The whole anointed thang has become a distinct embarrassment to the JW's. It had always been linked to the timing of armageddon. As armageddon came ever closer - "just around the corner" - so the numbers of anointed diminished year by year as heaven filled up as they died off, every year getting closer and closer to the magic figure of 144,000 dwelling upstairs.. Indeed, going back to the 60's (my teenage years!) a new anointee was not a subject for rejoicing - it was greeted with sadness because it meant that a former member of the anointed had fallen away from The Truth and this new member was simply a replacement.
Just nuts when you think about it.