every year. Nothing is surprising about this. It's a shame, but people have to die sometime you know?

i miss chyna

[QUOTE=ForgottenKane;50180106]"People who started becoming famous in the 1960s are now entering their 70s and are starting to die," This here really gets to the meat of it. Celebrities we've come accustomed to know are simply growing old. There isn't some voodoo spell or disease going around. You can also couple this with the fact that we're more connected than ever and celebrity deaths are becoming more and more noticeable because of social media. [editline]22nd April 2016[/editline] Celebrities DO die every year. Nothing is surprising about this. It's a shame, but people have to die sometime you know?[/QUOTE] No they shouldn't, David Bowie should have been immortal I've been cheated

[QUOTE=ThatSprite;50180162]No they shouldn't, David Bowie should have been immortal I've been cheated[/QUOTE] Who's to say the star men didn't clone him first though, he was great friends with them as we all know

[QUOTE=ForgottenKane;50180106]"People who started becoming famous in the 1960s are now entering their 70s and are starting to die," This here really gets to the meat of it. Celebrities we've come accustomed to know are simply growing old. There isn't some voodoo spell or disease going around. You can also couple this with the fact that we're more connected than ever and celebrity deaths are becoming more and more noticeable because of social media. [editline]22nd April 2016[/editline] Celebrities DO die every year. Nothing is surprising about this. It's a shame, but people have to die sometime you know?[/QUOTE] You have to take into account that a lot of the 60's and 70's icons were heavy drug users. Even though it has been 40-50 years, their bodies are probably pretty worn down.

by 2050 we're going to be losing 50,000 celebrities a day!

Short summary: baby boomer generation had increased capacity to become famous and they are now entering their 70s. No dark magic, but sad nonetheless.

For me it's not surprising that celebrities in their 60s and 70s are dying, it's more that so much is happening in a specific year. You would assume that the death rate would be similar to the years before, even if slightly increasing, but this year there is a significant amount above average.

They forgotten to mention Chyna. I had a 'digital detox' so to speak for a week, then logged onto Twitter the other day only to learn that my childhood heroine had passed away. Goddammit :(

They're all reaching the age where cancer usually appears and a lot of celebrities were drug users decreasing their life-span. So, it's only logical.

it's obvious.. the illuminati and reptilians killed them

[QUOTE=SweetTea;50198218]it's obvious.. the illuminati and reptilians killed them[/QUOTE] ? Hillary is too busy with the election for that.

It's in the water maaaaaaan

people are saying it is cause they are all reaching 70s, but a lot including prince were not even 60 yet

[QUOTE=matt000024;50203249]people are saying it is cause they are all reaching 70s, but a lot including prince were not even 60 yet[/QUOTE]Yeah, and while we're on that subject it seems that life expectancy is a bullshit estimate when you're famous. Then again we're a hell of a lot more connected these days and awareness of a celebrity's death is far more widespread. I was going to tally up a list but then I realized people would just bitch about who's supposed to be there or not.