R.I.P. Dick Clark

15 Comments

1. 1
   sarcasatire
   Posted April 18, 2012 at 1:09 pm

   So sad! Even more so because that means more Ryan Seacrest.

2. 2
   snowshoecat
   Posted April 18, 2012 at 1:14 pm

   Sarcas, does that mean that Ryan Seacrest is the new “America’s Oldest Living Teenager”?

3. 3
   cattyfan
   Posted April 18, 2012 at 1:17 pm

   My first instinct was to make a joke. Then I reconsidered.

   His passing marks the end of a unique era in American entertainment.

   Rest in peace.

4. 4
   sarcasatire
   Posted April 18, 2012 at 1:24 pm

   It means he will be unstoppable. He’s been trying to fill Dick Clark’s shoes for years. Now, nothing stands in the little guy’s way..

   Do you think they’ll change the name of the NYE show to Seacrest’s Rocking Eve? Or will they keep it the same in Dick Clark’s memory?

5. 5
   snowshoecat
   Posted April 18, 2012 at 1:32 pm

   And Cattyfan, I feel small after having made a joke because Dick Clark changed the way the world looked at popular music. His American Bandstand was largely responsible for putting young musicians out there for kids to find.

   When AB came on the scene, Lawrence Welk was the voice of American music. Dick Clark turned that over to a new generation, and successive generations to come.

   So RIP indeed, Dick Clark. You were a pioneer and a cultural innovator.

6. 6
   Gypsy
   Posted April 18, 2012 at 1:45 pm

   Wow, not like I didn’t see it coming but I am surprised at how emo I feel about it. Thinking back to how many memories he helped me make, whether on the radio or TV he provided a framework, face and a voice to so many important musical influences in my life. RIP Dick Clark, you done good.

7. 7
   cattyfan
   Posted April 18, 2012 at 1:46 pm

   I’m sorry. I wasn’t aiming my comment at you. I just felt crass about my own first instinct. Sometimes I can’t believe how cynical I’ve become. (Other times I revel in it.)

   You are right about what he brought to music. I “discovered” a lot of new music watching AB. The show opened up all kinds of new artists to me. And it was one of the few places to see artists perform.

8. 8
   sarcasatire
   Posted April 18, 2012 at 1:50 pm

   SSC, no need to feel small. It’s not necessarily a bad thing to find humor in things that are sad. Sometimes people need to lighten up..and the best way to do it is with humor.

9. 9
   S-Natch
   Posted April 18, 2012 at 1:53 pm

   @snowshoe – Don’t feel bad. Your joke was totally fine because it wasn’t a joke about Dick Clark or his passing, per se. It was a commentary on Ryan Seacrest. I don’t think that is what Catty meant. We all honor Mr. Clark’s legacy, but it doesn’t mean we can’t smile a little.

10. 10
    crankyguy
    Posted April 18, 2012 at 1:55 pm

    Didn’t all the performers lip-sync to their recordings?

11. 11
    cattyfan
    Posted April 18, 2012 at 2:01 pm

    Some…not all. And as a kid, I didn’t care (unless they did it badly.)

12. 12
    snowshoecat
    Posted April 18, 2012 at 2:14 pm

    Thanks everybody. This IS after all a place to snark, and I’m with Catty being a tad shocked at how cynical I have become.

    Yep. Many of the groups did lip-synch, but it was an era in which deviation from the norm was not a good thing.

13. 13
    Jimbob Jones
    Posted April 18, 2012 at 2:15 pm

    New Years Eve will never be the same.

14. 14
    Scottywrangler
    Posted April 18, 2012 at 3:04 pm

    Makes me want to pull out the “American Dreams” DVDs. Such a good show about an era I would love to live in (I was only about 4 at the time!). May he rest in peace.

15. 15
    Annie
    Posted April 19, 2012 at 6:21 pm

    I loved American Dreams! I would have loved to see it get a proper series finale.

    And, is it just me or was Dick Clark pretty damn handsome?!