Andy Rooney is 90 years old, and has spent the greater half of the twentieth century (and well into the twenty-first) providing political and cultural insight to the masses through op-eds in both print and on CBS newsmagazine staple 60 Minutes. Despite remaining America's Any semblance of lucidity Rooney may have employed in ... I guess (?) what was once considered clever or funny or - at the very least - entertaining material has most assuredly fallen to the wayside. The scraps with which we've been left are, indeed, entertaining, but not for the reasons Rooney (or the producers of 60 Minutes) probably intended.
Sure, Andy's always played his part with a sense of dorky smugness, but it seems that the tables have turned, and cruel, cruel fate has transformed him into a puddle of blabbering nonsense. And we're not the only ones who have noticed.
At Best Week Ever, Managing Editor Michelle Collins continues to bring attention to some of Rooney's craziest editorials (including with my favorite, in which Andy complains about ...bags. Huh???).
See Rooney gripe about:
Catalogs (but, really, pricing)
Penny-pinching (but, really, stealing bread)
Attending sporting events (but, really, ...not attending sporting events)
Comic Joe Mande even created a corresponding game in which one takes the first and last line of an Andy Rooney editorial, splices them together, and posts them to YouTube.
Examples include Rooney's stance on:
Examples include Rooney's stance on:
Not traveling
His desk
Junk mail
His desk
Junk mail
Most recently, Mande attempts to keep track of the subject(s) of what may be Rooney's strangest OpEd yet, which, as far as we can tell, is either Everything or Nothing.
Does Andy's office definitely smell like oatmeal and petroleum jelly? We'd bet money on it. And that, alone, should be reason enough for his producers to sit him down for that "special talk." But considering that the moral responsibility of forcing a seasoned journalist off the air is surely not an easy task, especially after he's put in a lifetime of work as a writer of political and cultural commentary.
But, also, there's that "lifetime" thing. That's a long time, long enough to convince us that Andy should, indeed, be left to grumble in peace.
Plus, at this point, we're pretty much convinced he's talking to the wall inside his own giant dream, and we're just witnessing the glorious work of a hidden camera. And while it may be fun, we'd rather respect our elders, especially when they've gone all cuckoo-bananas on us.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-15-2009 @ 7:37PM
Anita said...
Actually, I'm surprised at how lucid he seems. I used to avoid the segments as I thought he would sound a bit more delusional a la abdul. However, they could do without the re-enactment segments or the bit where he discussed stealing bread from restaurants for breakfast -
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3-15-2009 @ 7:52PM
miller980 said...
I don't want to get off the topic of the post, but since when is it stealing to take bread that is on your table in a restaurant? Do you think they would serve it to someone else? Is Rooney loitering at other tables, or in the kitchen, just waiting to grab a roll when no one is looking?
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3-15-2009 @ 8:11PM
Anita said...
I'm assuming he's referring to taking the bread from his own dinner, but I love that he refers to it as stealing. On the other hand, while we all do the doggy bag & think 'oh, leftovers'll be great for lunch,' I'm wondering if he's deliberately thinking 'do not eat the bread, you need it to eat tomorrow' which makes me wonder if his 60 min residuals are that low ;)
3-16-2009 @ 12:21AM
RobynM said...
Actually, there was a discussion about this on Slashfood back in November. Some people genuinely do believe it's at least bad manners to take the leftover bread home, even if they're getting a to-go box for the rest of their food.
Never bothered me in the least, though.
3-16-2009 @ 12:06AM
Joseph said...
That ol' fart should've been given the heave-ho years ago. All he does with his five minutes is whine week after week. Put Bill Geist on. He can be at times even amusing unlike Rooney.
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3-16-2009 @ 12:26AM
GL said...
It's certainly stale TV. No reason this fellow should still be on.
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3-16-2009 @ 1:21AM
nate said...
my favs are the one where he just talked about different styles of watches, and another when i just listed things in his kitchen drawer. "what do i need a mellon baller for?"
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3-16-2009 @ 8:08AM
csttar63 said...
i think its fabulous that this guy has a mind and takes the train and walk to work everyday. the fact is close to 85% of us won't see andy's age, and those that do will be bedridden.
more power to andy. we should rever the elderly and not ridicule them. other cultures hail there elderly.
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3-16-2009 @ 8:36AM
Lisa said...
A gazillion years ago (actually early 80s) I had to do an impromptu talk for a public speaking course with just a few minutes prep and I drew a clock face with 5 minutes to the hour on the whiteboard behind me and did a few minutes on the subject of protractors - what are they, what are they for, and who uses them? In mocking Andy
back that many years ago I realize that he hasn't changed and has always talked of the mundane. So nothing new with him - it's a good time to go get a snack before the Amazing Race. (my talk back in the 80s was a big hit)
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3-17-2009 @ 12:39AM
Toria said...
I found each and every one of these clips enjoyable. Sometimes what one person thinks is about nothing is about something to another. He's 90 and enjoys what he does. I say let him keep doing it until he can't do it anymore. After all, who is he hurting? If you don't like his segments, don't watch. There are plenty of other channels to choose.
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3-16-2009 @ 10:54AM
Fred said...
I think it's great that Andy is still doing what he does. And I also think it's great that I don't ever have to watch it.
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3-16-2009 @ 3:31PM
Gene Cowan said...
Speaking of "look terrible," this is one segment of 60 Minutes that simply should never have gone to HD.
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5-04-2009 @ 12:38AM
Nick said...
"Whatever 'Highlights' is?" Has he been to a dentist in the last few decades?
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