How Did Dick Clark Look This Year?

[Markxxx]

I didn't watch Dick Clark's Rockin' New Years this year. Did any one catch it? If so, what did he look like? Just wondering if his health is any better

[KennerTheGreat]

About the same as last year, really; no better or worse. He muffed the countdown a little bit, but I didn't notice a huge difference one way or the other between this year and any other since his stroke.

[Lute Skywatcher]

He looked about the same but he spoke as if he had way too much to drink.

[Tibby or Not Tibby]

He looked remarkably like Jerry Mahoney (http://www.catskillmagic.com/Quickstart/ImageLib/jerry1internet.jpg), though perhaps a bit more stiff.

[Stink Fish Pot]

It was pretty painful to watch.

I have to say, it really bummed me out. I don't want to be bummed out on New Year's. I understand his desire to do the show, but I wish someone would just let him "think" he's on the air, while someone who can speak and not bring the party to a silent halt does the real show.

Poor Mr. Clark. I can't imagine his frustration, but he looked remarkably plastic last night. He even had trouble putting his hands together by intertwining his fingers. He can't need the money. I simply don't understand why he continues to do it (or why the network continues to let him).

The whole party stopped to watch him and the discussed his condition. No one made fun of him. It was just a depressing reminder of how fragile life is. Who needs that on New Year's?

[Chicken Fingers]

I agree. I want cheery/silly with a side of sarcasm on New Year's Eve, so I went with Kathy Griffin and Anderson Cooper.

[devilsknew]

I haven't read any of this thread. But from a speech point of view, his therapist isn't doing him a bit of good. He is having him concentrate more on projection and distracting him from completion with contraction. His voice ha deepened and his context has become clipped and confused,,,, butt I blame this on his coach.

[Exapno Mapcase]

He looked as if he died thirty years ago and they botoxed his corpse.

[Markxxx]

Oh that's kind of sad, of course it is his program, well in a way it is. I know ABC has already signed Seacrest to take over whenever Dick Clark decides to retire.

I guess Clark may hold some old style appeal, like Guy Lombardo did for my mum's generaton.

[BigBertha]

True, its whoever you grew up with. Dick's been doing it 37 years and I've been watching the whole time (except for that one year i got stupid and watched howard sterns rotten eve), and I found it funny he went 13..12..10..9..11

But yeah, Ryan can do okay, let him take over.

[devilsknew]

The music acts were more feeble than Dick.

They rocked New Years like my Granny.

[Nzinga, Seated]

I'm so sorry. But that was funny as hell. By the time he got to '1', he literally didn't even give a fuck anymore. You Tube. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0VqQnbccW4)

I like that he does it though. I mean, like it is really important to my mom that she see him do it. Maybe, instead of him actually saying it, in the future, they could give him some kind of big, flashy button to press...to set it off. Then let Seacrest do the countdown.

[handsomeharry]

Why on earth did they start the countdown at 20?
Just begging for trouble....Poor Dick.
I agree that his trainer sucks, tho. IMHO, he hasn't progressed any since last year, and I am sure that he has been working at it, so the POS trainer needs to be put down.

And, I think that Ryan Seacrest is not the person to help me ring in New Years. Give me Dick Clark with two strokes, rather than him.

hh

[luv2draw]

It's kind of hard for me to watch. I mean, I used to watch Dick Clark on Bandstand out of Philly. Actually, I think he was a little better this year. Yeah, it's like his upper lip is welded in one position but I think his ennunciation was better. Or maybe I just wanted to believe that.

I think he's the producer (he's got big bucks) so he's not going anywhere in that regard. I don't care for Ryan Seacrest so I wish they would find someone else. There's got to be an actor from an ABC show they can get.

I didn't much care for J-Lo and her crazy jumpsuit outfit that made left nothing to the imagination. She's too old for that crap. Cover up, hun.

I did turn the channel to CNN for a few minutes but I couldn't bear to see Anderson Cooper be the straight man for Kathy Griffin. CSH!!!! (can't stand her)

[Meeko]

What really sucks, is that, IMHO, when he was counting down the final seconds of 2008, there was a span of about 5 seconds, where he just totally gave it his all, and you could tell. For a brief shining moment there, you could see the "old" Dick.












:smack: Well, you know what I mean to say.

There was no such moment this year. FWIW at least he had someone to kiss.

[Tom Tildrum]

I had the opposite reaction from most here; I thought he looked fantastic. His mind and wit are clearly unaffected, and his speech was intelligible. Maybe I'm older and therefore closer to death, but I thought it was really life-affirming to know what he had been through and how far back he'd made it. I thought there was some genuine warmth between him and Seacrest, much more so than Cooper and Griffin. Props to ABC for letting Clark continue.

