Dean & Woodie for Greatest American on Discovery Channel

[skimoose]

These posts mirror my original thoughts. I have nothing against actors or athletes, but what was their real impact on American society. Have they made America a better, safer, more advanced place? I was just thinking of Dean's comments that society needs to change and celebrate people who make a real impact on society through the sciences, medicine, or engineering. I certainly understand that Discovery programming is a business so they're after popular viewing, but we need to start changing society's view of popular. Hey things must be changing a little, Mythbusters is getting high veiwer ratings. There's a little engineering and science squeezed in between all those things blowing up!

[GateRunner]

You'll find a better list by far if you check out the issue of Time from a few weeks back. It contains a list of the worlds top 100 most influential, with short articles about each of them. By far a better list, even though, if I remember right, it still lacks Dean or Woody. :-p

[the_short1]

Originally Posted by Cory

I have nothing against these people personally, but I'm wondering for anyone who doesn't have issues with this list (mainly you, wetzel ) what qualities you see in the following people that make them deserving of being named to such a list:

Tom Cruise
Clint Eastwood
Brett Favre
Mel Gibson
Tom Hanks
Michael Jordan
Madonna
Elvis Presley
Babe Ruth
Arnold Schwarzenegger (He's a body builder, made movies, and became governor through an election that featured a porn star, and a midget actor as candidates. So what?)
Frank Sinatra
Martha Stewart (This one really irks me. HOW did she get on this list?)
Tiger Woods

If the criteria for "greatest" was defined, and included "athletic prowess" and "entertaining skill" then I might be able to accept people such as these being nominated, although I wouldn't agree with the criteria.

I'd rather pick 13 soldiers at random from Iraq/Afghanistan, or 13 cops, fire fighters, or paramedics than ANY of the people on this list. Every day they give back something more tangible to the country than a single one of these people does, in my opinion.

i agree 100%! .. i am a canadian. .but i couln't see many of those ppl on your short list being influential. .(well maybe to social yada yada).,.. .but not to USA on a whole..... and i think woodie and dean camen need to be more . . i was soo happy when discovery channel decided to host some coverage of the toronto regional. . it was awsome .. the more worldwide coverage of FIRST we get ! the more AWSOME it is to be a part of it

[Adam Y.]

Apart from George Washington, none of the Founding Fathers made it into the list of “Greatest Americans.” That’s incredible! In my opinion, the list begins and ends there.

Ummmm.. There are four founding fathers on that list. Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson and Washington are on the list. (Ehhh perhaps Hamiliton isn't a founding father but close enough) To be honest I like this list and sure you can point to a few people and make a case against them but the vast majority of them deserve to be on that list. In fact Im surprised that some of these people are on the list considering the fact that they would not be my first,second,third, or even forth choice.

I have nothing against these people personally, but I'm wondering for anyone who doesn't have issues with this list (mainly you, wetzel ) what qualities you see in the following people that make them deserving of being named to such a list:

Tom Cruise
Clint Eastwood
Brett Favre
Mel Gibson
Tom Hanks
Michael Jordan
Madonna
Elvis Presley
Babe Ruth
Arnold Schwarzenegger (He's a body builder, made movies, and became governor through an election that featured a porn star, and a midget actor as candidates. So what?)
Frank Sinatra
Martha Stewart (This one really irks me. HOW did she get on this list?)
Tiger Woods
:

Clint Eastwood won the Kennedy Center Honor which honors people for their lifetime contributions to American culture through the performing arts. Tom Hanks is a member of a organization that supports space endavours like the x-prize and created a miniseries based on the Apollo program. Elvis. Well let me just quote wikipedia.

In 1977 President Carter was quoted to say "Elvis Presley's death deprives our country of a part of itself. He was unique and irreplaceable. His music and his personality, fusing the styles of white country and black rhythm and blues, permanently changed the face of American popular culture. His following was immense and he was a symbol to people the world over, of the vitality, rebelliousness, and good humor of his country. Or as James Brown once put it, 'he taught white America to get down.'"

Tiger woods faced racism and completely changed the world of golf because of ethnicity. Im stopping now. Im tired of searching through wikipedia. PS. You forgot Michael Jackson in your list.