Musical Mondays Week 97 1776

[Cameron H. 23786]

2 minutes ago, Cam Bert said:

Last question about Adams, like in the movie I assume he was a man very well aware of obnoxious and disliked reputation?

Oh yes, he was well aware that people didn't really like him. That line about him being forgotten and that the credit for the entire Revolution would be given to Franklin and Washington was a direct quote.. It was also prescient.

Again, he was pretty arrogant, but he also had the talent to back it up. He was someone people admired, but didn't necessarily like.    

[Cam Bert 8145]

5 hours ago, Cameron H. said:

I think another issue with Canada is the fact that there are a ton of amazing Canadian artists, but as soon as they achieve success, they tend to immigrate to America. So Canada ends up losing a lot of that culture that might help define its identiy.

Very true. There are very few Canadians that reach a high level of fame and decide to stay.

[AlmostAGhost 2718]

Trailer Park Boys don't do it for you in the Canadian pride department?

[Cam Bert 8145]

8 hours ago, AlmostAGhost said:

Trailer Park Boys don't do it for you in the Canadian pride department?

Was never really a big fan, no. Some of it is funny, but I think they just kinda went too long and ran lots of things into the ground.

I will say though, I think Canadians by and large have lots of great comedians because they do kinda combine the sensibilities of American and British humor. I do take pride that one of our national exports is funny people.

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

Here's your Canadian Nationalism film.

 

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

Crap.  Alan Parker died.

Watch Evita, Fame, The Commitments, Bugsy Malone, Pink Floyd's The Wall, or whatever I might have missed this weekend.

[Quasar Sniffer 4174]

Since we're talking iconic Canadian art, this is one of those most Canadian things I have ever encountered (at least from an American perspective), and one of the most depressing. Secret Path is a multimedia art project collaboration between Gord Downie (of the Tragically Hip) and Canadian writer/artist Jeff Lemire (whose previous work includes the graphic novel Essex County, the semi-autobiographical chronicle of growing up in small town Canada). Among the last things Gord Downie did before he died of cancer, it chronicles the true story of Chane Wenjack, an Anishinaabe boy who died in 1966 while trying to run away back home after escaping an Indian residential school in Ontario, a journey that would have been about 600km. It features mournful, beautiful songs and art centering on abuse, loneliness, the erasure of one's culture, and freezing to death in the Canadian wilderness, all put down as a final testament by an artist who is staring at death the whole time the project was being completed. It is... heavy stuff. 

 

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

Apologies for not participating in my own choice.  Now that things are getting back to usual (never normal), I do have some things I'd like to mention.

1) The whole first exchange (Sit Down, John; then Piddle, Twiddle, and Resolve) had me hooked.  I had never seen such open snark in a historical movie.  The initial debates between Adams and Dickinson were the same kinds of points I had wondered about.  When I saw the movie for the first time I was living in or near the Philadelphia area and had been to Independence Hall several times.  Figured it was time to see what the movie was like.

2) When I get depressed the last exchange between John and Abigail Adams always helps me.  John complains he fears there is nothing left but the discontentment.  Abigail replies

Oh, John. Can you really know so little about yourself?  And can you think so little of me to think I'd marry the kind of man you described?

That response always makes my eyes well up.  There are people I consider to be great, accomplished, persistent, admirable people.  They seem to think I'm OK so why can't I?

3) Ben Franklin throughout is a hoot.  "Oh, Stephen, I only wish King George felt like my big toe all over." (Since Frankin suffered from gout.)  I was surprised to learn John Adams' comment about being left out of the history books is reasonably accurate.

   
The real John Adams wrote to Benjamin Rush in 1790, “The History of our Revolution will be one continued lye [sic] from one end to the other. The essence of the whole will be that Dr. Franklin’s electric rod smote the earth and out sprang General Washington. Then Franklin electrified him… and thence forward those two conducted all the Policy, Negotiations, Legislations, and War.”

https://www.postwhistle.com/tag/john-adams-quotes/

4) The distortions of people of honor are distressing, particularly James Wilson of Pennsylvania.  James Wilson was a very honorable fellow who had indeed served with distinction as a judge.  I can forgive changing the story to come down to a tie but turning Judge Wilson into a fop who, until the crucial moment, served solely as John Dickinson's lap dog, does Judge Wilson a grave disservice.  Franklin makes an offhand comment about Judge Wilson having served before but then makes it sound like Wilson can't think for himself because Independence is "a new idea, you clot!"

[Cameron H. 23786]

3 minutes ago, Cinco DeNio said:

Apologies for not participating in my own choice.  Now that things are getting back to usual (never normal), I do have some things I'd like to mention.

1) The whole first exchange (Sit Down, John; then Piddle, Twiddle, and Resolve) had me hooked.  I had never seen such open snark in a historical movie.  The initial debates between Adams and Dickinson were the same kinds of points I had wondered about.  When I saw the movie for the first time I was living in or near the Philadelphia area and had been to Independence Hall several times.  Figured it was time to see what the movie was like.

2) When I get depressed the last exchange between John and Abigail Adams always helps me.  John complains he fears there is nothing left but the discontentment.  Abigail replies

 

 

You are right about James Wilson. He really isn’t served well in the film. 

[Cinco DeNio 5290]

Trying this again since my original post is chopped up (for want of a close quote tag).

Apologies for not participating in my own choice. Now that things are getting back to usual (never normal), I do have some things I'd like to mention.

1) The whole first exchange (Sit Down, John; then Piddle, Twiddle, and Resolve) had me hooked. I had never seen such open snark in a historical movie. The initial debates between Adams and Dickinson were the same kinds of points I had wondered about. When I saw the movie for the first time I was living in or near the Philadelphia area and had been to Independence Hall several times. Figured it was time to see what the movie was like.

 

2) When I get depressed the last exchange between John and Abigail Adams always helps me. John complains he fears there is nothing left but the discontentment. Abigail replies

Quote

Oh, John. Can you really know so little about yourself?  And can you think so little of me to think I'd marry the kind of man you described?

That response always makes my eyes well up. There are people I consider to be great, accomplished, persistent, admirable people. They seem to think I'm OK so why can't I?

 

3) Ben Franklin throughout is a hoot. "Oh, Stephen, I only wish King George felt like my big toe all over." (Since Frankin suffered from gout.)  I was surprised to learn John Adams' comment about being left out of the history books is reasonably accurate.

Quote

The real John Adams wrote to Benjamin Rush in 1790, "The History of our Revolution will be one continued lye [sic] from one end to the other. The essence of the whole will be that Dr. Franklin’s electric rod smote the earth and out sprang General Washington. Then Franklin electrified him... and thence forward those two conducted all the Policy, Negotiations, Legislations, and War."
https://www.postwhistle.com/tag/john-adams-quotes/

4) The distortions of people of honor are distressing, particularly James Wilson of Pennsylvania. James Wilson was a very honorable fellow who had indeed served with distinction as a judge. I can forgive changing the story to come down to a tie but turning Judge Wilson into a fop who, until the crucial moment, served solely as John Dickinson's lap dog, does Judge Wilson a grave disservice. Franklin makes an offhand comment about Judge Wilson having served before but then makes it sound like Wilson can't think for himself because Independence is "a new idea, you clot!"