I received a call on the morning of New Year’s Day from an old friend I hadn’t spoken to in a while, wishing me a Happy New Year. He asked me what I’d done the night before and I told him I was in bed by ten p.m.. He made fun of me and said he knew me when I did anything but sleep on New Year’s Eve.
We laughed. He said he stayed home and watched ABC’s Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve. And then he said something that made the laughter stop. He said in a slurred voice, “I’m Dick Clark and welcome to Time Square. Now back to you Ryan.”
And then he added, “Seriously, they should just retire him or have him talk to a camera that’s not plugged in. He wouldn’t even know the difference. We don’t need to see something like that on New Years. It’s a downer.”
I didn’t laugh and he sensed that what he’d said was over the line and he changed the subject. We got off the phone shortly after. I chalked it up to him just trying to say something funny and going too far but then I wondered if this kind of thinking is prevalent in our society.
I googled around and sadly found many people arguing Dick Clark should retire from the public eye - for his own good. This column in Associated Content said:
While I will give Clark points for trying, the entire thing has become very uncomfortable and is disrespectful to the Dick Clark legacy. Throughout the years as a producer and on air personality, Clark always had an eye for detail and a commitment to utmost professionalism. Nobody wants to be cruel to Clark, but the fact is, he’s in an entertainment business. And the part of the entertainment business that his show, “Dick Clark’s Rocking Eve”, is part of is centered on youth and hope for the future.
While nowhere does it say there is or should be a maximum age, the ability to project hope and optimism for the future, as the New Year arrives is, at this point, impossible for Dick Clark. He needs to gracefully leave the stage now as his inability to articulate cleanly and crisply what he is saying is turning Dick Clark’s Rocking Eve from most see television for its execution, excitement and show, to must see television to see what Dick Clark might do next. It’s cringe-worthy at this point.
Dick Clark is not a legacy, he is a human being.
In these modern times, we seem to feel increasingly “uncomfortable” with anyone who looks less handsome than an A-lister or doesn’t speak as well as Ryan Seacrest. We don’t do sickness anymore. We don’t do ailments. The disabled are something to be hidden away, embarrassed about.
We used to care for our grandparents at home so we all grew up knowing a little something about it. We watched our father carry his mother upstairs after dinner every night. We watched our mother wipe her mother’s face with a napkin. And we learned. We helped pick them up when they fell. And we tried not to notice how embarrassed they were.
But as a culture, we don’t really do that anymore. The old and disabled are all too frequently shipped off and visited infrequently. We prefer to remember them as they were we tell ourselves - as a way of honoring them. But that’s not what’s going on. We just don’t want to be reminded that life isn’t perfect, sickness happens, and disabilities don’t discriminate.
Maybe that’s why 90 percent of Down Syndrome babies are aborted. Maybe that’s why the elderly are euthanized for fear of becoming a burden. They must not be seen. They are the imperfect.
I recall when Pope John Paul II bravely faced Parkinson’s in such a public way and we all watched as that always charming and so loved face was radically altered by prescription drugs and transformed into that immovable Parkinson’s Mask. So many publicly urged the Pontiff to retire. Oh they had their reasons. They said he should do it for his own good. Or for the good of the Church.
I found it scary that so many followers of a crucified Christ should think that a suffering man was unfit to lead the Church.
Dick Clark has had an amazing life. And this is the phase of life he’s in right now. Dick Clark was always a great host. But he seems to be more than that now. He seems heroic to me now. He knows he’s slurring his words. He knows he doesn’t look like the teenager he looked like for so long. And I think he’s exactly what we need to see. In these days when everyone on television looks vaguely perfect in a similar way, to me Dick Clark looks…human.
So when we sing together ‘Should old acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind?’ perhaps we should remember that the answer is supposed to be “we’ll take a cup of kindness yet.”
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Thank you for writing this, thank you for pointing out the harshness that so many, including myself, and thank you for helping me take another look at Dick Clark. Sadly, I’d not thought of it this way… and oddly, I was always proud of John Paul II…. and his bravery… so shame on me even more for not affording Dick Clark the same…. God Bless :)
Yes, thank you for writing this. Totally agree.
EXACTLY. Sharing and tweeting.
Thank you for sharing this. God Bless.
Thanks for a thought provoking read. As the parent of a child with Down syndrome, I’ll be sharing this far and wide!
Several points:
You are absolutely right about the cruelty some have subjected to Dick Clark. He does not deserve it.
On the other hand, the comparison between Clark and JPII is wildly off base. Clark’s role is in no way comparable to that of the Pope. He is a simple entertainer, more or less interchangeable with dozens of personalities.
His extreme plastic surgeries suggest to me that he can’t face the fact that he is not a teenager anymore. But this isn’t unique to Dick Clark. Our culture worships youth to a disturbing degree. 45 year old women think they can or should behave like teenagers, and grown men behave like irresponsible teenage boys.
