To paraphrase Will Rogers, Andy Rooney never met a topic he couldnít dislike. And audiences loved him for it.
Rooney, who died Friday night at age 92, delivered more than 1,000 of his trademark essays as the closing segment on CBSí ě60 Minutes,î as well as writing a syndicated newspaper column. His popular commentaries ranged from the whimsical to the curmudgeonly, covering subjects as diverse as cats, email and pop star Justin Bieber.
As a cultural critic who disliked change, Rooney was sometimes satirized as a cranky old man out of touch with modern life. Actually, he was a cranky old man who never lost his sharp sense of lifeís oddities and absurdities.
In his final piece, he noted that he didnít like fame or autograph-seekers, asking fans who saw him in a restaurant to ěplease, just let me eat my dinner.î Rest in peace, Mr. Rooney.