Greatest figures of the 20th century - Comments Page 2

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• 26 - The Theory

  Aug 22, 2003 at 7:07 pm

  No, it's with that logic that I am arguing that *I* should be on the list...
  
  peace.

• 27 - Dave Gardonio

  Mar 29, 2004 at 8:18 pm

  It shines through how little you know about the world, that you didn't list Mohandas K. Gandhi on your "Top Ten List". Although I do agree Bill Gates should be up there, the only reason you have him there is that your world view only encompasses and apparently acknowledges Western life. And Linus Pauling? Are you trying to look smart or something? He invented X-ray diffraction thoery and he told people that nukes were bad.....oh well, at least Elvis Costello earned higher esteem on your list than him? Brutal.

• 28 - duane

  Mar 29, 2004 at 8:49 pm

  A few (biased) additions to the list (if it were up to me):
  
  Albert Einstein
  Erwin Schrodinger
  Edwin Hubble
  Wolfgang Pauli
  Paul Dirac
  Richard Feynman
  Neils Bohr
  Max Planck
  Crick & Watson
  
  The profound changes that these men have made to our understanding of the Universe, including the spillover over into our modern technological world, cannot be underestimated.

• 29 - Shark

  Mar 29, 2004 at 9:54 pm

  1) Jelly Roll Morton
  2) Louis Armstrong
  3) Django Reinhardt
  4) Fletcher Henderson
  5) Bob Wills
  6) Raymond Scott
  7) Carl Stalling
  8) Ella Fitzgerald
  9) Woody Guthrie
  10) Jimmie Rodgers
  
  
  Oh, wait, I thought this was Eric's "Greatest 10 Musicians" list.
  
  Well, come to think of it, I'll let it stand.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• 30 - Shark

  Mar 30, 2004 at 10:48 am

  Man, I hate coming to a party this late. But I brought beer!
  
  Duane, thanks for the physicists' greatest hits. Neils Bohr rocks!
  
  Anyway, having pondered the imponderable, here's my take on Al's gauntlet. And not only WHO, but WHY. (I want extra credit!)
  
  
  
  Shark's List - 'Greatest People in the 20th Century
  (in no particular order of importance)
  
  1) Henry Ford - (inventions) In a century dominated by the automobile, where the economy, landscape, and lifestyle of modern humankind was transformed by a hunk of speeding metal, Ford has to be included. He not only perfected the automobile, but his innovations to the 'assembly-line' method of production had has millions of peripheral effects.
  
  2) Einstein - (science/physics) E=mc2 transformed the way we think about the universe; he supplanted Newton in one swift blow. And like Ford, Einstein's theories paved the way for many subsequent inventions and innovations. (Duane, don't hurt me too badly, 'kay, ol' pal?)
  
  3) Mahatma Gandhi (politics) - In a century where imperialism would be repeatedly challenged -- and an era when national autonomy would come to dominate international politics, Gandhi showed that non-violence could overcome a world power. Laid the way and created the model for MLK, et. al.
  
  4) Eisenhower/the American G.I. - (world politics/war) A tie between the leader and his troops. Eisenhower united a disparate group of Allies and his G.I.s kicked Hitler's ass. It could be argued that no other man on earth had a greater effect on the latter half of the 20th century. He was also the first to warn Americans of the rise of the dreaded "military-industrial complex" -- which would come to dominate American society, politics, and economy for the next... um.. how many years has it been now?
  
  5) Charlie Chaplin - (film) Film became the dominating art form of the 20th century, and Chaplin was its Renaissance Man. While others before him made equally important technical and artistic contributions (Lumiere & DeMelle), he was the first 'auteur' (blame him or praise him for that?); he was screenwriter, actor, director, cinematographer, and composer for many of his masterpieces.
  
  6) Marcel Duchamp - (art) Don't start with me! There is no argument here. Duchamp anticipated virtually EVERY movement in modern and post-modern art, including the importance of 'marketing' one's personality and developing a 'mysterious' public persona for media consumption.
  
  And every 'ism' of 20th century art that followed owes it's origins to Duchamp. I don't care what it is or when it's done: Duchamp already did it. Cubism, dadism, abstract expressionism, pop art, op art, conceptual... it doesn't matter. He is still somewhat underappreciated by the art world, but when historians and scholars have the benefit of objectivity and hindsight, Duchamp will be at the top of the pedestal of 20th century artists.
  
  7) Charles Ives - (music) see Duchamp and replace "art" with "music". A great visionary and innovator who anticipated most future developments in music.
  
  8) Sir Alexander Fleming - (science/medicine) This forgotten hero discovered how the body fought bacterial infections; he also discovered Penicillin, developments which probably saved literally millions of lives since.
  
