THE WORLD'S OLDEST TEENAGER: It's hard to think of folks who touched as many aspects of mainstream American popular culture as Dick Clark, who passed away this morning at the age of 82.
From American Bandstand to $100,000 Pyramid, from Rockin' us into each new year to TV's Bloopers & Practical Jokes (the predecessor of FailBlog, kids) to creating the American Music Awards, Dick Clark was the safe face of rock and roll, the gatekeeper, the icon, the dipper of dipthongs, the man who introduced the acts, stepped into the background, and counted the money.
There's not an adult in America who needs to be told who Dick Clark was, and that, perhaps, is his greatest accomplishment.
Added: The NYT obit suggests another angle: with Bandstand, was Dick Clark responsible for creating a national youth culture? Before that show happened, what national television show was targeted towards this audience?
