Charles Darwin at a green chalkboard.

1999 Darwin Awards

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? Honoring Charles Darwin, the father of evolution, Darwin Awards commemorate those who improve our gene pool--by removing themselves from it in the most spectacular way possible.

Power of Satan?
1999 Darwin Award Winner Unconfirmed by Darwin

(November 1999) A church held a pageant that culminated in an exciting climactic battle between God and Satan. A stage actor was hired to play Satan, and encouraged to use any means necessary to make the role more realistic. A true professional, he used a voice shifter to make his voice sound dark and evil, and even gave a display of his fire-breathing skills. These theatrics proved to be too much for two members of the congregation, who had heart attacks on the spot, and were rushed to the hospital. One died and the other is in critical condition, which is certainly a dramatic way of saying, "The reviews are in and the show is a smash!"

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Submitted by: Lance Boudreaux
Reference: Walton and Johnson Radio Show

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Jay remonstrates, "Power of Satan does not qualify. The two who died did nothing more than watch a pageant about God and the Devil. This is not inherently stupid, unless there were significant warnings for those with heart conditions or the like. It was the actor's performance which killed them, but the rules state that the deceased must make the 'ultimate sacrifice of their own lives.' Note the word 'own.'"

Ariadne differs: "The Darwin award goes to the two members of the audience who were dim-witted enough to let the actor's creative performance performance spook them enough to suffer heart attacks. Ergo their own stupidity did INDEED contribute to their demise. The Darwin award is appropriate."
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