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I remember reading his short commentaries in paperback form while I was a teenager while on vacation, I sure didn't read much back then but was inspired to write myself because of those.
I was sad to have learned of Andy's passing this morning ... 60 Minutes is something that is on in my house every Sunday for the past 20 years, and Andy was always an ending segment I looked forward to.
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Andy Rooney - dying to Retire!!!!
When something you love is in your blood -- you don't really give it up -- you just sort of deny that you still have that interest. Rooney had a special talent he saw humor in our day to day lives and pointed to it so that we could share the fact that it really happens. He exposes the naked truth of life's scant sense of value and the piteous way we treat ourselves and each other. I enjoyed his shows sometimes and sometimes I didn't to me he would say: "That's why TV's come with volume controls and on and off switches". You know he's right. He was a John Wayne of sarcasm but dang -- if we can't laugh at ourselves who should we laugh at -- oh that's his other side he can tell you who he'd recommend to laugh at. Whether you loved him or only liked him he was a man who did what he loved for many years and you know I believe we're jealous. He was born January 1919. The year of prohibition. The first gasoline tax of 1 cent per gallon was levied in Oregon. The American Legion was formed in Paris. Suffrage was guaranteed to women. The Green Bay Packers was formed by Curly Lambeau. President Woodrow Wilson became paralyzed. Babe Ruth was sold to the New York Yankees by -- yes - the Boston Red Sox. Wow an interesting man born in an interesting year. He lived through several wars and went in Journalism and Broadcasting. He died this week and I might not miss him but I will remember him.
He seemed, in the last couple decades, to get the respected (for the most part) but grouchy old man thing going on. That's all good, but one must realize his contribution to newscasting - both print and video. He's part of history. If he had died 40 years ago his mark in history would have been made. I think his 60 minutes appearances overshadowed it, in fact it's only a footnote to it. This was a guy that was a significant part of WW2 reporting. This is a guy that was a contemporary of Ernie Pyle (famous WW2 correspondent that has written some of the most accurate pieces of combat reporting in history, KIA in the Pacific 1945), in fact he's mentioned several times in the memoriors that Ernie Pyle's wrote, later turned into books, as they were often in the same war zone together.
Read some of Ernie Pyles posthomously released books, then you realize "wow, Rooney was really in the middle of the sh*t". Not many realize that.
But, but, but.....just think of all the millions of people who would have never heard of Andy Rooney, such as myself, if he had never been on 60 Minutes! I grew up watching that man from the time my memory begins and I have watched 60 Minuret all my life just because of Andy Rooney. I have seen and learned SO MANY things from 60 Minutes in my lifetime that I would not have...all because of Andy Rooney.
RIP, Mr. Andy Rooney.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Norm Barnes
When something you love is in your blood -- you don't really give it up -- you just sort of deny that you still have that interest. Rooney had a special talent he saw humor in our day to day lives and pointed to it so that we could share the fact that it really happens. He exposes the naked truth of life's scant sense of value and the piteous way we treat ourselves and each other. I enjoyed his shows sometimes and sometimes I didn't to me he would say: "That's why TV's come with volume controls and on and off switches". You know he's right. He was a John Wayne of sarcasm but dang -- if we can't laugh at ourselves who should we laugh at -- oh that's his other side he can tell you who he'd recommend to laugh at. Whether you loved him or only liked him he was a man who did what he loved for many years and you know I believe we're jealous. He was born January 1919. The year of prohibition. The first gasoline tax of 1 cent per gallon was levied in Oregon. The American Legion was formed in Paris. Suffrage was guaranteed to women. The Green Bay Packers was formed by Curly Lambeau. President Woodrow Wilson became paralyzed. Babe Ruth was sold to the New York Yankees by -- yes - the Boston Red Sox. Wow an interesting man born in an interesting year. He lived through several wars and went in Journalism and Broadcasting. He died this week and I might not miss him but I will remember him.
And he lived to see planes fly in the air, man walking on the moon and the inventions of the computer, PC, microwave, etc. His brain must've been filled with such amazement! I know my 89 yr old Auntie's brain is as she tells me stories of how it used to be.
And he lived to see planes fly in the air, man walking on the moon and the inventions of the computer, PC, microwave, etc. His brain must've been filled with such amazement! I know my 89 yr old Auntie's brain is as she tells me stories of how it used to be.
My mom passed away at age 94. She used to say she was born the year the Titanic sunk and look at all that's happened since then!
Andy Rooney kept us up to date on the latest and the greatest. He didn't seem to care for most modern things but he reminded us that the world was constantly changing for better or for worse.
I loved his commentaries.
Rest in peace you old curmudgeon Rooney, there will never be another like you.
What was sad is that this was so unnecessary. The minor surgery was probably elective. It was probably not a life-threatening situation. And the "complications" ended up killing him.
When will people learn?
I wonder if he caught a staph infection from the filthy hospital or had some kind of bad drug reaction.
I used to love his commentaries. So sad he didn't get to enjoy his retirement.
I dont think he'd have enjoyed retirement nearly so much as he enjoyed working. As Dd714 posted, he had a long career as a reporter before he became a TV commentator. He loved what he did and often said he wanted to work until the day he died. He almost got his wish.
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