Our forebears didn’t carry grandma up onto the stage for a show. You’re right, this is the stage his life is in now. It is a stage in which it is no longer appropriate to do television. He should retire. If he was in need of the income, that would be one thing. Maintaining his presence is a willful rejection of the stages of life—exactly the contrary to your suggestion.
I don’t watch very much entertainment TV, so forgive me for coming from a different perspective. I totally agree with all you’ve written about the the inherent dignity of all people, including the ones who are “embarrassing” to others. I have a sister-in-law who is mentally “deficient” as well as having mental illnesses (paranoid schizophrenia), and I try to have patience with her and bring her everywhere I go without being embarrassed, but it’s an exercise in humility for me. (It’s truly a great blessing, though, and a grace that God has allowed me to have these ongoing lessons developing that all-important virtue without which I probably would have no chance at heaven!) And I, like Anna above, was always proud of how bravely John Paul the Great struggled publicly with his infirmity & suffering.
THAT BEING SAID, however, I would view the situation with Dick Clark in a different light. While Dick Clark doesn’t have any reduced dignity or value as a PERSON because of his physical age-related limitations, that doesn’t mean that he should continue doing the same JOB he’s done for most of his life. He has profitted off a youth-oriented entertainment industry for many decades; perhaps it would give him the impetus he needs to grow in his spiritual life if he moved to a new “phase” in his career. I don’t know—I’ve never really watched him—but I know that people do grow through suffering and God oftentimes uses the twilight years in people’s lives to bring them closer to Himself. “To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.” (Ecclesiastes) Saying that someone might do well to retire or change jobs is not necessarily the same as degrading their worth as a person.
“Dick Clark is not a legacy, he is a human being.” Exactly. And in the spirit of upholding a person’s dignity, his wife and other handlers should have the decency to protect the poor man from what they had to know would be a rather degrading spectacle. He doesn’t need to be on TV. It was a purely economic decision. Shameful.
Dick Clark had suffered from a STROKE! He has come a long way from that illness, and I was so proud of him! It’s his show! No Dick Clark, No New Years Rocking Eve. It’s the one thing he does, and people think he should retire? It makes people uncomfortable? Really? Get REAL!
We talk about protecting Dick Clark, or if this is still the right job for him. But all I know is that he had a stroke with physical implications (facial palsy).
Was his judgment or ability to make decisions for himself compromised? I don’t know that it was! Does anyone else? So why are we suggesting others should make decisions for him?
If he wants to do the show, he should do the show.
I think a lot of folks are missing the point.
Why should he retire?
What does he need to be protected from?
I think we are equivocating on age vs. circumstance. This isn’t about age or ability… it is about the fact that people dont want to watch Dick Clark because they are uncomfortable. It makes them recognize that sometimes life is hard… and I dont think that people want to face that. So it is easier to call for his “removal” instead of learning to accept the suffering and difficulty that life brings.
You know something, I’ve never watched the movie “The Passion of the Christ” because the mere thought of it makes me feel uncomfortable. Maybe I should… and in fact I will.
Please understand that I’m certainly not comparing Dick Clark to Jesus, but… I agree that society isn’t comfortable with things that are flawed and not pretty… and that’s such a waste. Beauty is only skin deep. The true beauty is what lies within.
You know something, I’ve never watched the movie “The Passion of the Christ” because the mere thought of it makes me feel uncomfortable. Maybe I should… and in fact I will.
Not so fast. Try this review from someone Christian-friendly (not really sure if he is Christian or not): http://www.jamesbowman.net/reviewDetail.asp?pubID=1489 for some reasons other than the mere fact for making you uncomfortable for not watching it. But I digress. Back to the subject of Dick Clark.
Thank you for writing this. It doesn’t hurt the world to know that “Life Happens” and that there are more human beings in the world than TV personalities. A little bit of compassion goes a long way. God Bless.
Eld isn’t a sin, but greed certainly is. He should have retired in 1960 when a Congressional investigation revealed that he was up to his eye-balls in the Payola Scandal.
GREAT article! I will definitely be sharing this!
Although I agree with the tone of this article, people in general should be more accepting of one anothers imperfections, Dick Clark put himself in a situation that both is honorable and embarrasing at the same time. A person who has been around the Entertainment Business for as long as Clark has, understands perfectly the reaction and impact his appearance had. He understands that people will make fun of him, criticize him, support him and applaud him. Yet he stepped forward and did what his heart and conscience told him to do. Honorable. He brought attention to those with similar conditions and presented a positive example. Again, honorable… But when they had him address a crowd of Celebrating millions in Time Square in a with what is left of his ability to speak, it was embarrassing and I hate to say it, Funny. I laughed at the situation while at the same time saying to myself - “good for you Dick Clark” who cares if no one could understand him.. he is going out on his sword and when his time finally comes, if ever it should.. I am sure he will care little if he was made fun of on that night. He will die a very rich man with his dignity intact.
