The Vietnam War

[Vombatus]

Ken Burns...

What would you like to see him tackle? What big American story from the 19th or 20th Century deserves that kind of microscope and the spotlight from a pop historian that can spark people's interest in learning more about it?

Porn?
Poin?
Porn AND Poin?

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

So much talk about Ike and Kennedy, but Truman also deserves some blame. If only he'd let McCarthy go into Korea and blow up those Commie bastards/pipsqueaks, the Vietnemense would have gotten the hint and let us take over.

Book I read recently about Turman and MacArthur laid that notion bare.
While MacArthur was blustering Truman, and his admin and military advisors, including Ike and Bradley, were hiding the fact America wasn't ready for China to get involved in Korea.We lacked the materials (planes, bombers, ships, etc.)
The U.S. Military was woefully under-prepared for another war, especially with either China, Russia or both.


Five years removed from WWII, America sure as hell wasn't going to embrace sending their Boys, who are now husbands and fathers with young families, back over there.

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

Ken Burns has chronicled the Civil War, baseball, jazz, World War II, the national park system, prohibition, the Roosevelts and cancer.

He's 64 years old. His big projects take between 5-10 years to complete. He has perhaps two or three of those monumental projects left in him if he desires.

What would you like to see him tackle? What big American story from the 19th or 20th Century deserves that kind of microscope and the spotlight from a pop historian that can spark people's interest in learning more about it?

Or does Lynn Novick receive the torch from here on out and run with it?

The Civil Rights movement
The Cold War
AIDS


Rap
Heavy metal
Drug wars

 

[User 149557]

Drugs and guns really are the major stories of the late 20th and early 21st century. I just don't know if they're conducive to a Burns-style documentary. They're far less glamorous than prohibition.

But he did do cancer, so I suppose those could be the next "great American" topic to cover.

And a multi-part history of pornography and its impact on modern society would be incredible. But that ain't happening on PBS. David Koch and Ford aren't underwriting that.

 

[Vombatus]

Book I read recently about Turman and MacArthur laid that notion bare.
While MacArthur was blustering Truman, and his admin and military advisors, including Ike and Bradley, were hiding the fact America wasn't ready for China to get involved in Vietnam. We lacked the materials (planes, bombers, ships, etc.)
The U.S. Military was woefully under-prepared for another war, especially with either China, Russia or both.


Five years removed from WWII, America sure as hell wasn't going to embrace sending their Boys, who are now husbands and fathers with young families, back over there.

??? Not to Vietnam, but we were in Korea and getting crushed until the Inchon end-a-round.

Are you saying we didn't have the strength to be in Europe, Korea, and on top of that Vietnam at the same time? I could see that. Didn't quite follow your point.

 

[Vombatus]

The Civil Rights movement
The Cold War
AIDS


Rap
Heavy metal
Drug wars

Cold War would be a great topic.

 

[Elliotte Friedman]

Ken Burns has chronicled the Civil War, baseball, jazz, World War II, the national park system, prohibition, the Roosevelts and cancer.

He's 64 years old. His big projects take between 5-10 years to complete. He has perhaps two or three of those monumental projects left in him if he desires.

What would you like to see him tackle? What big American story from the 19th or 20th Century deserves that kind of microscope and the spotlight from a pop historian that can spark people's interest in learning more about it?

Or does Lynn Novick receive the torch from here on out and run with it?

The last election

 

[Evil ... Thy name is Orville Redenbacher!!]

??? Not to Vietnam, but we were in Korea and getting crushed until the Inchon end-a-round.

Are you saying we didn't have the strength to be in Europe, Korea, and on top of that Vietnam at the same time? I could see that. Didn't quite follow your point.

No scratch Vietnam. Meant to say Korea. ...

 

[Vombatus]

No scratch Vietnam. Meant to say Korea. ...

Thanks for the clarification! Have a great week!

 

[Deskgrunt50]

Ken Burns has chronicled the Civil War, baseball, jazz, World War II, the national park system, prohibition, the Roosevelts and cancer.

He's 64 years old. His big projects take between 5-10 years to complete. He has perhaps two or three of those monumental projects left in him if he desires.

What would you like to see him tackle? What big American story from the 19th or 20th Century deserves that kind of microscope and the spotlight from a pop historian that can spark people's interest in learning more about it?

Or does Lynn Novick receive the torch from here on out and run with it?

The American Revolution seems like it would be a good fit. I'd watch the hell outta that.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

The Civil Rights movement
The Cold War
AIDS


Rap
Heavy metal
Drug wars

Billy Joel already did this and it only took him four minutes and 49 seconds.

 

[Vombatus]

Billy Joel already did this and it only took him four minutes and 49 seconds.

That's not all he did. Lucky *******.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

The American Revolution seems like it would be a good fit. I'd watch the hell outta that.

Not even any still photographs to work with. It'd be tough for Burns' style.

 

[User 149557]

I even think his work suffers a little bit when he has video available. His style is most effective when dealing with still photography.

 

[Vombatus]

I even think his work suffers a little bit when he has video available. His style is most effective when dealing with still photography.

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[Deskgrunt50]

Not even any still photographs to work with. It'd be tough for Burns' style.

True. But if anyone could pull it off....

 

[Small Town Guy]

Not even any still photographs to work with. It'd be tough for Burns' style.

I recently watched Ric Burns' 10-part doc on New York (think it's on Amazon for those interested). Was really good and I enjoyed the early parts the most (because I knew the least about that time period), when there aren't photos/videos available. Ric of course uses many of the same methods as Ken. For those early years, it was maps, drawings, paintings of the people mentioned, talking heads. Was effective there at least, including the section dealing with Revolutionary War and NYC. But it's definitely not the same as when there are photos available.

 

[micropolitan guy]

Ready for another night of two depressing hours of history. It's must-watch TV but it makes me ill to know how much Johnson, McNamara, Westmoreland, Nixon, Melvin Laird and basically anyone associated with the war lied their asses off while kids died for a hopeless cause. I'm a couple nights behind but the scenes with Denton Crocker's sister and mom are heartbreaking. He has now been dead for 51 years and you can still see how it impacts his family.

One of the best scenes was when Wayne Morse essentially called Maxwell Taylor a liar to his face in a Congressional hearing, and then told him to STFU (in so many words) when Taylor tried to smear him as a "commie." His anti-war stand cost him re-election by 3,000 votes in 1968 when scumbag Bob Packwood hammered him for his anti-war stance.

 

[Deskgrunt50]

I recently watched Ric Burns' 10-part doc on New York (think it's on Amazon for those interested). Was really good and I enjoyed the early parts the most (because I knew the least about that time period), when there aren't photos/videos available. Ric of course uses many of the same methods as Ken. For those early years, it was maps, drawings, paintings of the people mentioned, talking heads. Was effective there at least, including the section dealing with Revolutionary War and NYC. But it's definitely not the same as when there are photos available.

That doc is fantastic.

 

[BYH 2: Electric Boogaloo]

That's not all he did. Lucky *******.

I'd watch a Ken Burns doc on Billy Joel's conquests. He'd participate, laughing with bemused wonder the entire time.