New Year's Eve With Dick Clark

Dick Clark has added immeasurable panache to the field of young people's music, and has done so for 4 decades. The "world's oldest teenager" has kept the country entertained with his big smile and easy way. That's how I remember him.

Remember him? Why do I have to do that? Apparently, he's still going! I happened to notice Ryan Seacrest showing his frostbitten face to us as I was flipping through the New Year's Eve zero-hour choices, and figured it was worth a laugh-- he's a guy who doesn't have a problem with self-deprecating humor. But no sooner did he finish his sentence than we were exposed to what used to be Dick Clark. I have great sympathy for the trials and effects of old age, and the stroke may be the cruelest trick of all-- leaving a mind hale, but a body stricken. But there comes a time to retire, to let the world remember you at your last, best moment. I'm saddened Dick chose to shatter that memory with the jarring truth that old teenagers become old men. Gone was the flashing smile I knew and loved. It had been replaced with a mask of hard and hollow effort, and though his thoughts were as sharp and his words were as uplifting as I remembered, they were delivered by the voice of a man 50 years older than Dick.

Then, to make matters worse, Ryan walked onscreen with Dick to share a New Year's moment. The contrast was stark and apparent, and to me it painted a cruel picture-- it looked as though the new year's baby and the past year's old coot had met and were passing at the crux of midnight.

Were it only true. I fear that, if it's in the cards, we will be seeing Dick Clark again. I only hope his countenance will not be so devastating next year.

PS

I don't know why I'm picking on poor Dick Clark. My real problem is with a society that glorifies and exploits the poster boy and girl until the flower is long off the vine (Betty White? Really?). Which means my bigger problem is with the selfish, greedy and power mad-- they have taken money, which was designed as a way to turn both product and labor into an easy, exchangeable thing, and turned it into a tool for manipulation and exploitation. Disgusting.

Why, that gives me an idea for another blog-- it'll be about how to fix the world and everyone in it. Look for it.