"ekelks-2" said recently on this page that What's My Line is "a history lesson." He goes on to report his baby boomer status and the U.S. government officials and other historically important people who were contestants on this show.
But I tend to agree more with "cindytrells" and her analysis on this page. Yes, you see people with careers that make great ideas for your kids today -- with certain exceptions, of course. You can't sell dynamite to owners of coal mines anymore, as did two contestants in 1964 / 1965. You can't sell the Beatle wig as did a contestant on the night the Beatles played Ed Sullivan for the first time. In fact, rock & roll / hip hop merchandise today doesn't emphasize hair.
Are the dynamite and the Beatle wig good history lessons for today's young people? Only coupled with something else. When John Daly and mystery guest Tallulah Bankhead discuss Winston Churchill as they will on a rerun you can see in early 2007, it helps to know who Churchill was. You can Tivo the episode, hear "Churchill" and then look him up.
But it's up to you to look him up. Some people won't. Maybe serious history and a bachelor's degree aren't for everyone.
We don't have Winston Churchill today to lead the fight against terrorists. Unless the man who makes the Eminem white T-shirt leads the fight, then please put enough meat and potatoes in your history. Learn about the Kennedy administration-sponsored coup that put Saddam Hussein on the road to power. What's My Line is dessert.
Getting back to career ideas for students, remember that the careers of Bennett, Dorothy, Arlene and John Daly were just distant scenery on every single episode. You hear somebody introduce Arlene's Broadway play, but you don't get the playwright or the plot. If you want your kid to consider publishing -- Bennett Cerf's field -- he/she has a lot of work to do besides watching GSN.
But I tend to agree more with "cindytrells" and her analysis on this page. Yes, you see people with careers that make great ideas for your kids today -- with certain exceptions, of course. You can't sell dynamite to owners of coal mines anymore, as did two contestants in 1964 / 1965. You can't sell the Beatle wig as did a contestant on the night the Beatles played Ed Sullivan for the first time. In fact, rock & roll / hip hop merchandise today doesn't emphasize hair.
Are the dynamite and the Beatle wig good history lessons for today's young people? Only coupled with something else. When John Daly and mystery guest Tallulah Bankhead discuss Winston Churchill as they will on a rerun you can see in early 2007, it helps to know who Churchill was. You can Tivo the episode, hear "Churchill" and then look him up.
But it's up to you to look him up. Some people won't. Maybe serious history and a bachelor's degree aren't for everyone.
We don't have Winston Churchill today to lead the fight against terrorists. Unless the man who makes the Eminem white T-shirt leads the fight, then please put enough meat and potatoes in your history. Learn about the Kennedy administration-sponsored coup that put Saddam Hussein on the road to power. What's My Line is dessert.
Getting back to career ideas for students, remember that the careers of Bennett, Dorothy, Arlene and John Daly were just distant scenery on every single episode. You hear somebody introduce Arlene's Broadway play, but you don't get the playwright or the plot. If you want your kid to consider publishing -- Bennett Cerf's field -- he/she has a lot of work to do besides watching GSN.