[Mean Mr. Mustard]

Why on earth did they start the countdown at 20?

We could have had Dwight Schrute do the countdown from 30 :)

I couldn't bear to see Anderson Cooper be the straight man

Nahhh.....too easy.

[Brown Eyed Girl]

I thought it was sad. Of course, he still looks fantastic, which oddly juxtaposes the speech issues and slowed movements. His voice was a real shocker for me (since I didn't watch 2008/2009 episode) and it really dampened the mood to see it. It's almost poetic though and a reminder that there are only so many New Year celebrations in a lifetime. That's a reminder most don't find all that worth celebrating, however. I can't help but wonder if this was his last Rockin' Eve. :(

I like Dick Clark. I'm gonna miss him. I grew up watching Dick Clark as he started his countdown two years after I was born. I have never watched another channel.*


*Can't say I'm much of a fan of Ryan Seacrest, though. It'll never be the same without Dick.

[installLSC]

The video mentioned above (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0VqQnbccW4) is one of the saddest things I've seen. If a man can't count from 20 to 1 without missing numbers or getting winded he shouldn't be hosting a major event. Dick simply can't do the job anymore and all the effort he's gone to return to the show can't obviate that. Thank goodness I was a rock concert that night, or it would have been the ultimate buzzkill to the new year.

[Rilchiam]

*Can't say I'm much of a fan of Ryan Seacrest, though. It'll never be the same without Dick.

I wouldn't be surprised if there was a time people said the same thing about Dick re: Guy Lombardo. I think Seacrest is awesome at what he does. It's not a zero-sum game.

[RickJay]

I think it's great they still send him out there and I was glad to hear him.

It would have been very easy for the network to say "we don't want this old crip freaking our our viewers anymore, let's get some fresh face to do it." Instead they brought back Clark, stroke and all, with the philosophy that it's his gig and by God he'll keep doing it until he quits or dies, and to hell with the stroke. Good for them.

[Elendil's Heir]

Deeply tanned and slurring his words. Time to retire, Dick, please.

[melodyharmonius]

I love Dick Clark. I do think it's hard to watch him. But I respect him too much to see him that way. Especially because my SO and I watch him pretty faithfully on the old Pyramid shows that GSN airs every day.

I agree with Tom Tildrum - Ryan and Mr. Clark have a definite vibe together that I enjoy. I just wish that Ryan would be in the studio with Dick and they would count down together or something.

We only watched the last 15 minutes or so - so I'm not sure what the whole show was like, but I will say that I was surprised that J.Lo was singing such an old hit when I did switch the tv on. "Let's Get Loud"? Really? It was on an album in 1999 - not even in this decade, and even though it got her a 2001 Grammy nomination- it was never even officially released in the US!

[Marley23]

It would have been very easy for the network to say "we don't want this old crip freaking our our viewers anymore, let's get some fresh face to do it." Instead they brought back Clark, stroke and all, with the philosophy that it's his gig and by God he'll keep doing it until he quits or dies, and to hell with the stroke. Good for them.
I don't think they can get rid of him. His company owns the whole New Year's Rockin' Eve thing, so it's his decision. The network could get rid of the program, but I don't think it would help ratings and they would look bad for doing it.

I don't think we watched him in 2008-09, but I'd say he sounded about the same as the year before or whenever I last saw him. At his age he's probably unlikely to improve any further. It doesn't brighten the mood at all but I respect his decision to be an example for other people who've had a stroke, and going out in public instead of crawling away for fear of bringing people down.

[Brown Eyed Girl]

I wouldn't be surprised if there was a time people said the same thing about Dick re: Guy Lombardo. I think Seacrest is awesome at what he does. It's not a zero-sum game.

You're probably right. He just doesn't appeal to me. He just doesn't seem as genuine as Dick Clark, a little bit more...manufactured, I guess. But, I don't know, maybe that's just me.

[Wheelz]

I had mixed feelings seeing him this year. Yeah, it's his show, and I'm sure nobody's gonna be the one to tell him he can't do it anymore. Nor should they, I guess.

And there were some moments during his exchanges with Ryan where you could tell his mind is still sharp, which of course is a good thing. But, my God, he looked and sounded absolutely terrible. It was painful to watch.

While I do have sympathy for him and his condition, and can understand his desire to keep going, you'd think the man has been in show biz long enough to realize that he's an entertainer who can no longer perform. It may be sad, but I hope he makes the tough decision this year to step down, and I further hope has has many more years to enjoy the fruits of his career.

[Magiver]

It was pretty painful to watch.

