Ken Burns' Roosevelt's

He'd probably still be on there anyway, since his presence in the first place was an homage to the fact he signed the Antiquities Act, creating the National Park Service as we know it.

 

Teddy sure got a lot of people killed to satisfy his personal sense of destiny.

 

He had some warts, no doubt. And one hell of an ego. But Burns casts him as a well-intentioned man.
I'm not sure that was always the case. I think at times, esp. in his bid to get back in the spotlight, his ego took precedence over the better intentions.

TR set the table for the modern presidency; campaigning for legislation, seizing additional powers for the executive branch, using the media and traveling.

Not sure I agree Lucy Mercer is a 6. But Candace Millard (A TR writer) is a solid 6! Cute and brainy!




I don't think Burns has cast FDR in as favorable a light. (I'm only through 3 episodes).

 

Here's Teddy's haul from his African Safari. Imagine the outcry if Jimmy Carter came back with a haul like this.

Game List

Lion = 9
Hyena = 5
Elephant = 8
Rhinoceros = 5 (square mouth)
Rhinoceros = 8 (hook lipped)
Hippopotamus = 7
Warthog = 8
Zebra (common) = 15
Zebra (big) = 5
Giraffe = 7
Buffalo = 6
Elan (giant) = 1
Elan (common) = 5
Bushbuck =2 (East African)
Bushbuck = 1 (Ugandan)
Bushbuck = 3 (Nile)
Roan = 4
Oryx = 10
Wildebeest = 5
Hartebeest = 10 (Coke's)
Hartebeest = 14 (Jackson's)
Hartebeest = 1 (Ugandan)
Hartebeest = 8 (Nilotic)
Topi = 12
Waterbuck = 5 (common)
Waterbuck = 6 (singsing)
Python = 3



Kob = 10 (common)
Kob = 1 (Vaughan's)
Kob = 3 (white eared)
Lechwe = 3 (saddlebacked)
Redbuck (bohor) = 10
Buck (Chanler's) = 3
Impalla = 7
Gazelle (Granti) = 5
Gazelle (Robertsi) = 4
Gazelle (Notata) = 8
Gazelle = 11 (Thompson's)
Gerenuk = 3
Klipspringer = 1
Oribi = 18
Duiker = 3
Steinbuck = 4
Dikdik = 1
Monkey = 1 (red ground)
Monkey = 5 (black and white ground)
Ostrich = 2
Bustard (Greater) = 4
Bustard (Lesser) = 1
Crane (kavirondo) = 2
Stork (whale head) = 1
Marabou = 1
Stork (saddle bill) = 2
Stork (ibis) = 1
Pelican= 5
Guinea fowl = 1
Crocodile = 1

 

Interesting contrast of the Roosevelts with the Presidents from Nixon to Obama. TR and FDR were essentially traitors to their class, as their contemporaries called them. Rich men from inherited wealth concerned about the treatment of those who did not have advantages. Nixon and Reagan, self made men from the lower middle to the Upper Middle trying to appease the wealthy. Carter, Clinton, Obama middle class ( lower to mid ) reaching down or trying to help their own socio-economic class. Bush Sr and Jr, inherited wealth, trying to maintain the economic status quo and help the rich, their own socio-economic class.

Only the Roosevelts seem to disregard their personal self interest, economically, for purposes they see as greater. I'd put Eisenhower in that class but for different reasons. JFK wanted to be TR and FDR, but it was all vain-glorious to the Kennedys

 

For an even more interesting movie on FDR watch "FDR American Bad Ass"

 

If you gave Ken Burns half a dozen photos from a high school football game, he'd turn them into a hell of a story. But, he'd probably miss deadline.

 

And use Doris Kearns Goodwin and her capped teeth to tell part of the story.

 

Surprised Burns didn't use Edmund Morris for TR. His trilogy is fantastic. I also highly recommend The River of Doubt, just a great read. And I guess he went a little light on TR's national parks efforts because they were dealt with in the National Parks doc.

Here's what's on deck for Burns:

Jackie Robinson (2015)[23]
Vietnam (2016)[26]
Country Music (2018)[26]
Ernest Hemingway (2019)[26]

 

If Chuck Klosterman shows up in the country music documentary I will kill Ken Burns!

 

I'll give her a 6 as well.

Most of what puts FDR in a bad light is how he treated Eleanor. He didn't seem that affectionate towards her, he was a mama's boy and he had an affair and probably would have divorced her had if it wouldn't have killed his political career.

His mom also seems like one of those Victorian-era harpies more concerned about social status than people's feelings. She also treated Eleanor rather shittily, although she does deserve credit for standing up for her when FDR wanted the divorce. How much of that was concern for social status and how much of it was to defend Eleanor is debateable.

 

His early political career wasn't so great. Burns and others note FDR often backed away from tough, controversial votes. He was undercutting his boss at Naval Department, and made friends of the political machine bosses. As much as he wanted to be like TR. He fell short in his pre-presidency days.