As I noted in a CS thread, Disney was probably as much of an anti-Semite as the average non-Jewish producer in Hollywood in his time, and maybe now as well.
Being a “womanizer” (ridiculous word) might seem wrong by today’s standards, but I’m under the impression that it was pretty much the norm half a century ago, and that it was pretty well understood and accepted by society that married men would not be monogamous.
I agree.
I’d never heard about his temper, but have read that he could be sanctimonious and kind of mean.
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Craig Ventner and James Watson are two who are definitely at the top of any Famous Asshole Scientist list.
Bolding mine.
And they (meaning married men) are now?
Didn’t someone on this board have an upleasant encounter once with Jacques Cousteau?
Thing is, everyone is an asshole to someone from time to time.
I know it’s politically incorrect these days, but I’m severely homophonic. I kant help it really, its howe I was razed.
Watson’s treatment of Rosalind Franklin in his memoirs will make your eyebrows rise. He refers to this woman and other female scientists who were vital to the discovery of DNA as “the girls”- and not in a “one of the guys” kind of way- frequently. Franklin had to deal with major sexism throughout her career. Had a reputation as an unpleasant person herself, though this might be partly why.
Yeah, but for some people it’s closer to the norm than the exception.
I thought the OK phrase was “Orientation towards phonemes of the same sound” or OTPOTSS. And you’re what we Brits would call a “diamond geezer” anyway, Samps. 
Met a guy who said he once dated Chevy Chase’s daughter. He said Chevy was a complete asshole.
To be sure. I’ve just finished reading Means of Ascent by Robert A. Caro which tells the story of how LBJ stole his election to the Senate from TX governor Coke Stevenson. Vote buying, voter intimidation, fraud in ballot counting, you name it. Also, he was an absolute dick to his wife. Screaming tantrums at subordinates. How that asshat ever became president is beyond me…
SS
It was his good looks.
Actually, from most accounts, Abraham Lincoln was a real sweetheart for the most part. And the few times he did snap at people, he often made pains to apologize for it.
He and Charles Darwin were born on the same day. Well, there’s one point for astrology.
And I lost all repect for him when he said he couldn’t understand why everyone was so hesitant to use poison gas on unruly tribes in the Middle East.
So I’ve heard about Steve Martin. And on the ABC National News tonight they were kissing his ass because he plays the banjo so pretty, he won some big deal Bluegrass award. Now, okay, he picks a mean banjo, but does Diane Sawyer really need to break her arm patting him on the back for it?
And yeah, Woody’s an asshole too.
IMO it’s hard to push William Schockley off the top of that list. He elbowed his way into a part of the invention of the transistor. Sure, he did the work . But after it was clear Bardeen and Brattain were on the right track he, their boss, did not want to miss out on the credit. The semiconductor company he later founded could have been the only such company in the US, but he was such an asshole he drove away everyone who worked for him to found their own companies. These are scientists who will put up with world-class assholiness to be near brilliance (for example, Paul Erdos - well in his case it was borderline luncacy). Schockley is best known to the public for his racism. Schockley was also a jerk once to my advisor.
According to this, Mr. Rogers was kinda a dick to his wife…
Actually, he owned a newspaper, the Dearborn Independent, and the reprinted said articles as the International Jew. Hella lot to apologize for.:dubious:
I tend to think that, in these days “tear 'em down” media, that the shortcomings of individuals get magnified by those that want to sell books and get noticed. I tend to think it skews history in that it portrays these people according to today’s standards not the mindset of what was acceptable at the time.
The problem is that in doing that it tends to minimize the real effect that the person had on world. Also, people are not the same at age 20 or 40 or 70. Most people’s (not everyone’s) moral compass becomes more refined as they age.
People that had the intelligence, creativity and vision to advance the world have to get their due. If the pluses far outweigh the minuses that doesn’t give us the right to label them “assholes”. The world is a different place because of Steve Jobs (like it or not), Bill Clinton was a great president despite his personal flaws. Jimmy Carter? You can’t become president without a kicking some ass and throwing some tantrums (that characteristic got John McCain close). Nixon probably epitomized it. Lance Armstrong rose above the competition. It’s easy to say he was cheating but that being the case, he was rising above a competition that was cheating every bit as much as he was. Now there is a book out that “exposes” Walter Payton. All the media of the coverage of the book has been on his negative characteristics.
I try not to get caught in the gossip mentality that is so prevalent these days. It warps history and what we should learn from it. That doesn’t mean that bad behavior of geniuses needs to be hidden but we need to be sure that the scales are accurately tared.
Hmm. That’s a new one on me. I’d heard all the other statements you posted about RFK, but not the womanizing part. It’s not shocking or anything, he was a Kennedy, I’d just never heard RFK=womanizer in the same way it is now common knowledge about his father and JFK