Rest in peace Andy Rooney

[kevininsa]

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/06/us/andy-rooney-mainstay-on-60-minutes-dead-at-92.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

[Poolboy21409]

For the life of me, I never saw his purpose, role, or contribution to 60 Minutes. An organization I worked for for many years honored the show - 60 Minutes- with a significant award within the Broadcast Industry. I met him personally, and he was as much of nasty mean old curmudgeon at that event as his "persona" was on the ending spot. Maybe he just was playing the role, but the lasting impression from the majority in attendance at this event, was that he was an Asshole.

[Toulouse]

I hope he rest in peace and finds more joy (and less to complain about) in his afterlife.

[leigh.bess.toad]

For the life of me, I never saw his purpose, role, or contribution to 60 Minutes. An organization I worked for for many years honored the show - 60 Minutes- with a significant award within the Broadcast Industry. I met him personally, and he was as much of nasty mean old curmudgeon at that event as his "persona" was on the ending spot. Maybe he just was playing the role, but the lasting impression from the majority in attendance at this event, was that he was an Asshole.

 

PB -- I think you used the exactly appropriate word to describe him -- curmudgeon. Very few people fall into that role. But he did. At least that was his personae. Although in real life who knows? I have a friend who ran into Whoppi Goldberg. She was so unlike what we know her as, and he commented on that fact. Her reply? "You want Whoppi? You gotta pay for Whoopi". Maybe Mr. Rooney was like that too. But I do hope he rests in peace.

[+ Gar1eth]

There was a Playboy Article by David Letterman back in the 1980's. And no I don't usually buy Playboys. In fact it may have been my apartment mate's Playboy (don't ask--it was 2 years of agony in grad school--we had each responded to a "roommate needed" in the student apartment office--why I agreed to a second year when I hated the 1st year-well the term masochist comes to mind. To be fair I'm sure it was just as bad if not worse for him--we just weren't compatible. However what really makes him an a-hole was that at our 10 year reunion--I saw him, was being friendly, and said, "hello, Matt". He said hello back to me briefly and then pretty much ignored me--and it's not like I wanted an extended conversation--but geez we spent 2 years not interacting back then--I thought it deserved a bit more now).

 

Anyway I remember David Letterman saying in the article that he had really looked forward to meeting Andy--Andy was someone he looked up to, and then Andy turned out to be really unpleasant guy. Of course in this case I am betting Mr. Letterman was the pot--calling the kettle black--as I don't think he is probably that nice a guy himself.

 

Gman

[+ Lucky]

Rooney was once suspended for three months for making anti-gay and racist remarks:

http://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/09/arts/cbs-gives-rooney-a-3-month-suspension-for-remarks.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

 

I am in no hurry to mourn his passing.

[+ Gar1eth]

PB -- I think you used the exactly appropriate word to describe him -- curmudgeon. Very few people fall into that role. But he did. At least that was his personae. Although in real life who knows? I have a friend who ran into Whoppi Goldberg. She was so unlike what we know her as, and he commented on that fact. Her reply? "You want Whoppi? You gotta pay for Whoopi". Maybe Mr. Rooney was like that too. But I do hope he rests in peace.

 

Look at Rosie O'Donnell. From her original talk show--she seemed like, well, like the next Oprah:roll eyes:, then we find out, she's really not the most pleasant person at all. Of course I just read an article where she said she was on hormone therapy to even out her moods.

 

Gman

[nate_sf]

I found he was more amusing years (decades) ago, but in recent years had definitely become more and more the curmudgeon. As he got older the things he complained about seemed more and more trivial. I still enjoyed him though, because I think there is a bit of curmudgeon in all of us. That was his schtick for sure.

[+ Shoreboy]

I don't wish anyone ill nor do I rejoice when someone dies, but I simply did not like or enjoy the man when he was on 60 minutes. I did watch his farewell interview and he came across as nasty and disliking people.

[chirob]

Andy Rooney died Friday night...his eyebrows died Sunday morning.

