I'm a little disappointed in the electronic media right now. All year, I had been looking forward to seeing Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, but as has been the case, I was not able to stay up that late. I'm always very interested in knowing how his condition is and how much he has improved in speech, motion & mannerisms since his terrifying stroke of 2005.
Alas, in the Entertainment news sections of both local papers, not one thing was written about how he did. Nothing about that show, or any other New Years' show. How we should approach reacting about that, I don't know.
On one hand, it might be best not to create media sensationalism over it. How often do we get tired of seeing those glorified tabloids by the check-out counters, spewing one false rumor after another? I am also sure that Dick Clark, as respectable as he is, would want to keep his condition quiet, private, and just concentrate on splitting his duties with Ryan Secrest. But positive reaction & praise for his recovery should not be muted.
To those who think he shouldn't be on TV at all, shame on you. The man has had a stroke, but so have others. The stroke was not his fault. It shows pure guts to come back on TV as quickly as he did for the 2006 show, and then it testifies to the man's character that he stays low in the limelight until the 2007 show. This man earns my respect time and again as one of those few celebrities who can avoid the tabloids for the most part, and concentrate solely on doing what he does best, no matter what the stroke may have done to him.
And that, my fellow readers, is where I'm coming from when I strive to find out how he performed, and not finding out. It's never to make a judgement call; it's to know for myself that someone has battled, is succeeding, and will not drop the things they love doing if that's possible.
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Once again, it was funny to read conflicting accounts of how well the retail shopping season would end up for last Christmas. Everyone seemed to play it cautiously into December, then you heard stories about stores possibly filing for bankruptcy.
But then whoa, hold on: It'll be a holly-jolly Christmas for sure, simply because of an article quoting a trash-hauler who says "I've never picked up this much wrapping paper before!"
To those who believed, and then read the reports today that the actual numbers hit a snag: Do what those exit pollers in the Presidential elections should be doing: Mouths shut, sensationalism down, and ears open for the facts.
It's no wonder we can't trust the media half the time - and they're supposed to be our guide to the world.
