3/22/2011

Public history strikes again

The public historians, who think no travesty is beyond the pale if even one child develops a passing interest in what they imagine to be history, have outdone themselves again. They are tweeting the Civil War, passing the anguish and heartbreak of real people through the frivolous medium of 140-character gossip technology.

Don't be afraid of history kids! It's intuitively obvious to the most casual of users!

How can we convince these people to stop evangelizing until they come to terms with history within themselves? They are avid apostles of some cargo-cult version of a deep and complex discipline, one demanding introspection, self-correction, and cultivated discernment.

In a similar vein, PBS is Internet-streaming "The Civil War" in a sacrifice invoking the technology gods for a ratings boost. Maybe they could just do fresher, better programming?