Greatest American?

[SciFiMan]

http://tv.channel.aol.com/greatestamerican

Do you think it's possible for someone in the Entertainment industry to win? I can see voting for Einstein, or Lincoln, Bill Gates (like MS or not, he's done a lot, including the foundation- although the foundation doesn't help anyone in the US), etc. And maybe stretching into sports like Lance. But I'm having a problem with entertainers in general. I'd vote for Will Smith, as a genuinely nice guy, talented in multiple areas, and his songs aren't crap-rap (such as ****, killing, etc.) and certainly a valid role model for youth. But entertainers as someone to hold up as having truely bettered American society or advanced something as in health care, or inventing the airplane?

A volunteer firefighter in a small town is not known by millions of TV viewers and is an unsung hero for saving just a single child. Is that of less value than somebody I enjoy on watching on TV? Or a teacher that persuades a student to not join a gang and instead do more math homework?

 

[memo79]

Personally, I'm disgusted to see the nominees and that there's not a single American Soldier up there. If anyone deserves the title, it's the person who willingly puts himself in the way of bullets so that he may preserve the right for us to even be typing/reading this.

 

[BradC]

Personally, I'm disgusted to see the nominees and that there's not a single American Soldier up there. If anyone deserves the title, it's the person who willingly puts himself in the way of bullets so that he may preserve the right for us to even be typing/reading this.

I agree 100%, maybe we should write some in?

 

[AGR]

Jack Nicholson

 

[orphman]

personaly im baffeled that our current president is nominated... whole lot of good hes done us!~

 

[SciFiMan]

Colin Powell was in there, even though the Bush administration tarnished his integrity. As honorable and valuable as American soldiers are, it would have to be a low ranking someone that I vote for. Like a reservist that was in a work-a-day job, and got sucked into the recent messes begun by the politicians, just wants to a good job, and get home safe. There isn't anyone in leadership I would vote for. I believe it was in WWII since we had the last troops that were actually fighting for America and US security. Since then it's just been Presidents butting into other countries business, getting our soldiers killed, when the USA was not at risk. Or maybe vote for the presidents, since all those wars really did drive the economy to make us a superpower. It sure is handy to be powerful enough to start a war anytime you need to pull the country out of a slump.

 

[SciFiMan]

My top five: Henry Ford, Ben Franklin, Edison, Rosa Parks, Wright brothers.

 

[Rism]

what a joke

 

[SciFiMan]

Sure it is. There are some pretty serious problems in the world and the Media Industrial Complex needs some light weight things to distract us from what is going on. It doesn't take much to distract American's, then we're onto some other distraction, instead of focusing on a real life issue like fixing our schools, or why our elders need to have jobs at 72 years of age just to eat. Just think where humans be if we could all focus on a problem with the intensity of a Lance Armstrong, or Ali training for a title fight, etc. Instead, they hold up something of little value, but it sparkles and catches our eye..... -wait, what was I talking about?

what a joke

 

[ZoomZoomH]

the fact that TOM CRUISE is in the top 100 and not Ernest Hemingway, makes me lose all respect for this poll... Oprah Winfrey??? wtf

 

[evilmonkeyMSP]

why there are even actors/actresses on this list I dont know. How can we say, besides entertainment, have these people earned the right to be considered a greatest american???? Besides butting $$ in their pocket & us watching their movies I see no validity in any actor being on this list. I'm sure in the many years this country has been there are more influential names out there besides TOM CRUISE. Ridiculous.....

 

[orphman]

the only entertainer i can honestly understand is Frank Sanatra, ... wiht out him and the mob lovin him... there would be no vegas... at least not what it is today... and ironicaly... vegas is truly what america is...

 

[Captain KRM P5]

i think the whole idea of "greatest american" is an offensive and shameful misrepresentation of what this nation stands for

 

[evilmonkeyMSP]

well its obvious what this country stands for.... "mine is better than yours"

 

[MiaTurbo]

it's an AOL poll. Who the hell cares?

 

[chuyler1]

"The Greatest American" sounds like it should be the title to a Norman Rockwell painting.

Anyway, that is something for historians to bicker about but most would say it's the guy on the dollar bill. I don't think Will Smith will be making dollar bill status anytime soon.

 

[evilmonkeyMSP]

true LOL

it's an AOL poll. Who the hell cares?

 

[Lil Freek]

the Canadian Broadcast Corporation (CBC) had this contest last year.
"The Greatest Canadian"

1st place - Tommy Douglas "the father of medicare"
2nd place - Terry Fox - lost his leg to cancer and tried to run across Canada to raise awareness for cancer and raise money to find a cure
3rd place - Pierre Elliott Trudeau, one of our most radical Prime Ministers evAr

The only TV personalities we had in the top 10 were David Suzuki and Don Cherry... David Suzuki is more than a TV personality... and Don Cherry is just a national icon due to his crazy effin' hockey-crazed life.

 

[evilmonkeyMSP]

i heard that, all though gov't provided, that canadian medicare sucks arse...is this true

 

[vindication]

I'm surprised Wayne Gretzky wasn't #1 for you hockey crazed canadians. lol