This is the fourth in a four-part series on folks who helped make America great. It's narrated by David Ogden Stiers--the same guy who often narrates episodes of "The American Experience"--and since I love "The American Experience", I thought I'd give this series a try. The shows are based on Harold Evans' book "They Made America"--so it's not surprising he's the most frequent interviewee on the shows--though he's not as prominent in this one as he is in some of the others.
The first of these modern rebels is Ted Turner. While he's a very famous guy and much of his life is well known, I was surprised and saddened when I heard about his father. I was also surprised that the show spent a lot of time talking about CNN (probably his biggest legacy) but didn't even mention his risky venture to buy the libraries of MGM and Warner Brothers (pre-1950) and how this led to Turner Classic Movies. Still, an interesting story.
The next rebel is one who you might dislike on some level. Russell Simmons made a huge fortune popularizing rap and hip-hop when it was practically unknown and unrespected. He did this by popularizing a certain culture which was very 'in your face' and often represented a lot of anger at cops and society in general. Still, you have to respect his tenacity and drive.
Overall, a decent episode but one that had problems. Turner's section was, at times, too incomplete and Simmons' never offered any criticism or comment about the gangster image his acts often espoused. A bit superficial but interesting.
The first of these modern rebels is Ted Turner. While he's a very famous guy and much of his life is well known, I was surprised and saddened when I heard about his father. I was also surprised that the show spent a lot of time talking about CNN (probably his biggest legacy) but didn't even mention his risky venture to buy the libraries of MGM and Warner Brothers (pre-1950) and how this led to Turner Classic Movies. Still, an interesting story.
The next rebel is one who you might dislike on some level. Russell Simmons made a huge fortune popularizing rap and hip-hop when it was practically unknown and unrespected. He did this by popularizing a certain culture which was very 'in your face' and often represented a lot of anger at cops and society in general. Still, you have to respect his tenacity and drive.
Overall, a decent episode but one that had problems. Turner's section was, at times, too incomplete and Simmons' never offered any criticism or comment about the gangster image his acts often espoused. A bit superficial but interesting.