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The Cars That Made America

I watched it, quite interesting, more of a social and corporate history, not 100% accurate in some places... Like driving a Buick Wildcat while talking about the Pontiac GTO... and
 
I watched it, quite interesting, more of a social and corporate history, not 100% accurate in some places... Like driving a Buick Wildcat while talking about the Pontiac GTO... and

It did seem pretty critical about Henry Ford, yet left out some critical aspects of the Ford corporation relative to their business relationship with Nazi Germany. I guess they figured that would be too controversial. Puzzling. But those corporate, autocratic egos....oh my.

Surprising to see that Chevrolet sold his share of GM for $10,000. Though it was a big chunk of change for the time I suppose. And to think of all those years during and after the war when there were no new car models.

I also wondered just how accurate their portrayal of Edsel Ford was. Though the car named after him really was a marketing disaster. Amusing as well was their going over the Chevy Vega, Ford Pinto and Plymouth Cricket built to compete against vastly superior Japanese small cars with the price of oil skyrocketing. Ouch. :eek:
 
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It did seem pretty critical about Henry Ford, yet left out some critical aspects of the Ford corporation relative to their business relationship with Nazi Germany. I guess they figured that would be too controversial. Puzzling. But those corporate, autocratic egos....oh my.

Surprising to see that Chevrolet sold his share of GM for $10,000. Though it was a big chunk of change for the time I suppose. And to think of all those years during and after the war when there were no new car models.

I also wondered just how accurate their portrayal of Edsel Ford was. Though the car named after him really was a marketing disaster. Amusing as well was their going over the Chevy Vega, Ford Pinto and Plymouth Cricket built to compete against vastly superior Japanese small cars with the price of oil skyrocketing. Ouch. :eek:

History channel also recently did an epic Harley-Davidson history, I've been told by some people who know motorbikes far better, that not everything was 100% accurate in that one, ultimately history itself is always open to interpretation, it's not just facts
 
I keep on seeing "The cats that made America" as the thread title, and I know I'm wrong.
Haven't seen it, so I don't know if they added that fun fact about the Ford Pinto: its introduction on the Brazilian market was a disaster, as 'pinto' is slang for a certain male body part.
I know, I'm rather off topic. Sorry.
 
History channel also recently did an epic Harley-Davidson history, I've been told by some people who know motorbikes far better, that not everything was 100% accurate in that one, ultimately history itself is always open to interpretation, it's not just facts

Worse when history is deliberately turned into a form of media entertainment. Where attention to factual details is ignored or skewed for all kinds of reasons.

Examples:

National Geographic Channel's "Nazi Scrapbook" had one glaring, embarrassing omission in accusing an SS officer who was the adjutant to the Kommandant of a concentration camp, of personally selecting people to be immediately murdered in gas chambers based on the analysis of a single photograph. The picture clearly depicted a non-commissioned officer of the SS. Not a lieutenant. The so-called experts spent a great deal of time validating their assumption based on computer graphics rather than any understanding of uniforms.

The History Channel's "World Wars" which chronicled war and peace between 1914 and 1945. It has some embarrassing errors as well. Such as depicting General Douglas MacArthur as a five-star general long before Pearl Harbor. Or worse, depicting German Field Marshall Keitel in uniform with long hair and a beard.

While I enjoy such programming, I am keenly aware that there's no telling how much- or how little attention to detail may be the case. :eek:

I've always hated that Hollywood mentality that assumes their viewers won't know the difference. :rolleyes:
 
I keep on seeing "The cats that made America" as the thread title, and I know I'm wrong.
Haven't seen it, so I don't know if they added that fun fact about the Ford Pinto: its introduction on the Brazilian market was a disaster, as 'pinto' is slang for a certain male body part.
I know, I'm rather off topic. Sorry.

Not off topic. I guess it could have been worse. Imagine had they implied the car had any sense of speed or exclusivity implying the car was "hot". Oops. But then you never saw anyone painting flames on that car.

After all, it didn't need them. No street race required. Just rear-end a Pinto and voila. Flames galore. :p
 
Worse when history is deliberately turned into a form of media entertainment. Where attention to factual details is ignored or skewed for all kinds of reasons.

Examples:

National Geographic Channel's "Nazi Scrapbook" had one glaring, embarrassing omission in accusing an SS officer who was the adjutant to the Kommandant of a concentration camp, of personally selecting people to be immediately murdered in gas chambers based on the analysis of a single photograph. The picture clearly depicted a non-commissioned officer of the SS. Not a lieutenant. The so-called experts spent a great deal of time validating their assumption based on computer graphics rather than any understanding of uniforms.

The History Channel's "World Wars" which chronicled war and peace between 1914 and 1945. It has some embarrassing errors as well. Such as depicting General Douglas MacArthur as a five-star general long before Pearl Harbor. Or worse, depicting German Field Marshall Keitel in uniform with long hair and a beard.

While I enjoy such programming, I am keenly aware that there's no telling how much- or how little attention to detail may be the case. :eek:

I've always hated that Hollywood mentality that assumes their viewers won't know the difference. :rolleyes:

When a documentary shows scenes with interactions between people, they are beginning to interpret history (ie. a conversation that may or may not have happened, etc...), actually it is done quite often and not just on History Channel.

I have a friend doing his masters degree in History and I've learned from him that history itself is open to interpretation, how different historians can have completely different interpretations of the same event
 

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