Discovery Channel's 100 Greatest Americans

Just wondering if anyone else has been following this. I was watching it last night and found many of their nominees to be laughable. It is voted on by the audience so I've concluded that it is really more of a "100 most popular icons" list. But it is frustrating to see some of the people included. (Tom Cruise &
Doctor Phil just to name a few.)

George Lucas did make the list, but I can't remember where he fell.

What really got me laughing was their top 25 candidates. They have most of the biggies(though there are some very notable omissions)like Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, MLK, JFK, Edison, and Einstein. Along with these people who have defined our nation, given us flight, and redefined science, they have somehow saw fit to include Lance Armstrong - the man who rode a bicycle. I have nothing against Armstrong and do respect his accomplishments, but this seems a bit odd to me.

Other questionable nominees for this list (IMO, of course):
Oprah Winfrey
Bill Clinton
George W
Muhammad Ali
Elvis Presley

I agree a top 100 may be appropriate for these people, but I'm not so sure about them being in the top 25.

Hope this hasn't been discussed already - I didn't find it in a search.

 

Yeah, they're mixing important historical figures with pop icons and celebrities. Besides giving us entertainment, I don't they're deserving of more publicity by being named "Greatest Americans".

I still wanted to catch this show, but didn't get a chance to yet. Did they at least include General George S. Patton?

I also remember a time when the Discovery Channel showed fascinating documentaries on nature, science, and history. Now all the shows they seem to do is shows about fixing up motorcycles and stuff.

 

I still wanted to catch this show, but didn't get a chance to yet. Did they at least include General George S. Patton?

I believe he was, but not in the Top 25. I haven't been able to find the list that shows where the first 75 fell.

I also remember a time when the Discovery Channel showed fascinating documentaries on nature, science, and history. Now all the shows they seem to do is shows about fixing up motorcycles and stuff.

I was thinking that myself and wondering what affect it might be having on the voting. I used to watch DC all the time, but it's just gotten boring and repetitious these days. TLC still has some good shows on.

 

Yeah, this was pretty pathetic. The whole list can be found here if anyone's interested: http://dsc.discovery.com/convergence/greatestamerican/top100/top100.html. Of course, the rankings aren't given yet - guess they're waiting till after they air the "Top 25."

Look at the names on the list. Michael Moore made the grade but Bruce Lee didn't even get an honorable mention? Come on! Most of the list comes from recent memory, and they were made famous by sucking up to the media (or by the media sucking up to them).

This whole thing is completely bogus. I mean, why in the world would they interview people like Moby, Gloria Steinem and Howie Mandell to talk about the "Greatest Americans?" What qualifies them to pontificate to us about greatness?

Just goes to unequivocably prove that the media has a radical Liberal slant that's grossly out of touch with the American mainstream.

Rest assured, I'll not be watching the "Top 25"...

4ceful1

 

This is the full list, but it doesn't have the order. I have starred those I could remember as being in the top 25.

*Abraham Lincoln *Albert Einstein
Alexander Graham Bell Alexander Hamilton
Amelia Earhart Andrew Carnegie
Arnold Schwarzenegger Audie Murphy
Babe Ruth Barack Obama
Barbara Bush *Benjamin Franklin
*Bill Clinton Bill Cosby
*Bill Gates *Billy Graham
*Bob Hope Brett Favre
Carl Sagan Cesar Chavez
Charles Lindbergh Christopher Reeve
Chuck Yeager Clint Eastwood
Colin Powell Condoleezza Rice
Donald Trump Dwight D. Eisenhower
*Eleanor Roosevelt Ellen DeGeneres
*Elvis Presley Frank Sinatra
*Franklin D. Roosevelt Frederick Douglass
George H. W. Bush *George W. Bush
George Lucas George Patton
*George Washington George Washington Carver
Harriet Ross Tubman Harry Truman
Helen Keller *Henry Ford
Hillary Rodham Clinton Howard Hughes
Hugh Hefner Jackie Robinson
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Jesse Owens
Jimmy Carter Jimmy Stewart
John Edwards John Glenn
*John F. Kennedy John Wayne
Johnny Carson Jonas Edward Salk
Joseph Smith Jr. Katharine Hepburn
*Lance Armstrong Laura Bush
Lucille Ball Lyndon B. Johnson
Madonna Malcolm X
Marilyn Monroe Mark Twain
Martha Stewart *Martin Luther King Jr.
Maya Angelou Mel Gibson
Michael Jackson Michael Jordan
Michael Moore *MuhammadAli
*Neil Alden Armstrong Nikola Tesla
*Oprah Winfrey Pat Tillman
Dr. Phil McGraw Ray Charles
Richard Nixon Robert Kennedy
Ronald Reagan *Rosa Parks
Rudolph W. Giuliani Rush Limbaugh
Sam Walton Steve Jobs
Steven Spielberg Susan B. Anthony
Theodore Roosevelt *Thomas Edison
*Thomas Jefferson Tiger Woods
Tom Cruise Tom Hanks
*Walt Disney
*Wrights Brothers