[jgoo]

When someone passes away, I have always gone by the old adage of "If You Don't Have Anything Nice to Say, Don't Say Anything At All"....In this case, I remain silent.

[+ nycman]

He bitched about everything in life.

 

I think we can bitch about him in death....

 

I always thought he was a pretentious asshole.

[Poolboy21409]

He bitched about everything in life.

 

I think we can bitch about him in death....

 

I always thought he was a pretentious asshole.

 

RIGHT ON...nycman!!

[KMEM]

I had no idea that someone like Andy Rooney would or could have such an effect on this group as this thread indicates. During his time on 60 Minutes I never took him that seriously and just enjoyed what I got out of his commentary. As time went by I learned that he had been a writer for Stars and Stripes in WWII and then a writer for Arthur Godfrey and then Harry Reasoner. Those seem notable achievements and maybe he learned bad manners from Arthur Godfrey? I always thought he, like anyone else, was entitled to his opinion and, if it had always been the same as mine, how thought provoking is that? In addition, I was brought up to respect my elders and Mr. Rooney was entitled to that, if nothing else.

 

Best regards,

KMEM

[wayout]

I had no idea that someone like Andy Rooney would or could have such an effect on this group as this thread indicates. During his time on 60 Minutes I never took him that seriously and just enjoyed what I got out of his commentary. As time went by I learned that he had been a writer for Stars and Stripes in WWII and then a writer for Arthur Godfrey and then Harry Reasoner. Those seem notable achievements and maybe he learned bad manners from Arthur Godfrey? I always thought he, like anyone else, was entitled to his opinion and, if it had always been the same as mine, how thought provoking is that? In addition, I was brought up to respect my elders and Mr. Rooney was entitled to that, if nothing else.

 

Best regards,

KMEM

 

Well said KMEM. Couldn't agree more with you.

[bigvalboy]

Rooney was once suspended for three months for making anti-gay and racist remarks:

http://www.nytimes.com/1990/02/09/arts/cbs-gives-rooney-a-3-month-suspension-for-remarks.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm

 

I am in no hurry to mourn his passing.

 

Thank you Lucky, I was afraid no one was going to mention that here. I kept reading the posts about how negative he was. Well that was the point of his dialog, he was supposed to get on there and just complain about things in everyday life that the average person would find bothersome also. And sometimes you would say to yourself, "ya know, I hate that to"... That I get...but he lost me as a fan and viewer on the anti-gay and racists remarks. If you followed him, he never really recovered from that.

[+ glutes]

I will miss the old curmudgeon, and his thinking outside the box.

[+ glutes]

RIP Andy.

[Pegasus]

No nostalgia for the mean old geezer from me. His grumpy bigotry wasn't an act, it was who he is. Even after his colleagues confronted him on his homophobic and racist comments, he was unrepentant. I won't miss him on Sunday nights, though truth to tell, I have not watched him for almost 20 years. Long ago, '60 Minutes' morphed from 'must see tv' to 'OMG, Is it still on the air?'

[Guest]

When someone passes away, I have always gone by the old adage of "If You Don't Have Anything Nice to Say, Don't Say Anything At All"....In this case, I remain silent.

 

I've skipped his segment for decades now, but I never recalled him having anything nice to say about almost anyone or anything. Always whining. My USSR-born DP always hated him, and he always asked "Why is that jerk on the air, and why does anyone care what he says?". He may have had his day in his younger years, but I can't say I've ever met anyone who really enjoyed hearing him whine about everything, week after week.

[Rod Hagen]

Oh my god, what an asshole. I remember his Kurt Cobain rant. Wanted to fly out east and slap him sillier.

[KMEM]

I hope no one brings up all my faults after I pass. (Now is perfectly OK.)

 

Best regards,

KMEM

[+ purplekow]

"He has to have heard that he is crabby old man with unwieldly eyebrows and a level of egocentric pomposity that defies general conventions and rockets into the strastosphere of a human caricature." And KMEM, I would expect that Andy heard the same things about himself.

[KMEM]

My eyebrows are NOT unwieldy.

 

Best regards,

KMEM