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Topic: Off topic, the John Adams Miniseries on HBO |
Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 28 Mar 2008 8:14 am |
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I know it's not about music, but I didn't know where else to post this.
This series is wonderful. It's both entertaining, and educational. And it shows us a picture of life in 18th century America none of us have ever seen before.
I think it should be seen by every American adult, and shown in every classroom in every school in the country.
_________________
Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin |
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Tucker Jackson
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 28 Mar 2008 1:42 pm The Reign of Witches
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Yes, it is interesting, but I have concerns about this series... I've seen the first two episodes and it appears they are out to make Adam's the central figure in American history. I'm wondering if the show will depict, for example, John Adam's anti-democratic beliefs? Or the arrests of those that opposed him?
I teach college American history, so accuracy counts in my world. The makers of this series have already strayed from the truth in the first episode (depicting Adams exonerating all the "Boston Massacre" soldiers when, in fact, two were convicted for firing into a crowd).
There was a reason that Adams was not elected to a second term -- and why Washington and Jefferson (the presidents before and after Adams) have monuments in D.C. while Adams does not. And why John Adams doesn't appear on currency, etc.
Adams did not believe in democracy. He believed in "hierarchy and rank" and thought that giving the common man the vote was dangerous. He said that "the rich, the well-born and the able" should be the only ones allowed to rule.
The most dangerous aspect of Adams was that he had newspaper editors and writers arrested for treason if they wrote anything negative about him. Adams believed himself superior and above question and he had no use for the checks-and-balances provided by a free press.
Thomas Jefferson called John Adam's presidency "the reign of witches," a reference to the Salem witch trials. In my opinion, Adams wins the prize for the US president who most unapologetically snuffed out dissent, in spite of constitutional protections of free speech and a free press.
The general public reacted strongly against Adams' anti-democratic abuses; what was the point of breaking with the aristocratic Old World only to see Adams move the new nation back in the direction of rule by elites? They threw him out when it came time for re-election.
I'm hoping that this HBO series will be faithful to the facts, but so far, they have Adams almost single-handedly creating a new country. Meanwhile, Jefferson is depicted as a lazy, foppish bystander. Ah, artistic license. |
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Greg Cutshaw
From:
Corry, PA, USA
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Posted 28 Mar 2008 2:24 pm
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I figured there was a lot of artistic license on this show. I did read Ben Franklin's biography and the depiction of him seems dead on w.r.t. how much the French loved and adored him. I have been watching this show in HD and the production quality is just awesome. I was hoping that since Tom Hanks produced it, the accuracy would be high but apparently it's based on a novel written about Adams so story telling is rated much more important than accuracy. By the time this show is over, millions of Americans will be left believing that this show is the absolute truth because the presentation is so compelling.
Greg |
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Tucker Jackson
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 28 Mar 2008 2:47 pm
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Well, I've only seen the first two episodes -- so the jury is still out on just how accurate the entire series will be. Who knows, maybe future episodes will cover all that stuff I mentioned before.
It's a fascinating show, though, and I can't wait to see the rest of it. Adams was a major architect of the new nation and he did a lot of good things that people should know about. At the same time, he wasn't the ONLY architect, and he didn't always do good. He was only human, so I'm hoping that's how the rest of the series will go. |
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Al Collinsworth
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Posted 28 Mar 2008 4:12 pm
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edit
Last edited by Al Collinsworth on 22 Apr 2008 2:08 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Drew Howard
From:
48854
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Posted 28 Mar 2008 10:33 pm
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| +1 well done |
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Earnest Bovine
From:
Los Angeles CA USA
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Posted 30 Mar 2008 7:44 pm
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| The series is based on the #1 best selling biography of 6 or 7 years ago by David McCullough. |
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Tucker Jackson
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 1 Apr 2008 12:30 pm
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Obviously, artisitic license is encouraged to spice up the plot in movies and television -- regardless of the fact that a movie may be based on a serious, factual, best-selling book.
McCullough's book didn't, for example, claim that Adams got all of the 'Boston Massacre' shooters off scot-free like the series did... but it makes Adams seem more heroic, and that's good TV entertainment.
Sorry to be a stick in the mud on seemingly minor points, it's just galling to teach this stuff for a living and try to keep the facts straight in students' minds without popular entertainment stepping in and needlessly clouding the issue with "more interesting plot lines." The true story is plenty interesting without embellishment... |
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Jon Light
From:
Saugerties, NY
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Posted 1 Apr 2008 12:51 pm
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Judging by the one episode I saw, one would also come to the conclusion that the whole bunch of founding fathers were prone to extreme overacting in all walks of life. The poor pimple faced kid from the local Philly deli must have been rolling his eyes at the level of oratory as he patiently took their lunch orders.
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| Surely a long and indeed painful death would be abundantly preferable to a turkey sandwich as dry as was the one received at this hour yesterday. Woe is me! |
If everyone from that era was as pompous as actors seem to need to portray them, I can't envision much getting done at all.
At least in the show 1776 they accurately showed how they would takes breaks from deliberations over the Declaration of Independence to indulge in some song and dance. |
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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