 

Thanks for the link, rc. That was much easier than copying the whole list. Matt Lauer (SP?) was on the daily show last night. He even hinted at how ridiculous he though some of the entries were. He also made it sound as if the show was trying to put some stupid people in there to get people angry about those others who didn't make the list.

 

but Bruce Lee didn't even get an honorable mention?

As much as I worship at the altar of Bruce Lee, he still falls under the category of pop-icon, IMO.

Personally, I'd nominate Washington, Lincoln, MLK, Einstein, and Audie Murphy.

 

Barak Obama?


John Edwards?

Well even Pat Tillman?


Obviously Americans are dumb and shouldn't be entrusted with votign for anything this important.

 

One of the many questionable entries:

Madonna!?



Madonna and Greatest American: Never should be uttered in the same sentence.

 

I have to say Ahh-nold is the one I consider the absolute most appauling although DR. Phil is right there with him.

But I also thing the bush wives are being a little overrated as well. Apparently, all you really have to do to be a great American is get lucky enough to marry well.

 

I have nothing againts John Edwards(I would have voted blue if i could) but what the heck is he doing in that list?

 

John Edwards!? The guy who lies about talking to dead people? Maybe it's another John Edwards.

 

The proper term is "ambulance chaser."

 

George W in the top 25, all I can say is wow.

 

Alexander Graham Bell is a really funny inclusion, though not one I?ll disagree with. He also made a list of greatest Canadians not so long ago, and is probably eligible for a list of great Scots as well (he was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, emigrated to Ontario, resettled in Boston, and retired to Cape Breton.

 

Einstein hardly did anything important after he became an American. He's German and you guys know it.

 

Bush? greatest American?

what did he do? divide the world in a pro and contra USA fraction?

He made things worse in the US!

He should be in the top 100 of worst americans!

 

he kicked a evil murderous dictator out of office, its more than clinton did in his whole freaking terms

 

John Kerry almost kicked an evil murderous dictator out of office.

 

Yeah. Him and Milosovec? Like THAT, man.

 

That Tom Cruise can make the list and Harrison Ford can't is just further evidence of how screwed up our world is becoming.

 

Muhammad Ali, IMO defines being american. He feared nothing. He stood for his faith, and for his political ideals, even if it pissed people off.

Edit: No Native American figures...interesting. Well, perhaps bias would be a better word.

 

I'm sorry but Michael Jackson shouldn't be on that list. Guilty or not, he has been accused of it for decades.

Ellen? She came out of the closet and started a talk show? Big deal?

Some very good Americans did not make the list.

-Seldon

 

The host was on the Daily show, and he himself said many fo the people on the list were ridiculous. Also he said that Martin Luther King Jr. wasn't include on the list. I think it exactly what's wrong with America. Breatn Farve(of the Greenbay Packers) was on the list along with George W. and Dr. Phil. But no Martin Luther King Jr. I fear for our future.

 

Why not make our own list, and see what we get?

To start my list of the 100 Greatest Americans:
Franklin D. Roosevelt
George Washington
Thomas Jefferson
Abraham Lincoln
Henry Ford
Muhammed Ali
Martin Luthor King Junior
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Thomas Edison
Douglas MacArthur
Ronald Reagan
Eleanor Roosevelt
Bill Gates
Billy Graham
Opera Winfrey
Walt Disney
Jesse Owens


And the greatest American of them all: Winston Churchill (He was granted honorary American citizenship ). Heh, just kidding.