Dick Van Dyke’s latest milestone has meant that he is no longer able to do something most people in the world can enjoy, and fans are petitioning for the rules to change.
The man, the myth, the legend, actor and comedian Dick Van Dyke, has been a renowned figure in Hollywood ever since he was brought to the big screen in 1961 with the introduction of the Dick Van Dyke Show, which was hugely popular on TV.
Not only has he worked with the greats like Julie Andrews, but he’s been a drama-free celebrity who has only had glowing reviews from his co-stars.
But now, he’s reached a new time in his life: 100 years old.
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The actor recently turned 100, and has got a new achievement under his belt, which already includes the likes of six Emmy Awards, a Grammy Award, and a Tony Award.
That officially makes him older than the creation of sliced bread in the 1920s, which is crazy to think about how he’d have made a sandwich prior to its arrival.
The Disney legend has officially outlived many others, and if he was in the UK, he’d be receiving a signed card from the King right about now, as is tradition in the nation.
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But instead of being congratulated, Dick is being discriminated against by an unlikely source: LEGO.
Now, you might have fond memories of playing with the famous blocks as a child, and while you might be aware that you can’t give LEGOs to under fours, you might not know that the maximum age for use is 99.
This means that the 100-year-old has officially out-aged the toy, and people are sickened.
On its website, there are certain age ranges per toy group so that people can play with toys safely. For example, kids in the 2-3 age range might not have toys in their set that are chokeable sizes.
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But for sets like this, with the 4-99 age range, it's harder to understand why the limit was put in place.
Online, fans have been defending the actor against the ‘ageism’, with one saying: “For real. Might as well just pack it all up.”
Another begged others: “Please sign my petition to change it from "4-99" to "4-99 (except Dick Van Dyke). Thank you.”
Someone else declared: “at 100 years old, he deserves a VIP LEGO pass.”
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One user said: “I can’t imagine how hard Dick is taking this news right now.”
“He’s survived a century of show business, but he finally met the one authority he couldn't charm: the LEGO age demographic,” said another, while a commenter wrote: “If you should live to be a hundred, no toy recommended age on the packaging should stop you.”
Others have since called for LEGO to ‘raise the age’ restriction on its toys so that Dick can play with them at his leisure.
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But will it work?
We contacted LEGO to find out. Stay tuned.
Topics: Celebrity, Social Media, Film and TV
Britt Jones