  9) Bucky Fuller - (thinker/visionary) - anticipated many 'modern' problems and their solutions way ahead of the pack. His emphasis on maximum effect with a minimum investment is something we've yet to fully explore, but it will come back to haunt humankind if we continue to ignore it.
  
  10) Marshall McLuhan (thinker/visionary) - In a century dominated by electronic media, McLuhan anticipated the effects it would have on culture and thought processes. McLuhan's predictions are still turning up as contemporary truisms, despite the fact that he made some as early as the 1940s.
  
  He invented the concept of the "global village", and many of his quotes and phrases have become cliches -- with users having no concept of their profound origins. His work laid the foundation for other important thinkers such as the late, great Neil Postman. Their analysis of the impact of media is still underestimated, much to the detriment of modern society.
  
  

• 31 - Mark Saleski

  Mar 30, 2004 at 10:55 am

  ...Duchamp anticipated virtually EVERY movement in modern and post-modern art...
  
  except for macrame back in the 70's.

• 32 - sheri

  Mar 30, 2004 at 11:01 am

  I read in a magazine one time that Henry Ford was anti- semitic. Is this true? I have avoided telling this to my Dad.Along with his vintage Ford's, he has a pcture of Henry Ford hanging in his garage.:0/

• 33 - sheri

  Mar 30, 2004 at 11:10 am

  I need to go back to school and learn correct punctuation.

• 34 - Shark

  Mar 30, 2004 at 11:20 am

  Ford was pretty wacky, to say the least, when it came to "jewish conspiracies". He publised the fake "Elders of Zion" and harbored a real fear/hatred for Jews in general.
  
  Sorry for yer dad.
  
  But don't forget: bad men can often do good things.
  
  
  
  

• 35 - Shark

  Mar 30, 2004 at 11:22 am

  Marky Mark - I know you were joking but.. um... he had a piece called "Sixteen Miles of String".
  
  I found a photo on the web, but the link timed out. If I can, I'll link to it later so you can grovel and apologize.
  
  xxoo
  S
  
  

• 36 - Mark Saleski

  Mar 30, 2004 at 11:25 am

  well, i'll be danged...
  
  i guess we won't get into the issue of whether macrame is 'art' or not.

• 37 - sheri

  Mar 30, 2004 at 12:08 pm

  Thanks, Shark. My Dad, his interest is in the automobiles themselves.I think the picture was given to him by someone who knew of his love for vintage Fords, and probably knew nothing about the anti-semitism either.

• 38 - Corinna Hasofferett

  Mar 30, 2004 at 12:37 pm

  MY LIST OF (of what?)
  1.
  Pirates of the Caribbean 2 setting sail
  Posted to Blogcritics by John Campea on 2003.08.19, 23:51:40 (1163 comments so far)
  2.
  The Top 100 Guitarists According to Rolling Stone
  Posted to Blogcritics by The Theory on 2003.08.28, 12:33:26 (841 comments so far)
  3.
  Poll: Greatest Guitarist Of All Time
  Posted to Blogcritics by Phillip Winn on 2003.09.09, 11:13:01 (613 comments so far)
  4.
  Ja Rule vs 50 Cent feud over?
  Posted to Blogcritics by Marty Dodge on 2003.11.06, 07:13:05 (532 comments so far)
  4.
  From: CMU An interview between Nation of Islam minister Louis Farrakhan and Ja Rule was aired in the US yesterday,...
  5.
  What She Really Said
  Posted to Blogcritics by Eric Olsen on 2003.03.21, 22:22:41 (433 comments so far)
  6.
  Janet Jackson's Super Bowl Titty Massacre aka Janet Jackson's career now officially dead
  Posted to Blogcritics by Al Barger on 2004.02.01, 22:34:44 (331 comments so far)
  7.
  Evanescense - Fallen
  Posted to Blogcritics by Phillip Winn on 2003.04.16, 12:49:45 (243 comments so far)
  8.
  Superbowl Halftime Bore
  Posted to Blogcritics by Craig Lyndall on 2004.01.30, 09:03:59 (240 comments so far)
  9.
  Our happy hate crimes :)
  Posted to Blogcritics by Al Barger on 2003.08.27, 22:18:32 (198 comments so far)
  10.
  New Superman movie moving forward. Unfortunately.
  Posted to Blogcritics by John Campea on 2003.08.13, 16:26:15 (191 comments so far)
  
  
  

• 39 - Shark

  Mar 31, 2004 at 7:51 am

  Marky Mark,
  
  Check it out. Now THIS is some macrame!