Andy's Summer Break: "I'm Glad It's Over"

Andy Rooney Realizes That Avoiding Work Is Hard Work

(CBS)  Written by Andy Rooney.

I don't know about you, but I'm glad our new television season has started. I thought my vacation would never end. To tell you the truth, it's been one damn day off after another. If summer had lasted another month I'd be exhausted from all that relaxation.

I can stand a little vacation, but things are getting ridiculous. Too many people are making a living off the rest of us taking time off. My time off from 60 Minutes lasts from Memorial Day at the end of May until the third week in September.

The necessity of having fun in the summer is one of the most tiring things of the whole year for me. My idea of a good restful week is to get up at the same time every morning, eat breakfast, read the newspaper, go to work, come home tired, have dinner, read a little something, watch television then and go to bed. Now, that's what I call relaxing.

The tiring part of my long break from doing my 60 Minutes each week is planning to go somewhere, getting ready to go there and organizing everything that I need to take with me. I have to pack, I have to load the car, find the place I'm going to spend my vacation and then, when it's all over, reverse the whole process and come home.

There are just so many things about summer vacations that are tiring and tiresome that maybe we ought to give some thought to abandoning them altogether. Avoiding work is hard work.

When I'm on my vacation I don't get enough sleep, I spend too much money on nothing, do too much driving, too much eating, and too much talking.

I'll bet that I could add ten years to my life if I didn't have to take all those vacation breaks from my usual routine. And my usual routine is work - that's why it's so good to be back from my vacation.

[xsmf002]

I'll bet that I could add ten years to my life if I didn't have to take all those vacation breaks from my usual routine. And my usual routine is work - that's why it's so good to be back from my vacation.
NEXT SUMMER CALL ME ILL PUT YOUR LAZY BUTT TO WORK YOULL BE BEGGING FOR A VACATION... WHAT A HARD JOB YOU HAVE HAHA... HAVE YOU EVER WORKED A HARD DAY DOUBT IT!!! YOUR A COMPLETE IDIOT

[runbikeswim]

Mr. Rooney, I have been an avid watcher of 60 minutes for years. I enjoy the program and your commentaries. As for your last commentary I guess everyone has their own opinion about vacations. If, when and where they take them. They have been a very important part of my life. To be able to get away from work, I work three jobs, which I do enjoy, and the daily job I do to keep my house in shape. The painting, roofing, plumbing, mowing, cleaning,which take up a lot of my time. The quality time that I get to spend with my family when we go on vacation is priceless. We camp in our tent, cook over the stove, hike, swim and create memories that will last a lifetime. I feel fortunate that I can spend this time with my family. When my time is over I will have left behind family and friends that will have fantastic memories of the quality time that we spent on vacation

[ncapps0924]

Mr. Rooney -- you have got to be kidding. Overpaid, under-worked...what gall! And the rest of us unemployed folks are supposed to ... what? empathize??? you're a pathetic reminder of our screwed up values. To imagine complaints about a too-long vacation from an overpaid comic. Yes, the jokes on us!!!

[jimedwards3]

I've enjoyed Andy's pieces at the end of 60 Minutes for a long time now... but I have to say that he really missed the mark here and seemed to be totally out of touch with his audience. Vacations are earned and as such are really viewed as a benefit of value to any job. If any of most of the 60 Minutes viewers had 3 months vacations every year, I would say America is in pretty great shape. Sadly, we're not.

What Mr. Rooney has accomplished in his career is substantial and I don't begrudge him anything. But he should have been a little more sensitive to what is going on in America right now. He should have known better.

[arghhhhhhh]

Really, people should lighten up. Appreciate the humor! Keep it simple. For all of you that are unemployed, do you not miss the routine of the daily grind that comes from having a job? That's what I took from the story. I've been on "vacation" (unemployed) since 1/2009 and miss the day to day rhetoric. Interprut the way you want, but mine is that of humor. I hope my next employer appreciates that quality. BTW...I know you're wondering, but I am not wealthy and am soley responsible for my own welfare.

[mjr03e]

I just joined CBS.com for the sole purpose of commenting on this segment from last night's broadcast. I am still in shock that this was given the "ok" to air.

I understand that Mr. Rooney might feel put out at having such a long vacation every summer. I can see that he might be ready to go back to work and would like to share that sentiment with his audience. What I cannot understand is how this segment was filmed and aired on the SEASON PREMIERE of 60 minutes. Was there nothing more important or relevant he could have contributed after spending his entire summer pining to return?

Can I please ask what the producers were hoping for in airing this? What reaction they could have expected from this 5 minutes of inanity? Not only does it show that Andy Rooney contributes absolutely nothing to this newscast, but it showed a serious lapse in judgment by the producers in allowing Mr. Rooney to insult the entire audience of overworked and underpaid Americans.

I, personally, would not mind seeing Andy Rooney on a permanent vacation. Perhaps he could spend his free time giving back to the community he has so completely lost touch with.

[parisdakar]

I generally like Andy Rooney, but complaining about vacation is downright insulting.

[imafoodblog]

Seriously, did this multimillionaire complain last night on prime time television that his 3 month vacation is too much of a drag for him??? If the intention was to be funny or satirical, Andy missed the mark as usual and just showed that he is an irrelevant out of touch curmudgeon with his ridiculously offensive rant.

While I don't disagree with him that actually going away on vacation can be a pain, I live for time off from work and am just as happy to stay home during vacations. Why don't you try that Andy? I am sure your house is quite luxurious and comfortable. Many people in this country would probably consider it a vacation to stay there.

Keep up the good work Rooney.