I have to say, it really bummed me out. I don't want to be bummed out on New Year's. I understand his desire to do the show, but I wish someone would just let him "think" he's on the air, while someone who can speak and not bring the party to a silent halt does the real show.

Poor Mr. Clark. I can't imagine his frustration, but he looked remarkably plastic last night. He even had trouble putting his hands together by intertwining his fingers. He can't need the money. I simply don't understand why he continues to do it (or why the network continues to let him).

The whole party stopped to watch him and the discussed his condition. No one made fun of him. It was just a depressing reminder of how fragile life is. Who needs that on New Year's?

This.

He has been the face of New Years for quite awhile but everything got quiet when he started the count down and it was painful to watch. As much as I hate to see the iconic things in my life disappear over time I think it's time. If he has his full mental faculties then he knows it's better to go out on a high note.

[Euphonious Polemic]

I had the misfortune to be at a house where they had on the Rocking NY Eve special.
Please, for the love of God and all that is holy, don't let Dick Clark on TV again. It is very nice to remember him and the New Year's eve specials of the past. It is somewhat horrifying to watch as his insides slowly dissolve, while his outsides retain a glistening, plastic botox sheen.

I swear I could actually see the embalming fluid leaking out of his left ear.

Let the man rest in peace for God's sake. I don't care if he is an Icon, or even if he himself begs to go on the air. Don't subject the rest of us to that. Nobody needs to see the travesty of a resurrected Dick Clark on Dec 31.

[PunditLisa]

Yeah, it was painful to watch. But he suffered a stroke and I'm uncomfortable with the notion that we should shove all such people to the sidelines because they have difficulty expressing themselves, even though they have a fully functioning brain. So, I guess I'd choose to be uncomfortable vs. shutting him down because he's not media perfect.

Besides, he owns the show, so he gets to call the shots.

[twickster]

Moved Euphonious Polemic's thread from MPSIMS to Cafe Society and merged it into the existing Dick Clark thread.

twickster, MPSIMS/Cafe Society moderator

[Nzinga, Seated]

Yeah, it was painful to watch. But he suffered a stroke and I'm uncomfortable with the notion that we should shove all such people to the sidelines because they have difficulty expressing themselves, even though they have a fully functioning brain. So, I guess I'd choose to be uncomfortable vs. shutting him down because he's not media perfect.

Besides, he owns the show, so he gets to call the shots.

I see where you are coming from, but let's think this through for a moment. Dick Clark's career was public speaking. That is a skill. A skill people go to school to learn. He was damn good at it. Damn good. All that enunciation and elocution and projection and cadence that we see from news anchors or gameshow hosts; that doesn't just come naturally. It is a craft that they work on.

Once they lose the ability to do so, they should just hang it up. We wouldn't say he should do any other job when he is so compromised by stroke.

I realize it is his gig, but the network might want to consider making a Seacrest gig and calling it a day.

And, I do love to see Dick do it...just in a smaller role...basically, like I said, pushing a button or something that releases the light ball. I know folks don't like to see things change, but change they do. Remember when it was an actual apple up there? Then it started to look goofy and outdated so we have this light ball that drops now? Or did I just make that up?

[luv2draw]

I just wish that Ryan would be in the studio with Dick and they would count down together or something.


I have a feeling that the reason Ryan is outside (like Dick used to be before the stroke) and Dick is inside is that the inside part with Dick is pre-recorded. They tape it and re-tape it, etc. until they get enough to use and piece it in there with the live part. I've been thinking that since the first time he showed up after the stroke because it seemed so odd to me that all of a sudden they had him isolated, except for his wife there to kiss him on the stroke of midnight. The part of the show from CA with all the groups and guest appearances IS after all pre-recorded.

[Quasimodem]

Speaking as someone who was pretty much friend-less when I arrived in the US in 1960, I depended a lot on television to help me, not only for the entertainment but for learning the American culture as well.

American Bandstand and the kids on the show were a huge part of this 11 year old German kid's life, and Dick Clark and his easy way with those kids and artists went a long way in teaching me how kids interact and how Americans (generally) interact with each other.

So, for sentimental reasons as well as those mentioned above, it gave me a feeling of "warmth" to see him again on New Year's Eve.

I have problems with emotions anyway, but I think those tears which filled my eyes that night were happy ones and I was glad to see my friend once again.

Thanks

Quasi

[Broomstick]

Quasi - I didn't know you were originally German!

Anyhow - as far as I'm concerned bravo for Dick Clark, and also for Roger Ebert for not hiding their adversities. Yes, it can be painful to watch Dick Clark speak, but it would be tragic to just throw him off the air because he's no longer "pretty". The end of life is just as much a part of life as vigorous youth. What's plastic is not Dick Clark's stiff visage but the unremitting belief that only the young should be seen and those who are old and less than perfect should simply hide themselves away.