Interesting, Matthew. My parents (well, one of them anyways) are getting ever so close to that stage in life where routine assistance will become imperative. Being active in nursing home ministry serves as a somewhat painful reminder of what happens when elders are shipped off to assisted living facilities and warehoused to the neglect of their adult childrens’ visitation.
PS You have quite a “power of the pen” going there, Matt . . . judging by the comments in the combox section. If you had snarked Dick Clark in a continuum from your phone comment on through the rest of this post, you probably could have generated several follow-ups in the combox on that very same vein. Not going so far as to discontinue snarking altogether, could you be turning over a new leaf in your spiritual journey? Could be interesting!
That was a very interesting article. I don’t get Dick Clark here in Australia, but if he enjoys the job I think he should keep at it.
I also thank you for writing this article. I do not see Dick Clark felling sorry for himself. He has turned over some of the work, but as long as he can count it down, why not. He had a hard thing happen to him, but he has not given up. God bless him.
!! I thought Dick Clark looked and sounded great! Good grief! I hope if I have a stroke I am able to speak that clearly. The guy is a legend. I don’t see a thing wrong with his being there. I’d sooner have looked and listened to him than some of the others who were there. I found him the opposite of a downer, an inspiration. Maybe I’m from a different era…or maybe we have a shallow society of self absorbed jerks who all “look mahvelous”...on the outside. May they never suffer disability or age.
I watch little T.V. and did not see this, but I do think Dick Clark has lots of gumption, good for him! He does not give up and that is great also. Do as much as you can Dick Clark, don’t let anyone put you down. Keep going, no matter how old or how impaired. You are brave and inspiring to the old folks. God Bless.
Great post. I had the same sentiments as I watched - I could just see the criticism that people would dish out and I was just enjoying watching a man overcome great struggle and do what he loves. I think the best part was at midnight when he kissed his wife. So sad that our society sees people who are less than perfect as burdens and things to be done away with.
Yes, I remember “..Bandstand..” being just around the
corner from West Catholic Girls H.S. What a thrill it
was to have this pleasantry after school! Dick Clark
was an affable and friendly dance/disc jockey. The dance
party delighted some of the more talented teen agers but
no one was left out. You still had plenty of time left
in the afternoon to accomplish your homework, get ready
for college tests and do some family chores.
Later in my long life I had a number of wonderful children
and one was the VICTIM OF A STROKE. Jane was 28 years old
and they gave us to understand that she would die. Fortunately
she had a great team of doctors and lived. FOR WHICH WE
THANK GOD EVERY DAY! She is confined to a wheelchair for
life (as she has no balance whatsoever). There are also
a lot of other disabilities but enough.
When we see Dick Clark on New Year’s eve it reminds us so
much of when Jane could not even speak. It gives both Jane
and her brothers and sisters and neices and nephew so much
joy to see that OUR GOD HELPED ANOTHER BEING! In fact, if
we really give it thought - HE HELPS US ALL!
Couldnèt agree more. Canèt we just get on of those new death panels to off himÉ Heès just a drain on the countries resources: how short-sighted have we become.
The callous marginalization of the elderly or stroke victims isn’t what the whole Dick Clark thing is about at all.
It’s about being able to gracefully transition from one life phase to the next, and being able to perform the functions of your calling/profession with skill.
A commentator that cannot speak clearly is like a dancer who can no longer dance. When you can no longer do your job well, it’s time to do re-shuffle the deck.
You don’t hear anybody calling for the resignation of astro physicist, Steven Hawking from what he does. This is because what he does in his career isn’t about showmanship or physicality.
RJ, Amen! I couldn’t agree more!
ONE YEAR LATER AND I’M THANKING YOU FOR THIS WONDERFUL BLOG XOXOX HAPPY AND HEALTHY 2012 NEW YEAR AND I HOPE AND PRAY TO GOD THAT BOTH MY HUSBAND (WHOM HAD SUFFERED AND SURVIVED A SEVERE STROKE JULY 2010)QNE I SIT IN OUR LIVING ROOM WATCHING THE BALL COME DOWN 2013 WITH DICK CLARK AND KISSING AND WISHING EACH OTHER ANOTHER HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!
ONE YEAR LATER AND I’M THANKING YOU FOR THIS WONDERFUL BLOG XOXOX HAPPY AND HEALTHY 2012 NEW YEAR AND I HOPE AND PRAY TO GOD THAT BOTH MY HUSBAND (WHOM HAD SUFFERED AND SURVIVED A SEVERE STROKE JULY 2010)AND I SIT IN OUR LIVING ROOM WATCHING THE BALL COME DOWN 2013 WITH DICK CLARK AND KISSING AND WISHING EACH OTHER ANOTHER HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!
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