[thecatsmeow5]

I agree with Mr. Rooney. It's always been a hassle for me to pack up and unpack when I get there. I hate the drive to get there and worry about heavy traffic. The airport's not much better. And if it's a new vacation spot, I have to figure out where all the shops, restaurants, etc are and hope that I don't get lost. I love to just have the convenience of staying home, sitting on my deck, drinking a cup of coffee, watching TV in the privacy of my home, have my own bathroom facilities, etc. If I want to get a take-out from a restaurant, I'll bring it back and watch the Little Rascals or Three Stooges on TV. What a relaxing evening. But, everyone has their idea of vacation and that's mine.

[ffoulkes-2009]

I think that is a point of everyone's ire here...There is always the option of not going anywhere on vacation...I choose that option every time I have a vacation due to lack of expendable dough. The last thing someone wants during a time of financial distress is to hear someone complaining about having a hard time on his expensive trip during his ridiculously long paid vacation.

[skeezix06]

Probably not the best subject to joke about, Mr. Rooney. We're tired, we're trying to stretch our money further than it can go, and afraid of losing our homes and what jobs are left due to the fact that there isn't a replacement in sight.

This might not have been a good thing to joke about anyway for those who have to do heavy duty physical labor on a daily basis. I know my dad only got to enjoy 2 years of retirement before he died.

[tmittelstaed]

Geeze! People, the guy was JOKING this was a complete tongue in cheek article. He is making fun of the people who do so much work and planning on their vacation that it turns what should be relaxation into work. LIGHTEN UP!!!!

[1notrub11]

Whether or not one agrees with your assessment, CBS and Rooney clearly missed the audience:content evaluation on this one. Given the opinion fraction on those who have commented thus far, I would say they need to get to know the 60 minutes listening crowd, MUCH better.

[ketchi]

Mr. Rooney, please don't be jealous, but I wanted to let you know that we skipped our summer vacation. Actually, we haven't taken a family vacation in five years, so you must be green with envy.

Let me correct that statement. We drove our 1995 Dodge Caravan about an hour away from where we live to take our two children to see the new Harry Potter movie, stayed overnight in a hotel, and we went out for a dinner and a lunch. That was our summer vacation. While Mr. Rooney was driving around in his Lexus, stressing over his travel details, and enjoying what I'm assuming was almost three months of paid time off, my husband was working six days a week in our family business. Unlike Mr. Rooney, if my husband doesn't work, we don't pay our bills. It hasn't been our best year in the 41 years we've been in business.

CBS, I am so offended by this commentary, and in this economy I cannot believe that you would agree to air such a completely inappropriate and obscene commentary. It may be another assumption, but I'm guessing that you have no editorial control over his commentaries. As I write this, I am also incredibly sad, and I'm now fighting tears. Why? It's Sunday night, and it's not just time for "60 Minutes," but it's also time to figure out which bills get paid this week.

[ffoulkes-2009]

I got one for ya...It is almost payday, and it is time to decide which meds to pay for and which to skip till next payday.

[1notrub11]

Generally, I have to agree with the comments of posters thus far.

To me, a vacation is a time to relax, recouperate and even reflect on one's life. At the point, one needs to "find" something to do on vacation, you should go off vacation and back to your average day.

Hearing someone complain about something that many would love to have even a fraction of, certainly shuts down this listener's attention.

[johnjakob]

Andy,

I have often been appalled by most of your "commentaries", but this latest rant has got to be the most ignorant of all time.

I agree with most of the previous posts, and I would like to say a few more things about your 5 minutes of ridiculous blathering.

First off, what is it you do all day at the 60 minutes office? Does it take you an entire 40 hour work week to come up with 5 minutes of idiotic drivel?! Why don't you take your summer vacation and get a job helping others?! Don't just volunteer a few hours here and there, but commit your full summer vacation to working for an organization that does some good in the world (the specific organization is up to you).

I don't even think it was good satire...it's like making a joke about raping babies (there is no tasteful way to say it).

The next time you feel the need to complain about your over privileged life and work schedule, think twice before opening your mouth...and use that gray matter between your ears as a filter. It is supposed to be a filter organ...filtering the inane and ignorant ideas that are synthesized by that obviously damaged brain you possess.

I only wish I had your job. I would definitely not complain about my vacation schedule, and I would definitely come up with much more thought provoking and interesting ideas.

The next time you're on your summer vacation and you're pondering how inconvenient it is for you, think about the other 90% of the population on this planet that would love to be in your shoes. And, maybe next year in the Hamptons you'll choke on your 13th. chocolate covered strawberry, and CBS will call and offer me your job...and I will jump at the opportunity!!!

Cheers, Andy!

[MsUnemployed]

Mr. Rooney proved himself to be utterly callous and out of touch at the time Kurt Cobain died; tonight he had a chance to redeem himself by connecting his own dislike of idleness to the thousands of us who are unhappily unemployed. Instead he griped about too much time to sleep on the couch. Why is on this show? He has nothing to offer, is living in his own little world (who cares what's in his drawers or how he combs his hair?), and ought to be replaced by .... jeez, ANYone else. Whatever happened to Shana Alexander??

[bucko7]

I just wanted to say that Andy's "let them eat cake" attitude sucks... most of the world would love to have the time to do the things they've always wanted to do but couldn't because they need to go to work to make a living

[blixen4444]

The scary thing is, I kind of agree with Andy Rooney. Not the being on vacation, but the having to go somewhere. I hate traveling. Would rather be home and in a routine than have to be at the mercy of whomever's house I am staying at . . . not that I love working all the time, but vacation actually can wear you down. I think the REAL solution is to give everyone a 25 hour week!!! Then we could share the wealth, fewer people would be unemployed, and we would al lhave just enough work to maintain structure. I think he is funny and even though I am younger than he is and female, I think I am very much like him. I have loved him ever since the piece about men embarrassing themselves with younger women. Keep up the crabbiness Andy; some of us like it.