Originally Posted by Stoney

I just caught 30 seconds of Dick Clark on his New Year's show and if made me cringe. I know he has been the ultimate teenager (kind alike Pat Boone with the Dorian Grey painting in his trailer) but I'm sorry, the stroke took away 80% of his speech and 50% of his free movement. They are having him appear to show folks that he is still in charge of things but he can barely speak and cannot form most words. The speech center is the most common loss after a stroke.

I know from a friend at NBC that he really does have a lot to do with producing the show and uses a Blackberry/Twitter device with a larger keyboard to communicate with his staff, and a similar device for meetings using a large screen. But I don't think he should be on air, sure it's been 37 years but they word cruel comes to mind in having him speak-or attempt to speak. Just have him there and do his signature wave/salute to the camera or use the screen and type his words...

It's kinda like watching a relative who has had a stroke try and speak at a wedding or such...(I had an Uncle this way). Some folks like to say it is an expression of endurance, I think it is someone using them for their own purposes.

I mean a lot of us grew up watching DC on the tube on bandstand, seeing him this way is not a good thing.

Sorry if others feel different, we each are entitled to our opinions.