# Dick Clark... Can we stop this now? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 1, 2009, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-can-we-stop-this-now/479441 "2009-01-01T04:49:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-can-we-stop-this-now/479441/1 "2009-01-01T04:49:12Z")
Hey, I love the guy as much as you do… but what they are doing to him is just tragic. My question is why? I know I can turn the channel… that’s not the point. It’s almost as if ABC thinks its viewers won’t believe the New Year will be official unless Dick Clark is there. What happens when the guy dies? Are they going to stuff him and hook him up to some hydrolics to move his limbs? I haven’t seen Dick Clark do anything but this program for the last three years. Does ABC have him in a closet somewhere, like the Christmas decorations, and just drag him out for NYE? I’m not trying to be harsh. He just looks so uncomfortable. Happy New Year! (to you too, Mr. Clark…) ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-can-we-stop-this-now/479441/2 "2009-01-01T04:50:39Z")
Dude, the entire reason the Mayan Calendar ends on December 21, 2012 is because Dick Clark dies and time comes to an end. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-can-we-stop-this-now/479441/3 "2009-01-01T04:52:31Z")
My daughter just said, “I may be going to Hell for saying this but: Dick Clark should spare us.” ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-can-we-stop-this-now/479441/4 "2009-01-01T04:58:21Z")
Good God. I feel terrible, but I came here to post the same thing and found this thread here. Sigh. Keep going, Dick. It’s good to have a job. Kelly Pickler was scarier, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Ed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Just\_Ed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Ed)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-can-we-stop-this-now/479441/5 "2009-01-01T05:13:24Z")
Interesting that you seem to think ABC is _forcing_ Clark to do this. I was under the impression it was rather the other way around. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-can-we-stop-this-now/479441/6 "2009-01-01T05:16:01Z")
Hey, Dick Clark is the new kid on the block who only really got rolling once Guy Lombardo kicked the bucket. ---
**Author:** ![bacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b782af/32.png) [@bacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bacon)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-can-we-stop-this-now/479441/7 "2009-01-01T05:29:06Z")
What was up with his teeth? They looked snaggly and junk. Picklers looked good though. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-can-we-stop-this-now/479441/8 "2009-01-01T07:49:04Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > Hey, Dick Clark is the new kid on the block who only really got rolling once Guy Lombardo kicked the bucket. Yeah, I think when Lombardo died they gave the job to Dick Clark, 'cause they figured he would never get old . . . like Dorian Gray. Except now it seems the man is gone, and we’re seeing the painting. ---
**Author:** ![Shayna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shayna/32/17976_2.png) [@Shayna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shayna)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-can-we-stop-this-now/479441/9 "2009-01-01T08:25:47Z")
I’m watching an (obviously) old episode of “What’s My Line” on GSN and the mystery guest is none other than Guy Lombardo! How freaky is that? :eek: ---
**Author:** ![thirdname](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@thirdname](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thirdname)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-can-we-stop-this-now/479441/10 "2009-01-01T08:39:30Z")
I agree, they shouldn’t have him hosting it, but they could have him there as a guest. He also messed up the countdown. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 10:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-can-we-stop-this-now/479441/11 "2009-01-01T10:19:22Z")
I just see it as my civic duty. > [@riker1384](#): > > He also messed up the countdown. FWIW, the countdown timer on the screen didn’t match the countdown on the ball either, so it might not be his fault. ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-can-we-stop-this-now/479441/12 "2009-01-01T12:52:42Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > Are they going to stuff him and hook him up to some hydrolics to move his limbs? It looked to me that this was already the case. ---
**Author:** ![JaneSaintClair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JaneSaintClair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaneSaintClair)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-can-we-stop-this-now/479441/13 "2009-01-01T13:33:21Z")
I completely agree. It’s uncomfortable to watch him as he attempts to speak. Should we start a “keep Dick home” petition? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DataZak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@DataZak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataZak)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-can-we-stop-this-now/479441/14 "2009-01-01T13:44:10Z")
> [@Stink Fish Pot](#): > > What happens when the guy dies? Are they going to stuff him and hook him up to some hydrolics to move his limbs? They’ll do a _Futurama_ and keep his head in fomaldehyde and revive him every New Year’s eve. ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-can-we-stop-this-now/479441/15 "2009-01-01T14:45:30Z")
I’m glad I’m not alone on this one. It was really painful to watch him, even if he did seem like he wanted to be there and wanted to do it. It really is time to pass the torch, Dick. ---
**Author:** ![tumbleddown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tumbleddown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tumbleddown)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-can-we-stop-this-now/479441/16 "2009-01-01T14:58:46Z")
If Dick Clark _wants_ to do it, I understand that it’s difficult to say to him “sorry, Dick, but you’re too disabled to be a palatable NYE host now.” And it seems that he does want to do it. He’s physically injured as a result of the stroke(s) he’s had, but his mind is, from all reports still sharp. He’s not gorked out, just has limited use of his tongue and jaw. I can only pick up NBC and Fox in my bedroom right now, because I don’t have cable in here yet. I was stuck with Carson Daly. ☹ If Dick Clark’s difficulties with speech make you feel squicky, there’s Carson on NBC/MSNBC, someone or other on Fox, an annual show on MTV, Anderson Cooper and Kathy Griffith on CNN and presumably someone on FoxNews, and I believe there’s a countdown show on PBS as well. ---
**Author:** ![wonder9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c57346/32.png) [@wonder9](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonder9)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-can-we-stop-this-now/479441/17 "2009-01-01T15:07:46Z")
I hate to admit this but this was the first time in years that I actually made it all the way to the countdown. And now I know it’s not worth the sleep deprivation the next day. ALL of those shows were unilaterally awful. Dick Clark was by far the creepiest, and the saddest, but all of the others were totally icky too. They were advertisements more than anything else. Nivea, anyone? I turned on the Las Vegas show at some point and saw Robbie Knievel getting ready for some lame motorcycle jump and the whole thing was just so, so, so tacky and sad I couldn’t watch a second longer. ---
**Author:** ![3acresandatruck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e79b87/32.png) [@3acresandatruck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3acresandatruck)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-can-we-stop-this-now/479441/18 "2009-01-01T15:23:03Z")
I tried to watch it, but when I tuned in they switched to this ‘reporter in the crowd’, who was some squeaky, screechy, blonde girl caterwauling into a microphone (gadzooks, who _was_ that?!?). About 30 seconds of that - it was painful - and I put on a DVD instead. So I never got a chance to see Dick. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-can-we-stop-this-now/479441/19 "2009-01-01T15:31:46Z")
> [@3acresandatruck](#): > > I tried to watch it, but when I tuned in they switched to this ‘reporter in the crowd’, who was some squeaky, screechy, blonde girl caterwauling into a microphone (gadzooks, who _was_ that?!?). About 30 seconds of that - it was painful - and I put on a DVD instead. So I never got a chance to see Dick. Country music singer Kellie Pickler. She looked like a hooker. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2009, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-can-we-stop-this-now/479441/20 "2009-01-01T15:42:08Z")
I guess I’m the only one who thinks Clark looked and sounded better this year than he did last year? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-can-we-stop-this-now/479441.md?page=2)