Do comedians live longer?

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If you look at all the famous comedians who have passed away, the majority of them were in their 80s and 90s. The old ones who are still living, both men and women, are still going strong in their old age. Betty White, Cloris Leachman, Bob Newhart, Carol Burnett, and Lily Tomlin just to name a few. I know that Bill Cosby is facing a bunch of sexual assault charges, but he is 81 and still around. Don Rickles lived to be 90. George Burns lived to 100. There was Joan Rivers who lived to be 81, but I believe she could have lived many more years if she hadn't gotten that surgery. Jonathan Winters lived to be 87 and Phyllis Diller lived to be 95. Do you think that having a sense of humor and being funny contributes to longevity?

Some say that a sense of humor is important to good health and long life.

Otherwise, there would be a comic dying on stage every night...

Yes, if they can avoid the lure of drug use on the road.

I have lived longer than Mitch Hedberg who had a great unique style in his comedy, but I think he was brought down by Heroin use at only 37.

Ask Robin Williams that

Robin had BPD and he'd just found out that he had Parkinson's, as well. He knew that he was losing his 'edge', and that it was only a matter of time before he could no longer perform or even remember the punch lines. His entire identity was based on his sharp mind and quick reflexes, and he was slowly losing both. There was nothing he could do about it.

Very sad that he chose ... what he chose ...

Yeah, let's hope for him there is laughter in heaven.

What if the comedian is also an atheist? What metric should we use for longevity?

Not all comedians have lived long lives, unfortunately. Chris Farley died of drug overdose when he was 33.
John Candy died of a heart attack when he was 43. Robin Williams committed suicide at 63.

I just noticed these people all had the number 3 in the last digit of their age. It it just a coincidence?

On the other hand George Burns lived to be 100, and he was always smoking cigars, drinking martinis and chasing after young women. How did someone with such a comically unhealthy lifestyle get to live so long? Maybe because it was... comical?

When I was a kid, I heard that people who deliberately end their own lives end up in hell. Of course, it's perfectly fine for a terminally ill patient to die a slow, agonizing death if they're human. It's only wrong if they're a pet or another animal.

Yeah, it's weird. My dog went blind when she was 3 years old. The vet I had told me it was best to put her out of her misery. She seemed really happy, and I am no killer. Taught her to move through the house by hiding cookie bits and playing with a scented toy, and she is doing fantastic. Now 13 years old and still as happy as can be.

As an atheist myself, just hoped his quote came true for him:

Anybody who has a sense of humour lives longer.

Wow, I'm surprised nobody mentioned Lenny Bruce and George Carlin (dead at 40 and 71, respectively). Bruce died of an overdose, and Carlin had a series of massive heart attacks over a period of 30 years, before the last one got him.

gerontologically speaking, for every George Burns there are many Chris Farleys.

Interesting topic. I think there's some validity to it.

I think however even if a good sense of humor adds to longevity, it can't override certain things like overdosing on drugs, being massively obese or having congenital defects like a bad heart.

Maybe, but only so long as they don't joke about things that people with no sense of humour might decide is "offensive" and decide that murder qualifies as a witty retort.