History Channel Nonsense

While scanning the evening offerings on the boob tube I noticed that the History channel is running another program to advance America’s historical literacy. The program? –The Holy Grail in America. The program will examine “evidence” that the Knights Templar came to America in 1362 and hid the Holy Grail.
Unfortunately, I elected to watch something with a bit more intellectual depth – Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader.This isn’t history; it is wild eyed speculation of the stupid kind and it is an insult to legitimate historiography. One might overlook the occasional departure into the world of stupid notions but it seems there is a plethora of this type of bull shit – The Seven Deadly Sins, The Naked Archeologist, UFO’s of the Bible (WTF), Nostradomus, Mayan prophesies and more.
IMO, this type of programming seriously damages the legitimacy of the History channel as an honest broker of historical information– the History International channel suffers the same affliction.

Tags: Channel, Grail, History, Holy, Knights, Templars

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by OutlawGirl on September 26, 2009 at 11:35pm

My favorite show on the History Channel is The Universe. I am also shamelessly fond of The History of Sex!

They did have an interesting documentary on Charles Manson though, and I also liked their documentaries on the French Revolution, Albert Einstein, the American Cultural Revolution, the black plague and others. Some of their programming is actually pretty good. Cities of the Underworld is entertaining and educational. The History Channel isn't all bad; they're just 90% crap like everything else.

Permalink Reply by OutlawGirl on September 27, 2009 at 12:19am

Oooh, yes, I've seen that too!

I really need to catch the History of Sex again some time. It's fascinating the impact culture and religion have on people's sexual practices.

Permalink Reply by Dallas the Phallus on September 28, 2009 at 12:39pm

The Universe is effin' great. I've been watching that, and I'm just glued to the TV. I don't have cable, but I get them from the library. Not seen The History of Sex, but it looks interesting. You might like the book The Invention of Heterosexuality. I've not read it, but it looks like a good book.

Cities of the Underworld is neat, but way too sensationalized. I saw that doc called The Plague, and also saw one that A&E did called The Black Death, only now I can't remember which I liked better.

Permalink Reply by Louis Davout on September 27, 2009 at 3:59am

History channel has gone done the crapper.

Permalink Reply by Dallas the Phallus on September 27, 2009 at 9:26pm

Yes, agreed. That sounds quite disappointing.

Permalink Reply by Jared Lardo on August 12, 2010 at 10:06am

I just wandered in here, and I must add that I wish that the History Channel would go back to being the Hitler Channel. At least that was actually history.

Permalink Reply by Jim DePaulo on August 13, 2010 at 5:33pm