In Defense of the Grumpy, Offensive Andy Rooney

Andy Rooney’s famous grumpiness and his occasional offensive comments—he called gay unions a “self-induced ill” that “kills us” and allegedly said poor black birthrates water down black intelligence—have left us with a mixed opinion. But Salon’s Matt Seitz points out that Rooney apologized for every inappropriate thing he said, and his gaffes shouldn’t overshadow his talent. “When I met Kurt Vonnegut at [a] college literary event in 1990 and asked him who he thought an aspiring writer should study, Andy Rooney was on his short list. ... More than anything else, Rooney is a writer, and a good one.”