Thoughts on Thanksgiving from Andy Rooney
The late Andy Rooney was a Sunday staple on 60 Minutes, known for his commentary at the end of every broadcast. Rooney had a knack for finding the comic value in the small problems of American life, especially around the holidays. Here, we reprise some of Andy's sharpest and funniest comments about the Thanksgiving holiday. Fans of Rooney, feast on these:
Pardon Me, Mr. President (1997)
Every Thanksgiving, the president of the United States ceremonially pardons one lucky turkey. In 1997, Andy Rooney investigated the fate of these supposedly free birds. "This hard-bitten old reporter didn't believe for a minute that the President's turkey lived happily ever after, so I set out to do some muckraking," said Rooney. Will he uncover the next great White House scandal?
Christmas Before Thanksgiving (2002)
Rooney defends Thanksgiving, a holiday squeezed out by businesses that "sell-a-brate" Christmas a bit too soon for his liking. "It ought to be against the law to start Christmas before December," barked Rooney.
Andy Rooney's Homemade Thanksgiving Feast (2009)
Rooney makes the case for a more traditionally prepared Thanksgiving dinner. "To begin with, we should go back to fixing Thanksgiving dinner the old fashion way -- no mixes, no frozen food, nothing canned," said Rooney. "Frozen turkey isn't bad, it's just not as good as a fresh-killed turkey."
Andy Rooney's "lost" Thanksgiving (1991)
Lastly, we found this un-aired piece deep in the 60 Minutes archive. Andy Rooney teaches the proper technique to carve a turkey in three minutes and 36 seconds. Why didn't it air? That story is lost to history…
