# Dick Clark Rockin' New Year Eve 2011

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-rockin-new-year-eve-2011/608016>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [January 1, 2012, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-rockin-new-year-eve-2011/608016 "2012-01-01T02:59:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 14\
**Page:** 1

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**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, 2012, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-rockin-new-year-eve-2011/608016/1 "2012-01-01T02:59:07Z")

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It starts soon, I think. Not sure if anyone else is watching, but I thought I’d put the thread here in case.

Oh, and we can skip complaining about how bad Dick Clark looks. We have a thread almost every year on it. I’ll quote myself from last year, with links to our previous threads on it.

😃

> [@It was PAINFUL watching Dick Clark tonight](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-painful-watching-dick-clark-tonight/566022/31):
>
> Here is:
> 
> [2011: It’s painful watching Dick Clark tonight](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=591264)
> 
> 2009-10:
> 
> [How did Dick Clark look this year?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=546195&highlight=dick+clark)
> 
> 2008-09:
> 
> [Dick Clark, Can we stop now?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=499848&highlight=dick+clark)
> 
> 2007-8:
> 
> [So how was Dick Clark?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=449843&highlight=dick+clark)
> 
> 2006-7:
> 
> [Is Dick Clark finally getting old?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=402287&highlight=dick+clark)
> 
> 2005-2006:
> 
> [Dick Clark on New Year’s Eve](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=351970&highlight=dick+clark)

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**Author:** ![Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunzio_Tavulari)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-rockin-new-year-eve-2011/608016/2 "2012-01-01T07:54:11Z")

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Dick Clark’s speech difficulties reminded me of White Fang on the Soupy Sales show.  
I’m aware that a similar fate is probably in store for me just five or ten years from now, but I still laughed out loud each time he came on.

I always thought that Ryan Seacrest was a vapid airhead with little to no actual personality. Well I still think he is, but he’s infinitely more competent than Jenny McCarthy and Fergie.

Jenny’s moment in the sun was fifteen years ago. What possed someone to drag her out from under the bed for this? She had ample time to work on her craft on those cheesy game shows and drive-in movies. Plus ten years in the shadows to attend community college and acquire some indication of being plugged in and turned on. So why does she suck so bad? Compared to Fergie though…

Fergie must have had forty pounds of make-up applied, along with botox and collagen injections and facial reconstruction. She acted like a dumb blonde and primped and preened far too much for a woman her age. If she’s what’s considered sexy these days, I can see why the fundamentalists are afraid of our boys catching the gay.

Didn’t see much of the music. Twice I turned up the sound and Pitbull was singing. Hip-hop can be good but I didn’t notice any latent talent in him. Said he was from Miami but he spoke and sang like he was from New Jersy. Is that supposed to be an in-joke or do people actually strive to sound like Sylvester Stallone?

Lady Gaga’s performance wasn’t anything to write home about either. She was phoning it in. It’s become too much about the costuming, and this wasn’t one of her better ones. Is it too much to ask to have her do live vocals for her hometown crowd? Didn’t see Bieber or Santana. Carlos hasn’t had it going on since 1987 at the latest. I’m the wrong demographic for Bieber, but he looked like a deer caught in the headlights when I saw him standing with Seacrest later in the show. Standard level of consciousness for an eighteen year old, and not a personal fault.

In short, it sucked; as it always has. Anyone with a sliver a social life is out enjoying the night and not staying home in front of the TV. So it serves the purpose well. It lets us know that we’re socially mal-adapted and really need to work on that in the coming year. Or that we’re over the hill and the brakes are bad and every passing year brings us closer to destruction.

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**Author:** ![UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/46a35a/32.png) [@UFC\_Is\_Sux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UFC_Is_Sux)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-rockin-new-year-eve-2011/608016/3 "2012-01-01T09:53:54Z")

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> [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](#):
>
> Jenny’s moment in the sun was fifteen years ago. What possed someone to drag her out from under the bed for this? She had ample time to work on her craft on those cheesy game shows and drive-in movies. Plus ten years in the shadows to attend community college and acquire some indication of being plugged in and turned on. So why does she suck so bad?

Jenny McCarthy seriously belongs in prison for her advocacy of the anti-vac movement. She’s directly responsible for a lot of kids getting sick from diseases that should have been wiped out decades ago, and should pay the price for advocating for anti-vac charlatans (preferably via a very messy and public citizen’s arrest). Why this woman hasn’t been arrested on sight already is quite beyond me.

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**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-rockin-new-year-eve-2011/608016/4 "2012-01-01T17:19:12Z")

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I watched. It was interesting to see a lot of artists for the first time that I’ve hear of, but never heard.

New Republic was quite good; I may seek out some of their albums. Forence +the Machine were interesting; I’ll keep an ear out for more of them.

Beiber and Santana were quite good. Nice choice of song, nice arrangement.

LMFAO makes my ears bleed! If this is what passes for music these days, I’m going to call up Mr. Peabody and have him take me back to the Seventies.

And I thought Fergie looked pretty good for a former Duchess of York.

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**Author:** ![joebuck20](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@joebuck20](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joebuck20)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-rockin-new-year-eve-2011/608016/5 "2012-01-01T18:08:44Z")

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I was flipping back and forth between this and CNN. I was hoping that this was the year that Kathy Griffin, whether purposefully or inadvertently, finally dragged Anderson Cooper out of the closet.

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**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-rockin-new-year-eve-2011/608016/6 "2012-01-01T19:47:01Z")

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Last night, I had the epiphany that I had turned into my mother and father. I guess I think today’s music as much as my parents thought my type of music sucked back in the 70’s.

I hadn’t watch DCRNYE in a long time. I though Dick Clark was older than 82. He does look bad, but major kudos to him for still doing it. Although whenever he was on screen, it reminded me of the Wizard of Oz, and there was someone behind the curtain doing all the speaking.

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**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, 2012, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-rockin-new-year-eve-2011/608016/7 "2012-01-01T20:17:25Z")

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> [@UFC\_Is\_Sux](#):
>
> Jenny McCarthy seriously belongs in prison for her advocacy of the anti-vac movement.

I told my wife this when I saw her and she was surprised. Then, she told me that this lady at her MOPS(mom’s of pre-schoolers) group hasn’t vaccinated her kids because of fear of autism.

Hearing things like that makes you immediately lose any ability to ever respect someone. It’s like joining Scientology.

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**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-rockin-new-year-eve-2011/608016/8 "2012-01-01T21:57:42Z")

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I don’t have kids, so I haven’t given the vaccine issue any thought. But, my brother, who is a PhD pharmaceutical scientist, refuses to get his kids vaccinated. I’m just sayin’… it’s an issue with more than one side.

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**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\
**Post date:** [January 1, 2012, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-rockin-new-year-eve-2011/608016/9 "2012-01-01T22:10:43Z")

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Please start a new thread to discuss vaccination, its advocates pro and con, etc. This is about a New Year’s Eve special on TV.

Thanks,

**twickster** , Cafe Society moderator

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**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2012, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-rockin-new-year-eve-2011/608016/10 "2012-01-02T14:38:25Z")

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Regards to Dick Clark: I don’t wanna debate the ethics of him appearing, just say that I had no idea he was _ **still appearing!** _ I think I saw his first post-stroke New Years Eve show, or maybe just clips, and I remember the brouhaha it caused. I though they boxed him up and sent him home after that.

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**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2012, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-rockin-new-year-eve-2011/608016/11 "2012-01-02T16:21:56Z")

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I like Dick Clark and I am glad that he didn’t go into hiding after becoming disabled.

To me, it was far more pathetic and uncomfortable watching Jenny McCarthy rather than a disabled Dick Clark. She is too old to still be acting like that.

We also commented to ourselves on how silly it was during the brief bit where they didn’t want to use the term “death” when talking about the biggest news stories of the year (“the end of Osama” “the passing of Steve Jobs”). Like if anyone said the d-word it would spoil the party.

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**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2012, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-rockin-new-year-eve-2011/608016/12 "2012-01-02T17:22:16Z")

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Nothing harshes the year’s last buzz quite as brutally as Dick Clark’s Slurry Spray-tan Bummer Eve. At least he was synced up with the countdown this time. Near the end. More or less.

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**Author:** ![Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Nunzio\_Tavulari](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nunzio_Tavulari)\
**Post date:** [January 2, 2012, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-rockin-new-year-eve-2011/608016/13 "2012-01-02T17:41:42Z")

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Dick Clark owns the show and I’m pleased that he still makes an appearance despite his disability. He means nothing to the MTV & Beyond Generation that are probably 98% of the viewing audience and he must know that he’s being ridiculed. But he hangs in regardless. As I said, it’s not inconceivable that I’ll be in his condition ten years from now, I laugh, but I respect him anyway. The spray tan is inexcusable though. Like most traditions, the first year that he’s not there will be the real bummer.

Nothing harshes the year’s last buzz more than realizing that the party is so dull that everyone is watching TV.

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**Author:** ![voguevixen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5ac83/32.png) [@voguevixen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voguevixen)\
**Post date:** [January 3, 2012, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dick-clark-rockin-new-year-eve-2011/608016/14 "2012-01-03T03:10:22Z")

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> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#):
>
> Beiber and Santana were quite good. Nice choice of song, nice arrangement.

I didn’t get to watch the show as it aired because I was visiting a friend who turned out to not have TV service - ack! Now, it’s no secret around here that I’m a Bieber fan but I’m also a huge Beatles fan and when I heard he’d done “Hey Jude” my first reaction was “dear god NO!” Once I finally watched the video I was pleasantly surprised. If anything I was disappointed in Carlos Santana’s performance - I expected him to shred, and he kinda phoned it in, IMHO.

> [@](#):
>
> LMFAO makes my ears bleed! If this is what passes for music these days, I’m going to call up Mr. Peabody and have him take me back to the Seventies.

I love them! I welcome the return of goofy, fun, pointless, raucous, brash songs. They are a breath of fresh air!
