Some kind of sitcom tontine?

At least Mitch McConnell is still-what? I kid. 
I would never do that...He is terrible though.

So just to be clear: there's no such thing as jinxing someone and I'm absolutely not responsible for national treasure Betty White's passing yesterday. You might recall that my previous post, which went up yesterday morning, ended with me expressing relief that despite everything, at least Betty White was still alive. And a more superstitious person--which I am not--might have made some kind of connection. Which is ridiculous, right? Right?

Coincidence...or is it? Yes.

I can't hear you, but I'll just assume that you're reassuring me that I had nothing to do with it. Although last year did seem to have a particularly high rate of death among celebrities. And regular people too, but pandemic aside, I'm not imagining it, am I? Like, Betty White was one of four cast members from the Mary Tyler Moore show alone to die this past year. Four! Ed Asner, Cloris Leachman and Gavin MacLeod all died in 2021.

This makes last year the second deadliest year for actors from that show since 2019 when both Valerie Harper and Georgia Engel died. So what gives? 

What? Don't look at me like that. A lethal conspiracy based
on a 1970's sitcom is far from the nuttiest theory you've hear lately.

Without the internet, we wouldn't know
who Logan Paul is or why he sucks.

Obviously, nothing gives, don't be absurd. Notable people from all areas of public life died in 2021, I think the difference is that we're hearing about it more and more. Yeah, I know I blame the internet for a lot of things, but not only does a constant stream of information mean that we hear about anything and everything, but I think it also allows for a person to be more well known then they'd be if it didn't exist. More people are more famous because of the infinite platform upon which to make themselves known.

Not picking on John Madden. If Desmond
Tutu put out the same game for thirty years
he'd be in the bargain bin as well.

To be clear, Betty White was an incandescent talent and would have been remarkable with or without Twitter. Same for Joan Didion, Desmond Tutu. But I wouldn't have known that John Madden had died if social media didn't tell me. I don't follow sports, he's just that guy from those games taking up half the bargain bin at used game stores. Graeme Edge from the Moody Blues and Michael Nesmith from The Monkey's died, but because I don't know anything about British music from the 60's, they'd also be a complete mystery to me if not for the internet. Am I making any sense? No. Probably not.

But all I'm suggesting is that there's no foul play at work. There's no elaborate conspiracy to off more and more famous people every year to make room for more twenty-somethings who've made careers out of reacting to opening products or dumb YouTube challenges. It's just blind, random chance. Also, and this part is key, I am definitely am not culpable, in any way, for the passing of Betty White. 

Although has anyone looked into how White, the oldest cast member from both
the Mary Tyler Moore Show and the Golden Girls, was also the last to go?
I'm not saying she had anything to do with it, but I'm also not saying she didn't.