Rodney Dangerfield Dies at Age 82

[NightWolve]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,134575,00.html

LOS ANGELES — Rodney Dangerfield (search), the bug-eyed comic whose self-deprecating one-liners brought him stardom in clubs, television and movies and made his lament "I don't get no respect" a catchphrase, died Tuesday. He was 82.

Dangerfield, who fell into a coma after undergoing heart surgery, died at 1:20 p.m., said publicist Kevin Sasaki. Dangerfield had a heart valve replaced Aug. 25 at the University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center.

Sasaki said in a statement that Dangerfield suffered a small stroke after the operation and developed infectious and abdominal complications. In the past week he had emerged from the coma, Sasaki said.

Clad in a black suit, red tie and white shirt with collar that seemed too tight, Dangerfield convulsed audiences with lines such as: "When I was born, I was so ugly that the doctor slapped my mother," "When I started in show business, I played one club that was so far out my act was reviewed in Field and Stream," and "Every time I get in an elevator, the operator says the same thing to me: 'Basement?'"

In a 1986 interview, he explained the origin of his "respect" trademark:

"I had this joke: 'I played hide and seek; they wouldn't even look for me.' To make it work better, you look for something to put in front of it: I was so poor, I was so dumb, so this so that. I thought, 'Now what fits that joke?' Well, 'no one liked me' was all right. But then I thought, a more profound thing would be, 'I get no respect.'"

Dangerfield is survived by his wife, Joan, and two children from a previous marriage.

This news just broke. I didn't even know he was in a coma. Poor guy.

[cka]

that sucks

[Yoshi]

Who had him in the dead pool?

[Calliander]

Here.

That sucks, though.

[Razor Ramon]

Boo.

[Jeremy]

Damn, he was a funny, funny man. Just saw an old HBO special with him on it, great stuff. Even made Roseanne funny.

[Rocca]

I could have sworn I saw him on Leno a couple weeks ago, but a coma? Damn...Respect.

[Clash!]

Yeah he was on Leno like a month or two ago. He looked pretty rough, but he was 82 years old. Sad to see him go, doubt there will be another anything like him.

[Rumpy]

He's been in a coma hasn't he? Wow. (I have him in the dead pool too).

[Diff-chan]

Dangerfield, who fell into a coma after undergoing heart surgery, died at 1:20 p.m., said publicist Kevin Sasaki. Dangerfield had a heart valve replaced Aug. 25 at the University of California, Los Angeles, Medical Center.

w00t w00t