Dick Clark's Death: Is It Too Soon For Twitter Jokes?

Twitterverse is buzzing with memories, jokes and a suggested hologram of the late host.
By Kara Klenk

Dick Clark on the set of "American Bandstand" in 1980
Photo: Getty Images

It's hardly been 24 hours since legendary television personality Dick Clark died from a heart attack. While most are remembering Clark with admiration and reverence — including countless celebrities he helped to make stars — some have taken to social-media outlets to make jokes and question if a hologram version of Clark is forthcoming.

While most celebrities celebrated Clark on Twitter, like @MariahCarey who tweeted a photo of them together with the message "R.I.P. Dick Clark. Your memory will live on eternally as an incredible legend," actor/comedian @DenisLeary took a different tack, referring to Clark as a "leather faced syrup voiced lizard" person. This prompted a lot of "too soon" responses, including one from blogger Perez Hilton, who commented on his blog, "Jeez, Denis Leary. You couldn't wait A WEEK to insult the recently deceased? Allow some time for some of us to grieve. Pretty insensitive." Leary went on to join the "Will Dick Clark be the next hologram?" debate by tweeting, "I'm gonna package a Dick Clark Hologram mc'ing a Tupac Hologram summer tour."

With Clark's death coming so soon after Hologram Tupac took over the Web, it's not surprising that so many are joking about a Clark hologram possibly resuming hosting duties in the future. Comedian‏ @AFFIONCROCKETT tweeted just one of hundreds of similar comments: "R.I.P. the legendary ICONIC DICK CLARK!!! Oh, he's DEFINITELY gonna HOLOGRAM HOST New Years Eve from now on."

Others want to see a hologram collaboration on the stage where it all began last weekend, Coachella. Comedian @DougBenson tweeted this suggestion for the festival where Holo-Pac debuted last weekend: "Dear Coachella, a Dick Clark hologram should introduce the Tupac hologram this weekend." One Twitter user, @thechrisws, was not in favor of any Clark hologram, writing, "If I see a Dick Clark hologram this NYE, I am quitting the future."

Clark's death has also left people hedging their bets on who will inherit his legacy with most of the buzz pointing toward Ryan Seacrest , and that too has become the butt of a few jokes in the Twittersphere. @FSUSteve tweeted, "I'd rather see a hologram of Dick Clark than a real @ryanseacrest," while @thecajunboy joked, "Maybe Hologram Dick Clark can do what real Dick Clark never had the ba--s to do: murder Ryan Seacrest."

While social media is full of honest opinions and negative comments — and comedy helps bring levity to sad events — with Clark's death barely a day old, is it actually too soon to be cracking jokes?

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