Television commentator Andy Rooney passed away on Friday at the age of 92 according to a CBS News release.
For decades Sunday night television included a short segment with Rooney, who was the often grumpy punctuation at the end of every episode of CBS mainstay 60 Minutes. With a lot less fanfare than Oprah’s TV finale, after 33 years with the program, it was announced that the October 2 telecast would include Rooney’s final commentary. Almost exactly a month later, Rooney passed away from complications following a minor surgery. Although his death won’t create the outpouring of attention and eulogies that resulted after Steve Jobs passed away, it is significant in the world of television.
Rooney began his career in television in the 1940s writing for some of television’s biggest names including Arthur Godfrey. Once he joined 60 Minutes in 1978 he used his time on the air to waggle his enormous eyebrows and tackle the not-so-tough topics like wash-and-wear shirts.
I was never a fan of the elder statesman’s ranting about the most minute of things, but I respect his longevity and willingness to express his opinion whether it went along with the mainstream or not.