Gawker
Mike Wallace, the crazily well-preserved 89-year-old 60 Minutes correspondent had triple bypass surgery over the weekend and is recovering nicely, the NYPost says. Good to hear! Despite the relatively decent health possessed by the rest of 60 Minutes crew, their Achilles heel remains their collective ancientness. Being a television news reporter isn't exactly easy on the ticker—PBS talk show host Charlie Rose practically died last year, but he's got a new gig—as a '60 Minutes' correspondent. Just what they needed, another faultily-wired senior citizen!
The senescence of the program's group has had little bearing on ratings so far; Sunday's airing landed the top spot with 14.5 million viewers. Then again, it's not like 60 Minutes has a slew of whippersnappers waiting in the wings to inherit the mantle or anything. How old is the average full-time correspondent for the CBS news magazine? Like Wallace, Andy Rooney rounds out the top of the curve at 89; Scott Pelley is a mere tyke at 50. All in all, their average age is 71. Even if you toss in the part-timers (40-year-old Anderson Cooper, thirty-something Lara Logan and a dash of Katie Couric, who we think is 51, but could totally be a really well-done 74), the average '60 Minutes' reporter is 63. Ageists.
Comments
60 minutes: for old people, by old people
Every second ticked by on that 60 Minutes stopwatch is a reminder to their viewers that they're one tick closer to death.
Maggie: Can you rewrite that but leave out all the math?
kthanxbai.
During February sweeps, they're planning to up their coverage of wacky new religions.
First up, Lutherans.
@the supergoddess: I am 33 and I freaking love 60 Minutes. More Anderson, less Katie. Cooper's Plumpynut piece may have been the best news story this year.
Given that my only shot at longevity is the glass of metamucil I choke down each weekday morn, I say huzzah to the geezers and their stick-to-it-ness.
I'd rather have Mike Wallace doing the important interviews than some of these perky, blond nit-wits that are being passed off as "news" reporters or anchors. Twenty-somethings have nice tits and legs but I don't trust them to explain world politics to me, ya know?
My favorite "60 Minutes" memory is seeing Ed Bradley (RIP) doing backup at a Neville Brothers concert. Seriously! It was awesome.
ok yeah news for our geriatric neighbors that we used to sell candy bars to for our trips to a cheer comp or a football jersey fund. lets get serious though peers.
it is that same segment of my existence so far that is recurring even today.
ive been reading A Brief History of Time by Hawking but nothing, no thing could prepare me for this-
[bostonist.com]
expanding universe my ass, my world is back to revolving around slap bracelets.
It'll be great in 20 years - they'll all have dementia and be yelling insanities at the camera, just like Fox does today!
@downlow: Yes, but on the other hand, turn on Larry King. He's hit the point of diminishing returns and can now barely keep up with who Jerry Seinfeld is, let alone the current Middle East power struggle.
Whose heart was in Mike's chest when they did the surgery?
@KarenUhOh: Andy Rooney's intern gave up her own heart to save Skeletor.
old as DIRT
@bettycrocker: Like Andy Rooney has for the past 20 years?
"60 Minutes" is made by old people, while "Dateline" and "20/20" are made to scare them.
@mattychicago: And O'Reilly for, well, too long.
Sort of casts the opening shot's ticking stopwatch in a more ominous light now, doesn't it?
@eastvillageidiot: Or that.
I heart 60 minutes and I'm 24... I think that makes me some kind of freak. Although I have to turn it off when Andy starts screaming about milk. His eyebrows make me nervous.
@richardmarxhatesmyhair: I, too, am a big fan of Cooper's plumpynuts!
"There's something about Sunday night that really makes you want to kill yourself. And that creepy '60 Minutes' watch that sounds like your whole life ticking away."
@corporatedrone: I don't watch the Andy Rooney part any more. I have my own older relatives to fill the void.
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