[BigBertha]

You have a point with that. No one would want a new person to come on and do what he does who's in the same situation. But the point is, we (some of us) grew up with him doing this and its about him doing it, not how he is performing, as it would be if they put some stranger with a stroke on.

We love Dick!

[Jihi]

Quasi - I didn't know you were originally German!


Ditto here! I've long payed particular attention to your posts Quasi as you struck me as being somewhat separated from typical American culture, though you've never tipped your hand quite this obviously. I'm going to go out on a limb, English isn't your first language is it? Please don't take this disrespectfully as it not intended that way. But I come from German stock myself, as I'm only third generation American. My great-grandfather migrated here in the 1920's and I remember my own grandmother relating stories about her father vividly though she passed away back in 1996, (he never learned English according to her, she managed to somehow). My parents were both almost completely assimilated, my grandmother on my mother's side was adopted but learned late in her life that her own mother was Romani in origin, which has always fascinated me.

I've never had great knowledge about where my family comes from past about a hundred years ago or so, so this kind of discussion is interesting to me. Sorry about the hijack folks, back to your regularly scheduled thread. :p

[Quasimodem]

Hallo! :)

Though I don't mention it that much, yes, I am half-German (American Dad - Army Brat). Got here in 1960 having learned what little English I knew from my Dad and a German-English dictionary.

Please don't misunderstand. I am proud of my heritage (except for the Hitler years, of course), and I love my German family (still have uncles, aunts, cousins as well as school friends there), but except for a few things (Christmas on the 24th, for example), I'm pretty much "Americanized", and now ah tawk just lahk y'all do (if you live in the South, that is!;))

As I wrote above, although I didn't have many American friends (tough being a kid, trying to speak English with that guttural accent), I spent a lot of time in front of the television which helped with my *ahem* assimilation;))

Dick Clark is just one of many of my American heros.

I became naturalized in 1970 and was proud to serve my new country.

Thanks for asking!

Quasi

[Magiver]

Quasi - I didn't know you were originally German!

Anyhow - as far as I'm concerned bravo for Dick Clark, and also for Roger Ebert for not hiding their adversities. Yes, it can be painful to watch Dick Clark speak, but it would be tragic to just throw him off the air because he's no longer "pretty". The end of life is just as much a part of life as vigorous youth. What's plastic is not Dick Clark's stiff visage but the unremitting belief that only the young should be seen and those who are old and less than perfect should simply hide themselves away. It's not a function of pretty, he can't act in the capacity of a narrator anymore. It would be no different if he had tried to sing the national anthem. He is incapable of basic communication. They could have limited his verbal input and given him a button to push to start the ball down.

This has been a very difficult year for a lot of Americans and this was painful to watch. It was depressing. I suspect this was a hand-off year given the way it was billed.

[Jihi]

Hallo! :)

Please don't misunderstand. I am proud of my heritage (except for the Hitler years, of course), and I love my German family

Understood, completely, trust me. My friends all know about my heritage, and my fascination with history because of my disconnect with my familial legacy, and they don't often let me forget about it. I have something of an uncommon interest with Hitler's Germany as I know that if my great-grandfather had stayed where he was another half dozen or so years my life may have been very different, or I might not have existed at all as I do now, and it weighs somewhat on my mind. :p

I'm something of a fan of alternate history books and my friends once caught me reading Harry Turtledove's novel, In The Presence of Mine Enemies (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Presence_of_Mine_Enemies), and had to hear about it for a week afterward. I try not to let them see me reading any book with a swastika on the cover now.



As I wrote above, although I didn't have many American friends (tough being a kid, trying to speak English with that guttural accent), I spent a lot of time in front of the television which helped with my *ahem* assimilation;))

FTR I'm totally going to picture you as "Uter" from the Simpsons now. :D

Heh, "assimilated" may have been the wrong word to use as I didn't mean it negatively at all and I know it has certain connotations in society. I didn't learn about the complexity of my heritage until I was late into my teens, and I'm somewhat sensitive to the subject. My real name doesn't leave much to the imagination.

(Don't even get me started on the 'G' word.) :D

[DrDeth]

He looked as if he died thirty years ago and they botoxed his corpse.

Yes, they finally found the portrait in the attic.

[Broomstick]

It's not a function of pretty, he can't act in the capacity of a narrator anymore.
I've dealt with enough people with severe speech problems in my life that I guess it doesn't bother me as much as the usual person.

