'60 Minutes' ' Andy Rooney on Lady Gaga: Never heard of her

I don't know anyone under 65 who actually watches "60 Minutes" and I'm beginning to think I understand why after Andy Rooney, who's a spry 91 years old, weighed in last night on the state of popular music.

His motivation was simple: Someone sent him a copy of Billboard, perhaps as a prank, and he perused the magazine's Hot 100 and discovered that -- gasp! -- he'd never heard of anyone in the top ranks of the pop charts.

This is apparently how "60 Minutes" commentaries are born. Rooney got two good minutes worth of material out of chewing over this development, wondering out loud: Who's Lady Gaga? Who's Justin Bieber? And for that matter, who's Usher?

I know that Rooney has a reputation for being a humorist as well as a commentator, so I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt that at least a bit of his tongue may have been in his cheek. 

But then again, I'm not so sure, since it was Rooney who was widely criticized more than 15 years ago for belittling the media uproar over the suicide death of Kurt Cobain, saying that he'd never heard of him or his band, Nirvana, either, so why were they getting all this attention, especially at a time when a far more dignified personage, Richard Nixon, had so recently died?  

No one is saying that Rooney has to be a hipster. But why is he so surprised that he's out of touch with the wide expanse of pop music? After all, most people after a certain age -- sometimes 55, sometimes 25 -- jump off the pop bandwagon and lose touch with its ever-changing vanguard of new artists, never to return. But I'm not sure it's something worth bragging about on nationwide television.

Judge for yourself:

Photo: Lady Gaga performing at an April charity concert in Tokyo. Credit: Yoshikazu Tsuno / AFP/Getty Images 

 

Comments

[Charles Bogle]

I haven't watched "60 Minutes" in decades. Last I looked, there was still some good journalism, but it was greatly compromised by the "superstar" quality of the so-called reporters. I don't miss, for instance, the cutaway shots of Ed Bradley knitting his eyebrows, his little diamond earring twinkling under the stage lights. Rooney's "old crank" persona wore out on me long, long ago---not for its purported cynicism and crustiness, but because it just wasn't very entertaining. But any adult (which these days, could mean anyone over 50) who keeps track of the vapid, venal, vile pop stars of the day is just a wretched idiot. With very few exceptions, these "icons" (will someone retire that word?) are all empty pose and adolescent outburst of the most banal sort. And the "music" is a horrid kind of demographically approved, machine-made product, nothing more. It's just as putrid as putrid gets.

[Ben]

You did a fine job giving us some background on Andy Rooney, but maybe you could tell us: who is Lady Gaga, anyway?

[rah62]

I guess it's not hip to watch "60 Minutes", but after over 30 years it's still one of the top-rated TV shows year after year. Maybe you and your uber-hip friends should start watching it - you'll learn something.

[jim]

I wish I'd never heard of Lady Gaga.

[Stewie Rules]

Who's Michael Jackson?

[JAM]

So, do you think the state of music is better now,then lets say the 90's? I watch 60 minutes and I am 25. Rooney is a humorist and you shouldn't make much of his arguments. Frankly, I had no idea who Justin Bieber was three weeks ago either. After hearing him being mock on Kroq then I found out who he was. Frankly, I never listen to any of his songs. Am I completely out of touch too? Because that means most guys my age are as well.

[Robert]

Don't be so hard on Andy. I am 47 and have watched 60 minutes since it first came on the air. As for the latest on pop stars who cares? I thought he was funny. I was telling my girlfriend the other day, "hell I just learned who the heck Justin Timberlake was" upon which I received a look of pity and despair. As far as Rooney disrespecting Nirvana, I can't say I blame him there either. I never did care for grunge or the generation that started it. Good for Andy. At least he tells the truth. And BTW who in the heck is Lady Gaga anyway?

[Good Lord, he is still alive?]

Rooney has not been relevent since the late 1970's. Since then, he has always gone for the low hanging fruit: I'm old, times are changing, you kids get off my lawn. All he brings to the table is a familiar face. Fortunately, if I want nonagenarian commentary, there is plenty of informed, wry, sometimes ribauld commentary to be had in my Sierra Club conditioning hike group.

[Josue]

Remember he was on Da Ali G Show?

[Terrils]

1. Lady Gaga is a nobody, in the big picture. So is Andy Rooney.
2. He IS a humorist. Duh.