Roast of William Shatner -- and the arbitrary nature of existence

Caught the Shatner roast for the first time last night. Wasn't sure at first how recent it was--I knew it wasn't new --but wasn't sure if it was two -four -six years old plus. I took quick note on how much Jason Alexander had aged since I saw him last (bad dye job on hair and beard--but it could have been for a role). Then I saw Farrah Fawcett and Greg Giralado and realized that the show had to be 5 years old plus --She died in 2009 --he in 2010. Then my son confirmed to me the show was from 2006. Later in the evening I saw David Carradine in the audience---he didn't have too long to go either at that point before his strange demise.

Its funny that if you had watched this Roast when it came out back in 2006 and asked the question --who among the people on the dais were most likely to be dead 6 years hence----Farrah Fawcett would not have been on the list---more likely you would have said one of the older performers like Betty White - Nichelle Nichols or Shatner himself (He was already 75 in 2006) ---But Farrah Fawcett? No. Even Artie Lange would have been a fair guess (Betty White even joked about him dying before her)---I don't know what Greg Giraldo's rep was back in 2006 but maybe the people that knew him back then realized that he was a good candidate to make an early exit from this mortal coil.

Another question that would have likey been answered incorrectly back in 06 was who among the those on the dais was going to move ahead fastest in their carreers? Some might have said Artie Lange again --if he got his stuff straight ---or maybe a comeback for Farrah or maybe the snide but talented Lisa Lampenelli ----but none of those would have been the right answer---the unlikely winner would have been Betty White whose carreer has known no bounds from 2006 on ---She is almost an "A" list celebrity now-- Much bigger now than she was 25 years ago on "The Golden Girls" --who would have thought it possible? The general consensus would have been that she was on the way to the old folks home--and not on to sitcoms - feature films and Super Bowl commericals.