Famous and Gravy 14th Street Studios
-
- TV & Film
On every episode we choose a celebrity who died between 1 and 10 years ago. We then go through a series of structured categories. We start by rating the first line of their NYT obituary on a scale of 1–10. We then look at their life stats, we speculate on their inner lives, and we ultimately answer the question "Would I want that life?" Each category helps weigh the desirability of a given life. Our approach is that of an empathetic biography. Our dead celebrities cross many categories of fame, including film, TV, sports, music, politics, literature, and more. Our goal is to make serious topics fun.
-
Purple Reign (Prince)
This person died in 2016 at age 57. He won an Academy Award in 1985, and a Webby Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. He was still a teenager when he was signed to Warner Bros Records, in a deal that included full creative control. His work inspired the formation of the Parents’ Music Resource Center, which pressured record companies into labeling albums to warn of explicit content. In 1993 he changed his stage name to an unpronounceable glyph, and for a while he was referred to as “The Artist Formerly Known As”. His chart-topping hits included “Let’s Go Crazy”, “When Doves Cry”, and “Purple Rain”. Today’s dead celebrity is Prince.
Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode features Nichelle Carr as guest host, and was produced by Megan Palmer. Sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 45 “Rebel Rebel” (David Bowie) and Episode 21 “Florida Man” (Tom Petty)
LINKS:
Transcript of this episode
New York Times Obituary for Prince
Black Women of Amherst College podcast series
Charlie Murphy’s True Hollywood Stories on Chappelle Show
Dick Clark interviews Prince on American Bandstand in 1980
Chris Rock interviews Prince in 1997
Prince’s performance at the 2004 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Famous & Gravy official website
Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
Dead or Alive Quiz Game
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Hungarian Socialite (Zsa Zsa Gabor)
This person died in 2016 at age 99. She appeared as a nightclub manager in Orson Welles’ 1958 “Touch of Evil”, and the same year as a sexy alien in “Queen of Outer Space.” She appeared on scores of talk shows, game shows, comedy specials, and episodic dramas. In 1989, she was arrested for slapping a police officer. She was married at least eight times, and called everyone “Dahlink.” Today’s dead celebrity is Zsa Zsa Gabor.
Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com and enjoy our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 66 “Let’s Get Metaphysical” (Olivia Newton-John) and Episode 47 “Proud Mary” (Mary Tyler Moore)
LINKS:
Transcript of this episode
New York Times Obituary for Zsa Zsa Gabor
“Why I wish I married Zsa Zsa Gabor” from The Guardian
Life Advice Straight From Zsa Zsa Gabor's Book
“Judge Slaps Zsa Zsa with 3 days in jail” from LA Times
Famous & Gravy official website
Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
Dead or Alive Quiz Game
HPB.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Poetic Justice (Maya Angelou)
This person died in 2014 at age 86. She was a Tony-nominated stage actress, and a calypso dancer for a period of time.. In 2011 she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She was a college professor and a ubiquitous presence on the lecture circuit, and also made several appearances on Sesame Street. Throughout her writing, she explored the concepts of personal identity and resilience through the multifaceted lens of race, sex, family, community and the collective past. In 1969 she published her landmark book, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”. Today’s dead celebrity is Maya Angelou.
This episode originally published February 8, 2023.
Listen to the Sound Judgment podcast in which Michael and Amit discuss this Maya Angelou episode
Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. For updates on the show, please sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com. Also, enjoy our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 71 “Defiant One” (Sidney Poitier) and Episode 61 “Dame Detective” (Angela Lansburyi).
