Blog Times of Our Lives The summer of our discontent Popular culture, the news media, and politics took a hit this summer with the death of key players and the demise of one iconic brand name. Popular Culture Ed McMahon, 82, Johnny Carson’s announcer and sidekick on the Tonight Show, died on June 23. It is hard to imagine that Carson would have been so successful had it not been for McMahon. Farrah Fawcett, 62, star of the 1970s TV show Charlie’s Angels and of the swimsuit poster, died on June 25. She later found acclaim in Extremities on Broadway and the TV movie The Burning Bed. News of her death was eclipsed by that of Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson, 50, the self-described “King of Pop,” died on June 25. His 1982 album Thriller was the highlight of his career. Was media coverage of his death overblown? Yes, and no. If there weren’t audiences for it, media coverage would have been much less. Billy Mays, 50, the pitchman for OxiClean and other products, died on June 28. This is proof that an irritating voice can sell products. Karl Malden, 97, Academy Award winning actor for Street Car Named Desired and star of TV’s Streets of San Francisco, died July 1. Later, he became a pitchman for American Express. Frank McCourt, 78, author of Angela’s Ashes, died on July 19. The movie by the same name was released in 1999, and it garnered best score Academy Awards and best original score-motion picture Golden Globes nominations. Les Paul, 96, musician and songwriting, died on August 13. He was a pioneer in the development of the solid-body electric guitar Dominick Dunn, 83, died on August 36. He was a well-known writer and investigative journalist. He came to worldwide fame during the O.J. Simpson trial. Patrick Swayze, 57, died on September 14. His mother’s training as a choreographer was evident in his performance in Dirty Dancing. Ghosts was a sappy movie, but you have to love it with the song “Unchained Melody.” Henry Gibson, 73, the hapless comic on the 1960s Laugh-In, died on September 14. Mary Travers, 72, an American songwriter and singer, died on September 16. She teamed up with two male singers to form Peter, Paul, and Mary. You can still watch them during fundraising on Prairie Public Television. Humanitarians Eunice Kennedy Shriver, 88, sister to a president and two senators, died August 11. She founded the Special Olympics. Norman Borlaug, 95, died September 12. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for his work in developing the Green Revolution, which improved farming techniques in Third World countries. News Media Walter Cronkite, 92, died on July 17. Whether live or on videotape, many people recall his announcement that President Kennedy had died from wounds inflicted by assassin Lee Harvey Oswald. Don Hewitt, 86, creator of 60 Minutes, died August 19. He was executive producer of CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite. Also, Hewitt directed the Kennedy-Nixon debate in 1960, the first of many televised presidential debates that followed. Commercial products Oscar Mayer Jr., 95, namesake of the meat company, died on July 6. Gidget, 15, the Taco Bell mascot, died on July 21. Kodachrome, 74, the iconic film by Kodak, was discontinued on June 22. No word on Paul Simon’s reaction. Politics Robert McNamara, 95, the architect of the Vietnam War, died on July 6. Apologies late in life failed to redeem him in the eyes of families whose children died in that awful conflict. Senator Edward M. (Ted) Kennedy, 77, died on August 25. Unlike his three older brothers, he lived long enough to write his memoir, True Compass. The so-called “lion of the Senate” takes his place along with the likes of Clay and Webster. Jody Powell, 65, President Jimmy Carter’s press secretary, died on September 14. He was part of the “Georgia mafia” that moved with Carter from Georgia to the White House. Personal note Robert J. Lowe, 92, founder of Lowe’s Printing in Minot, died on August 22. This writer remembers his first boss, who was one of the kindest, most decent people he has ever met. Epilogue Things will never be the same again.
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