Anyone else see this? That was fantastic and I’d personally love to have him teaching my history course. Of course it wouldn’t always be such a production, but I still think he’d manage to keep it interesting.
I enjoyed it but I did cringe as he repeated the Pluck Yew Tale. I’m glad he disclaimered it at the end.
“Is this story true, Probably not but who cares, it is a great story that makes history more interesting”
Here is a favorable review of the program. http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/reviews/review_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1002274408
Jim
Well we know it isn’t the origin of the middle finger, because in Britain it’s the back of the popular peace sign which does it. So while it may be the origin of their sign, it doesn’t explain the morph into the middle finger.
But I actually cringed as well as he went off on that tale. I loved his little Israel Bissell rap/rhyme 
Is the origin of “Upset” (related to sports or competitions) that he relates in the special true? It seemed pretty shaky to me.
I didn’t see the show, but about the “Upset” question, did Wuhl indicate that it came from the horse race where 100-1 longshot Upset beat Man-O-War? If so, then yeah, that is considered to be the true origin.
Even if he did “disclaimer” it, he does a whole show about how history is distorted and wrong – mainly because some stuff just makes for a better story, like the Paul Revere stuff – and then, he just shoots himself in the foot by passing on something that he, surely, read on the internet.
It completely changed my whole take on the thing. Here you go along thinking, “oh, he’s actually a pretty smart guy. Has his own take on stuff. Apparently has read some books and done a little research.” and then, BOOM, the last bit is him repeating some friggin’ glurge.
What was his point: “history is better if it’s told as entertainment so I’m going to do it too?”
Apparently you missed the part where at the end of the story he says “Is it true? It doesn’t matter! When the legend becomes true, print the legend.”
“When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” As he calls it, the “Liberty Valance effect.”
I’m surpised it took this long for a thread about this to show up- I saw this when it first aired and loved it.
Mmm… maybe not. I’d have to dig up my copy of Seabiscuit: An American Legend to verify, but if I’m remembering correctly “upset” in this sense was already around at the time Upset beat Man o’War, and that commentators of the time commented on the irony. I do believe the race made the useage of the term much more popular, though.
Well, I’m glad to hear that.
“Who wants to listen to a poem about a guy whose name sounds like a Jewish vaccuum cleaner? ‘Listen my children and you shall hear of the midnight ride of Paul Revere’ sounds a lot better than 'Come on everybody, Daddy’s gonna whistle, gonna tell ya a little story ‘bout Isr’el Bissell!’”
Great program. Who cares if it is true or not, but it would have been funnier if, just for a minute, he slipped into the character of Newbaum Turk and farted the lyrics to “We Will Rock You.” 
Sgt Schwartz
The whole story was an intentional whoosh to prove a point. He knew it was bullshit and basically said so at the end.
Actually, I did miss that part.
I also missed the “follow up” to my question in the “don’t be” thread posted above.
Consider my ignorance FOUGHT, on the subject.
Sad to say, I saw that story passed off without a **disclaimer ** on a very poorly done History Channel Special.
The History channel motto could be: Just filling airtime without review for too many years now.
Jim