Dick Clark and His Lasting Legacy

Yesterday, the iconic Dick Clark passed away at the age of 82, as a result of a heart attack. He will be missed by many for being a pioneer, not just of his era, but really, for all of time.

Clark did things no one had done before. He was a star if ever there was one.

But what is his real legacy?

Clark should be remembered for the shows he helped create. He should be remembered for being a bright and charismatic personality who ruled the television airwaves for decades.

Many will remember him that way. Sadly, there is an entire generation (and then some) of people who will not share this same nostalgic view.

Why?

In my opinion, Clark was allowed to do what he did for too long. After he suffered a massive stroke, he bravely insisted on continuing to do his famous countdown as the ball dropped in Times Square, New York on New Year's Eve.

It was courageous. Really, it was. But it was also embarrassing. His speech was severely slurred. His timing was off. One year, he got the numbers completely out of order. It wasn't the same Dick Clark.

I know I'm going to take some criticism for this. You might say, "Dick Clark was a legend. He earned the right to go out in whatever way he wanted and do it for as long as his heart desired."

Maybe, but don't friends and family have an obligation to step in, at times, and say "no." Was it really in his best interest to get up there those last few years and just barely make it through? 

The brilliance of the past was traded in for circling buzzards. The shock jocks and gossip columnists sat still on the edge of their seats, with baited breath, each year as they almost hoped Clark would do something uncouth and out of character. 

People made fun of him. He became the butt of a joke.

The point isn't whether or not people should have made fun of him. It's that they did, and it was avoidable. He could have retired gracefully, while doing occasional interviews and appearances. They could have found a job for him on the New Year's show that didn't involve him remembering things and responding under pressure.

But an ego like Clark's isn't easily diminished. And, ultimately, I can't lay a bit of blame at his doorstep. He wasn't in the right frame of mind to make decisions like that. Someone should have stepped in and done the right thing.

Ultimately, it all comes down to the money that they made off of him. If Hollywood can find a way to squeeze a dollar out of someone, they will. They weren't exalting him. They were exploiting him.

It shouldn't take the shine away from his legacy, but I'm afraid that it will. That's all I'm saying.

How will you remember Dick Clark?