Poor Dick Clark. While I know he’s a New Year’s icon, he really needs to retire. He’s 80 years old, not in the greatest of health, and you couldn’t understand a word he said. I have all the respect for Dick Clark and all he’s accomplished in his life, but he needs to take a break. While Ryan Seacrest — his future replacement — is a no-talent hack, it just made me sad to see (and hear) Dick countdown. He even miscounted the countdown.
According to his Wikipedia article, apparently he sounded better this year than he did last couple years (I don’t think I made it to midnight in years past). If he sounds this bad this year, I can only imagine what he sounded like in years past.
Just the same, Happy New Year everybody. I’ll be going to bed once the morons in my neighborhood quit shooting off fireworks.
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He did sound really bad in years past — could sort of understand what he was saying, but you really had to work at it. 🙁
I also have the utmost respect for Dick and will always remember his countdowns in years past. He was da bomb! 🙂 And I hate to see someone squeezed out of a position because of a disability. I realize that his New Years Eve show has been a major huge inspiration for his therapy and recovery. I don’t want that taken from him.
What I do pray for him though, is that his inspiration for continued recovery & therapy will become EVERYDAY LIFE, communicating with his family and friends. I pray that he be blessed in other ways, or that his current gifts and creativity can be used for the best.
I did not watch the countdown show this year because I have watched it the last couple of years and the pieces with Dick were just too painful to watch. I have taken care of many stroke patients and find the condition a painful one to cope with; invariably it cripples a vibrant person who was full of life, by making them unable to talk, move, or sometimes even think. It is frustrating as hell for the patient, and frustrating for the family & caregivers. I don’t need to be reminded of that. I don’t need to watch Dick and think how hard it is on his wife and others to deal with the condition and his care.
Yes this is selfish, and for that I apologize. I truly do not want to sound like a cod. And I truly do NOT want to sound callous or insensitive towards Dick and all he’s been through. 🙁
I just feel as though Dick must have other arenas where he can make a greater, more positive impact for people, than trying to continue the countdown tradition. He might feel like he is the same Dick Clark, but he’s not 🙁 and he doesn’t help the show, nor does he help stroke patients (IMO) in his current role. I do think he could be a very effective stroke advocate, but I don’t think his current positioning is the place where he can the most good.
This is very difficult to write and I am sure I have not said everything exactly right. No matter how you phrase things of this nature, you always still end up coming across like an insensitive turd. *ugh* 🙁 I have a disability and issues myself which I know impact the way I handle certain situations; it is not as though I am without compassion and empathy. But I would not be so presumptuous as to knowingly put myself in a position that relies heavily on my weakest skills in a situation where those very skills are put under severe test. That’s what Dick’s doing and the results aren’t pretty. Recovery is one thing, but even with recovery there are limits. There is a point where the amount you are burdening people suffocates the good you are doing. IMO Dick is well over that line.
*sigh* Hopefully I am making sense…
Happy new year to you, Jake. Hope it is filled with blessings!!
🙂 Karin
I agree with all the previous comments, but lets be serious. He’s old. He can’t talk. Get him the hell off the show. If a policeman lost the use of his arms and legs, we wouldn’t put him back out on the streets. Dick’s gifts are gone. His speech is unintelligible. His face looks like a plastic mask. It doesn’t work anymore. And despite his recovery, the show isn’t for him, it’s for millions of American’s. Watching Dick is liking watching California slide into the ocean; a tragedy that’s been a long time coming.
That was the most painful examples of what not to do if you claim to have recovered from a stroke. How to ruin a New Year’s eve Dick. Dick Clark is unintelligible and Seacrest is not much better although I suppose he might be able to count backward.
Dick you had your moment – time to relish in your accomplishments and exit with dignity.
…I was driving home from the airport (I was in florida for new years…), and the only thing that I could think about was the kid that sat behind me on the plane and kept on imitating him. [other than the fact that he would make an amazing “microsoft sam” voice], it would probably be time for him to have a “night off” and give him the chance to enjoy the festivities fromt the crowd’s side of the stage.
That being said, someone should look at the demographic of the people that watch that new years eve thing, and specifically determine the percentage of users that appreciates him. Then determine the portion that doesn’t appreciate him. Someone else would be brought in VERY quickly.
Just my 2 cents.
Happy New Year
-Shale
Also, what’s with the text limitations? (character set…) you need to “customize” that error page, as well as PLEASE allow some additional characters. i.e. the cents sign (option + $) on the mac.
I think Dick owns the show. So there’s nobody to fire him.
Dick Clark is a surrogate parental symbol to a few people I know who grew up with him on the air and who never had Dad’s. So it was sad to look at their faces when Dick was on TV this year. You could see that it was almost like THEIR parent was suffering in front of their eyes.
It does give me some perspective though, seeing as that will me(us) some day.
I, was very surprise on his performance on New Year,s Eve it was very sad to watch a man that was full of life and and cheer soo much going on I, grew up with dick clark living in N.Y.C. I, grew up there in hells kitchen N.Y…I, just couldn,t believe that was dick clark a man that had soo much going for him my prays go out to him and his family it was very sad to watch
You are right: people who think like that ARE utterly boring. Dick Clark survived a stroke, is recovering, understands that there will be some limits in what he’ll be able to recover, yet he doesn’t hide as if he’s done something wrong by getting sick then surviving and recovering the ability to communicate. He doesn’t do most of the interviewing, etc, but the fact that he hangs in means a lot to his fans over the years who have themselves faced the difficult things of life, including strokes and even worse things. Life is not superficial and slick; life is real. In putting in his appearances, he shows fans who have wondered how he was doing that he is progressing against an attack that could have killed him, and sides with real life instead of the frothy lie that some people demand to be served. People have real affection for some public figures, and in showing the courage to appear just as he is, recovering but with limits, he gives something back to the fans.