Links:
Transcript of this episode
New York Times Obituary for Maya Angelou
‘Sound Judgment’ podcast discussing this episode
Maya Angelou’s poem at the 1993 inauguration
Tracy Morgan’s impersonation of Angelou’s Hallmark Cards on SNL
Maya Angelou for Froot Loops on SNL performed by David Alan Grier
Maya Angelou’s Life in Photos in the New Yorker
“And I Still Rise” Documentary on Maya Angelou
Famous & Gravy official website
Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
Dead or Alive Quiz Game
HPB.com
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Love and OJ Jokes (Norm Macdonald)
This person died in 2021, age 61. His brother Neil once told a reporter that he almost joined the newspaper business as a young man, but that he had deliberately botched an interview. By 1984, he spent four months opening for the comedian Sam Kinison. His sense of humor sometimes got him in hot water. A 2018 article about him said “The dedicated fan will identify two patterns in his television work: It is invariably funny, and it is invariably canceled.” He became familiar to millions as the Weekend Update anchor on “Saturday Night Live” from 1994 to 1998. Today’s dead celebrity is Norm Macdonald.
This episode originally published March 22, 2023.
Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode was produced by Jacob Weiss. Sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com for news and updates on the show. Also, enjoy our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 69 “Foul House” (Bob Saget) and Episode 54 “Heartwarming Humor” (Louie Anderson).
Transcript of this episode
New York Times Obituary for Norm Macdonald
Famous & Gravy official website
Famous & Gravy on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn
Dead or Alive Quiz Game
“Norm Macdonald” was the real thing from The New Yorker
Trailer for Norm Macdonald’s posthumous Netflix special
Norm Macdonald returns to SNL as Host
Norm’s appearance on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire” explained
Norm’s “moth” joke on Conan
Norm Macdonald lists his Santa Monica condo for sale
“Norm Macdonald Live” video podcast
HPB.com
Podcast Attributions:
WTF Epsiode #219 w/ Norm Macdonald
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
The Masterclass Act (Philip Seymour Hoffman)
His mother was a former family court judge, and his father worked for the Xerox corporation. The New York Times once said “He does terminal uncertainty better than practically anyone.” He was a sleepy-looking man with uncombed hair who favored rumpled clothes. He was perhaps the most ambitious and widely admired American actor of his generation. He earned Oscar nominations for his performances in “The Master”, “Doubt”, and “Charlie Wilson’s War”, and won as Best Actor for “Capote” in 2005. Today’s dead celebrity is Philip Seymour Hoffman.
Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode features Michael Warburton as guest host, and was produced by Megan Palmer. Sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 44 “Inner Soprano” (James Gandolfini) and Episode 35 “Likable Villain” (Alan Rickman).
Links:
Transcript of this episode
New York Times Obituary for Philip Seymour Hoffman
Mimi O’Donnell’s Vogue article
Philip Seymour Hoffman on Charlie Rose in 2002
Top 10 Philip Seymour Hoffman performances
Bill Burr on Philip Seymour Hoffman
Famous & Gravy official website
Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
Dead or Alive Quiz Game
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices -
Professor on Elm Street (Wes Craven)
He taught English at Westminster College in Pennsylvania, and was also a high school teacher. He directed the drama “Music of the Heart,” based on the true story of a woman, who taught violin to underprivileged children in Harlem. He directed his first feature film In 1972 , “Last House on the Left.” He directed the first four movies of the “Scream” franchise starring Neve Campbell and Courteney Cox. His most famous creation was the serial killer Freddy Krueger, who, with his razor-blade glove, haunted the dreams of teens in “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” Today’s dead celebrity is Wes Craven.
Famous & Gravy is created and co-hosted by Amit Kapoor and Michael Osborne. This episode featured Morgan Honaker as guest host, and was produced by Evan Sherer. Sign up for our newsletter at famousandgravy.com and also enjoy our mobile quiz game at deadoraliveapp.com
If you enjoyed this episode, you may also like Episode 34 “Zombie Mastermind” (George Romero) and Episode 62 “Lord of Horror” (Christopher Lee).
Links:
Transcript of this episode
New York Times Obituary for Wes Craven
Master of Cinema, Wes Craven documentary
1997 Charlie Rose interview with Wes Craven
Wes Craven interviews on Fresh Air archives
Famous & Gravy official website
Famous & Gravy on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
Dead or Alive Quiz Game
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices