# It was PAINFUL watching Dick Clark tonight **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 1, 2011, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-painful-watching-dick-clark-tonight/566022 "2011-01-01T05:04:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 3:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-painful-watching-dick-clark-tonight/566022/61 "2011-01-02T03:20:22Z")
Who was that kid up there with Ryan Seacrest? And who was the dork with the blue lipstick? ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-painful-watching-dick-clark-tonight/566022/62 "2011-01-02T03:22:56Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > Who was that kid up there with Ryan Seacrest? And who was the dork with the blue lipstick? and ripped dress who looked like a contestant for a Rocky Horror Movie contest. ---
**Author:** ![Outsized](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7bcc69/32.png) [@Outsized](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Outsized)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 4:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-painful-watching-dick-clark-tonight/566022/63 "2011-01-02T04:22:34Z")
It is ridiculous that Dick Clark is still on the air. Watching him “ring” in the New Year does nothing but depress all. ---
**Author:** ![Stan\_Shmenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/94ad74/32.png) [@Stan\_Shmenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stan_Shmenge)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-painful-watching-dick-clark-tonight/566022/64 "2011-01-02T08:49:16Z")
> [@Outsized](#): > > It is ridiculous that Dick Clark is still on the air. Watching him “ring” in the New Year does nothing but depress all. When 80 years old you reach, look as good, you will not! ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-painful-watching-dick-clark-tonight/566022/65 "2011-01-02T14:09:24Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > Well, he died in 1977, so it’s doubtful. > > \*beaten by mere seconds. ::shakes fist at **runner pat** :: I just got an idea: “Guy Lombardo and His Zombie Canadians”-maybe they will play next New Year’s Eve! ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-painful-watching-dick-clark-tonight/566022/66 "2011-01-02T16:04:56Z")
> [@Outsized](#): > > It is ridiculous that Dick Clark is still on the air. Watching him “ring” in the New Year does nothing but depress all. So don’t. Change the channel. Or, ya know, go out and DO something, what with it being NYE and all. Dick Clark has way more life left in him than the people who spend NYE watching Dick Clark and complaining about how old and feeble he is. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-painful-watching-dick-clark-tonight/566022/67 "2011-01-02T23:19:19Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > And who was the dork with the blue lipstick? Was that the creature known as “ke$ha”? Incidentally, the lipstick looked green on my TV…I guess I need to adjust the color? I thought Dick Clark looked worse, but sounded a little better. He is much more pleasant to listen to (and look at, for that matter) than Jenny McCarthy. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-painful-watching-dick-clark-tonight/566022/68 "2011-01-03T00:37:49Z")
> [@DianaG](#): > > So don’t. Change the channel. Or, ya know, go out and DO something, what with it being NYE and all. Dick Clark has way more life left in him than the people who spend NYE watching Dick Clark and complaining about how old and feeble he is. Actually we were watching the host Ryan Seacrest. ---
**Author:** ![flickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@flickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickster)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 1:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-painful-watching-dick-clark-tonight/566022/69 "2011-01-03T01:02:15Z")
It was painful watching him 15 years ago - I just refuse now… ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-painful-watching-dick-clark-tonight/566022/70 "2011-01-03T01:54:52Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I understood that comment last year, when he got the numbers out of order. But **when he says them in order** , what proof do you have that he can’t handle it? You guys make it sound like he did horribly, but I listened to the clip, and he was perfectly fine \ \*\*THIS \*\*is your criteria? Talk about setting a low bar. Well, I guess I’ll have to agree with you that he got the numbers right this year (I think. I thought he choked around 5 or so, but I’ll take your word for it.) But if this is your criteria, he failed it miserably last year, and should have been yanked immediately. Oh, and it wasn’t perfectly fine. He struggles to speak, one of the unfortunate results of the stroke. So, he slurred much of what he was trying to say. I could understand the numbers, but not everything. Ultimately, I guess it’s personal, and instead of complaining, I could just simply change the channel. However, I have a long-standing tradition of watching ABC and Dick Clark on NYE, so I feel like that’s the network I should watch. ABC and Dick Clark should respect my tradition and get off the network, dammit! At least Guy Lombardo had the decency to die outright instead of trying to do a NYE show with tubes out of his nose. 😛 ---
**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 3, 2011, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-painful-watching-dick-clark-tonight/566022/71 "2011-01-03T01:59:24Z")
> [@flickster](#): > > It was painful watching him 15 years ago - I just refuse now… Why was is painful 15 years ago? He was out of touch? ---
**Author:** ![BigBertha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d78d45/32.png) [@BigBertha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigBertha)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-painful-watching-dick-clark-tonight/566022/72 "2011-01-03T02:30:10Z")
> [@WolfpackJeep](#): > > I thought Dick Clark looked worse, but sounded a little better. He is much more pleasant to listen to (and look at, for that matter) than Jenny McCarthy. Its heartening to me to hear these many comments. Yes.🆒 ---
**Author:** ![DianaG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7ab992/32.png) [@DianaG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DianaG)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-painful-watching-dick-clark-tonight/566022/73 "2011-01-03T02:32:34Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Actually we were watching the host Ryan Seacrest. That explains your pain then. Resisting the natural urge to change the channel when Ryan Seacrest comes on causes finger cramps. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-painful-watching-dick-clark-tonight/566022/74 "2011-01-03T04:19:31Z")
> [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](#): > > I had to look for it on YouTube and found it rather touching. > > [Here is the clip](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24J2VTSzcKE)and if you pan forward to about 4:06 (immediately after the countdown), you can see they screen back to Clark and he seems like he is rather misty-eyed which made me weepy. > > I think he was genuinely happy to be there and it made it that much more poignant for me. Well, he fucked it up again. At the end of that clip, he started kissing his wife about 40 seconds before she made it to his lips. Hahaa! A long, romantic kiss too. Ok, this is how I see it. He is known for his ability to look and sound great on cam and before an audience, and he really can’t nail that anymore. However, he was so fucking good at it for so damn long that he has built up a sentimental crown that trumps anyone’s ability to count down with clear and crisp precision. What they should do is have someone else start, and pass it off to him at the final 10 seconds, which I’m sure he can handle. He really does seem to be mentally sharp still. No need to snatch the mic from him just yet. ---
**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 3, 2011, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-painful-watching-dick-clark-tonight/566022/75 "2011-01-03T04:54:18Z")
> [@etv78](#): > > It was PAINFUL watching Dick Clark tonight It’s been painful for a few years. But it’s our civic duty to grin and bear it. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-painful-watching-dick-clark-tonight/566022/76 "2011-01-03T05:31:00Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > It was bad, but I tend to think like Ebert and think we should not hide those who have had illnesses or are disabled in anyway. Dick Clark is speech disabled, while Ebert has lost a big part of his face. > > I like the idea of keeping them out in the open, even though I admit it is painful to see. I just wish Dick Clark appeared more than just at New Year’s eve. What? This has nothing to do with hiding those that have illnesses or are disabled. Television is an entertainment-for-profit medium. The question is whether or not Dick Clark is entertaining. I personally don’t think so; so I changed the channel and watched a different count down. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 7:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-painful-watching-dick-clark-tonight/566022/77 "2011-01-03T07:30:09Z")
Hey, come on, Dick Clark had a good long run. He started on _Bandstand_ in 1952 – practically before rock and roll even existed! (At least before any white people had heard that name for it.) It was only a matter of time before Satan repossessed the portrait that was doing his aging for him. ---
**Author:** ![drastic\_quench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e36b37/32.png) [@drastic\_quench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drastic_quench)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-painful-watching-dick-clark-tonight/566022/78 "2011-01-03T19:24:38Z")
These are just the handful of rocky post-stroke-pre-death years that we have to endure. Once he’s dead, stinned, stuffed, and reanimated by Jim Henson Studios it’ll be just like the good old days, even if he’ll occasionally flail his arms like a frightened Kermit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/it-was-painful-watching-dick-clark-tonight/566022.md?page=3)