Maybe they should do something where Dick represents the beat-up, worn out old year and he hands the baton off to a toddler representing the new year.

It would be no different if he had tried to sing the national anthem.
I've never had a stroke and I can't sing the national anthem, either. :p

[BigT]

I just saw the video. With all that crowd noise, I could barely tell there was anything wrong. And, since we couldn't see him, I don't understand why it was live in the first place. Prerecord him counting it down, and, if he messes up, edit in the right numbers. It should have been quite easy.

[Sigmagirl]

I think he's the producer (he's got big bucks) so he's not going anywhere in that regard. I don't care for Ryan Seacrest so I wish they would find someone else. There's got to be an actor from an ABC show they can get.

I think it's great they still send him out there and I was glad to hear him.

It would have been very easy for the network to say "we don't want this old crip freaking our our viewers anymore, let's get some fresh face to do it." Instead they brought back Clark, stroke and all, with the philosophy that it's his gig and by God he'll keep doing it until he quits or dies, and to hell with the stroke. Good for them.


While I do have sympathy for him and his condition, and can understand his desire to keep going, you'd think the man has been in show biz long enough to realize that he's an entertainer who can no longer perform. It may be sad, but I hope he makes the tough decision this year to step down, and I further hope has has many more years to enjoy the fruits of his career.

I agree with the above. I applaud Dick for sticking with it and not saying "I don't want people to see me now," and ABC for not leaning on him (as far as I know) to call it a day. But I don't like Seacrest much. Thoughts for alternatives? Do they have to be current ABC personalities, to pimp ABC shows? I'd think Drew would be a great host, but he works for CBS, on The Price is Right. Ditto Wayne Brady, and Neil Patrick Harris, the current go-to guy. Justin Timberlake would bring viewers.

[twickster]

Ryan Seacrest's primary TV home is FOX, for whom he does American Idol.

[Freudian Slit]

To those saying that with any other job, we don't throw someone out for not being pretty or looking "acceptable"...is acting like any other job? I mean, actors get judged on their look all the time. It does seem a bit cold to ask Dick to step down because he makes us feel uncomfortable, but would someone who has a speech impediment but who wasn't already famous be given a prominent acting/speaking role?

[Brown Eyed Girl]

Neil Patrick Harris wouldn't be a bad choice. Actually, I'd like to put a vote in for Mike Rowe. Now I know it's way off from what he normally does, but it's just a once a year gig and he's got more personality in his little finger than most TV "personalities" could ever hope to have in their whole bodies. Watching Mike Rowe ring in the new year would be a Rockin' Eve, indeed, for me!

[Broomstick]

It does seem a bit cold to ask Dick to step down because he makes us feel uncomfortable, but would someone who has a speech impediment but who wasn't already famous be given a prominent acting/speaking role?
James Earl Jones did pretty well, despite having a life-long stutter. You can definitely hear sometimes during interviews with him.

[Brown Eyed Girl]

James Earl Jones did pretty well, despite having a life-long stutter. You can definitely hear sometimes during interviews with him.

Thank goodness they edited that out of Field of Dreams! ;) That I did not know. How ironic.

Now, I'm going to listen to some Scatman John (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpHLEm9-0bg).

[Lute Skywatcher]

Neil Patrick Harris wouldn't be a bad choice. Actually, I'd like to put a vote in for Mike Rowe. Now I know it's way off from what he normally does, but it's just a once a year gig and he's got more personality in his little finger than most TV "personalities" could ever hope to have in their whole bodies. Watching Mike Rowe ring in the new year would be a Rockin' Eve, indeed, for me!Mike Rowe...with his head in a bell. :D

[Hazle Weatherfield]

I had the opposite reaction from most here; I thought he looked fantastic. His mind and wit are clearly unaffected, and his speech was intelligible. Maybe I'm older and therefore closer to death, but I thought it was really life-affirming to know what he had been through and how far back he'd made it. I thought there was some genuine warmth between him and Seacrest, much more so than Cooper and Griffin. Props to ABC for letting Clark continue.

I agree! I just watched the countdown on YouTube and don't get where people are saying he screwed it up. What are you talking about? As far as I could tell, he went from 19 to one and got all of the numbers right. Am I missing something?

[Hazle Weatherfield]

Ok, just watched it again and he definitely didn't screw up the countdown. Those of you who say he did, what are you talking about?

[Magiver]

I agree! I just watched the countdown on YouTube and don't get where people are saying he screwed it up. What are you talking about? As far as I could tell, he went from 19 to one and got all of the numbers right. Am I missing something?
The video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0VqQnbccW4). 14, 12, 10, 11

If you hear it differently then the audio has been altered.