Dick Clark currently faces charges of age discrimination in a lawsuit filed by his once long-time colleague and creator of TV shows, Ralph Andrews. Andrews - two years older than Clark who himself is a farcically frozen 74 in real time - claims that he was led on to believe by Clark that he would have a chance at any job openings with Dick Clark Productions. Andrews later claims that on one day he was told that there were no openings only to discover that quite soon after, two younger people were later found and hired.
"It was good to hear from you, Ralph. This is a tough letter to write, I have great respect and admiration for your accomplishments... The last development guy we hired was 27 years old. Another person who is joining our staff next week is 30. People our age are considered dinosaurs. The business is being run by "the next generation." wrote Clark in the letter.
Irony noted within lies in the fact that Dick Clark is often referred to as "the world's oldest teenager." A title that he really can't claim in the face of other title holders.
Memphis musician and once "funkiest man alive," Rufus Thomas lost the "alive" section of the title at age 84 in 2001. Up to that stage he was, by way of self-proclaimation, "the world's oldest teenager." Barring any rule of physics and logic, Dick Clark was still alive at this time and he too was being referred to as the "world's oldest teenager." Although that opposition to the title has been dealt with, another still looms on the scene. By all accounts, still alive, composer/conductor David Amram is the only person currently left in the path of Dick Clark's ultimate claim to the freakiness of his appearance.
Written on Wednesday, 3 March 2004