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  • The 100 Greatest Americans (really?)

       May 09, 2005

    This June, the Discovery Channel will broadcast "Greatest American", a show where Americans will vote from among 100 nominees and eventually pick our Greatest American.

    The 100 nominees were chosen from nominations made via AOL and are divided into categories like "Presidents", "Champions of Causes", "Scientists" and "Celebrities". Some of the usual suspects are there: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Benjamin Franklin & Thomas Edison. But some of these nominees are just hilariously lightweight. They're the Jim Verraros of the competition. Here's just a few of them:

    • Tom Cruise
    • Ellen DeGeneres
    • John Edwards
    • Brett Favre
    • Mel Gibson
    • Hugh Hefner
    • Michael Jackson
    • Rush Limbaugh
    • Madonna
    • Dr. Phil McGraw
    • Michael Moore
    • Barack Obama
    • Martha Stewart
    • Pat Tillman

    Now, I understand that the producers of the series undoubtably wanted to include people the audience is more familiar with. But come on. Brett Favre? I love Brett, but don't you think he's a little embarassed to be on this list, sandwiched between Dwight Eisenhower & Henry Ford. Let's see...led the Allied Forces to victory over the Nazis, introduced the assembly line to automobiles and made cars affordable for nearly everyone, and, uh, led the Packers to a Super Bowl. I mean, if they had to have a Packer on the list, why not Vince Lombardi?

    Better yet, why not just let us vote for the Greatest Living American? That show would be far more intriguing and could legitimately include some modern household names. Instead we have a list with Maya Angelou, but not Walt Whitman or Ernest Hemingway or William Faulkner. We have Michael Moore, but not Alfred Hitchcock or John Ford. There's no Meriweather Lewis or William Clark. No Douglas MacArthur or Black Jack Pershing. No Johnny Cash or Tennessee Williams or Winslow Homer. You get the idea.

    In fact, this list is so ridiculous that I've come up with my own list, using the same categories, and over the next few weeks we can narrow it down. We may come up with the same winners, but I think the Dummocrats competition will be far tougher.

    I'll put up a new poll every three days, with nine choices in each. Our first category is "Actors and Directors". Have at it!

    This poll is now closed. Our winner was John Wayne.

    Update: since I can only have 9 choices per poll, I'll have to get rid of a category, and celebrities is going to be it. I want to stay as close to what the Discovery Channel has as I can, so I think this is how the categories will break down:

    1. Actors & Directors: May 9-11
    2. Artists & Writers: May 12-14
    3. Athletes: May 15-17
    4. Business Leaders: May 18-20
    5. Champions of Causes: May 21-23
    6. Heroes & Icons: May 24-26
    7. Musicians: May 27-29
    8. Politicians: May 30-June 1
    9. Scientists, Inventors & Explorers: June 2-4

    Then, we'll run the finals from June 5-7, right after Discovery's program begins.

    So, if you want any input on the nominees for a particular category, be sure to get them in before the dates above. Just suggest them in the comments to the post where the latest poll is.


    Posted by at May 9, 2005 10:14 PM

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    Comments

    #  May 9th, 2005 11:30 PM      Jib
    Kris, you apparently never saw that game at County Stadium against the Falcons in 1994...;-).

    In seriousness, though, while a pro football player shouldn't be on this list, Favre makes them because he's kind of the All American story. Comes from a poorer area-check. Dad was his coach-check. Nearly dies young-check. Doesn't get recruited by the big schools-check. His first shot looks like his last shot-check. Gets second chance and succedes-check. Overcomes addiction-check. Puts his wild younger days behind him to become a strong family man and a respectable part of any community-check. Faces down tragedy with best performance-check. People eat this stuff up (me included), which is why Favre makes lists like this.  
     
    #  May 10th, 2005 12:36 AM      Daddy
    Take a look at these categories, and you know this "list" is stacked to be an E channel puff piece instead of a serious Discovery Channel event.

    4 categories are devoted to entertainers:
    Actors/Directors, Musicians, Athletes, and Celebrities (people who are famous for being famous, without having done anything--which, I would think, should automatically DISQUALIFY anyone from this list).

    So 40% of the people on this list are those who have done NOTHING--directly--to improve the lives of others for generations to come. One could make the case that directors tell stories that inspire us to be better people, but those stories are forgotten by each subsequent generation; hence the need for remakes.

    Lastly, these people should be SHOT--and yes, I would LOVE to be the one to pull the trigger--for putting Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Lardass Moore on a list that includes Pat Tillman.  
     
    #  May 10th, 2005 12:36 AM      Daddy
    BTW, given the qualifications listed for Favre, I have to wonder why Kurt Warner isn't on the list.  
     
    #  May 10th, 2005 12:48 AM      TheUnabrewer
    No Bob Hope on your list?  
     
    #  May 10th, 2005 6:17 AM      kris
    There's a category for "celebrities" and I think Bob Hope fits better there. He'll be coming.

    Hmmm, actually, since I can only have 9 choices per poll, I'll have to get rid of a category, and celebrities is going to be it. I want to stay as close to what the Discovery Channel has as I can, so I think this is how the categories will break down:

    • Actors & Directors: May 9-11
    • Athletes: May 15-17
    • Business Leaders: May 18-20
    • Champions of Causes: May 21-23
    • Heroes & Icons: May 24-26
    • Musicians: May 27-29
    • Presidents: May 30-June 1
    • Scientists: June 2-4
    • And, I'll replace Political Figures with Artists & Writers and that'll run next, so from May 12-14. (I think Polical Figures who never became President can fit somewhere else, if they even belong on the list).


    Then, we'll run the finals from June 5-7, right after Discovery's program begins.

    So, if you want any input on the nominees for a particular category, be sure to get them in before the dates above. Just suggest them in the comments to the post where the latest poll is.

     
     
    #  May 10th, 2005 1:27 PM      kris
    Wow, the battle between Spielberg & Wayne is pretty exciting!  
     

     

     


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