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The week is almost out. So, it is time to tackle some less weighty issues. This week, the American History Awards have tackled the best and worst of America. It's time for some fluff. Today's Awards will cover the entertainment field. The categories will involve movies, television, music, and writing.
Greatest Actor: Humphrey Bogart. This was a difficult category. John Wayne is the obvious choice as the actor that best represents America. Many consider Al Pacino the greatest actor of all time. However, Bogart represented American ideals in movies such as Casablanca and Key Largo. During this period, the actor perfected the anti-hero which Americans love and Clint Eastwood would later take in different directions.
Greatest Actress: Katherine Hepburn. She could be tough and feminine. Hepburn represented the American ideal of independence and feminism without losing her femininity.
Greatest Movie: Casablanca. This film was filmed and set during World War II. The outcome of the war was in doubt at the time. Bogart represented the United States. He did not want to fight, but was forced off the sidelines. Claude Rains represented France. He collaborated because he had to, but in the end was a patriot. Rains also represented Europe. His character was decadent and corrupt. However, when push came to shove, the good side emerged.
Greatest Television Show: M*A*S*H. The show lated three times longer than the actual Korean War and underwent a transformation. It began as a comedy. Eventually, it mutated into a dramedy. For a show to grow, it needs to change. M*A*S*H was able to change as the years flew by and with several cast changes.
Greatest Television Star: Lucille Ball. No one was funnier than Lucille Ball. Many of her sketches are still admired to this day. I Love Lucy is still relevant. A recent public poll named her "Television's Greatest Icon."
Music Star: Elvis Presley. Elvis is still the King. Only the Beatles have had the impact Elvis did. Elvis successfully combined country, rockabilly, and R&B to create his own sound. When he broke, it was pandemonium. After a decade in the movies, Elvis returned better than ever. Only in later years did he become a caricature.
Best American Album: Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys. Pet Sounds is the most widely acclaimed album in history. Beach Boy creative leader Brian Wilson used extremely elaborate recording techniques, vocals, sound effects, and unconventional instruments to create a masterpiece.
Greatest Song: Like a Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan. Dylan broke the mold with this song. It was over six minutes long which was highly unusual. It was also aggressive like a rock song as opposed to Dylan's earlier folk work. It's themes cover longing and materialism.
Greatest Band: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. No other act does "American" music like Bruce Springsteen. Their music can be soft folk or hard core rock n roll. Springsteen's writings often cover the struggles of everyday life. As a result, he has become something of a pied piper of a generation.
Best Writer: Mark Twain. Twain combined humor, social criticism, and observation to write colorfully American stories.
Greatest Book: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The first All-American novel follows a young boy's attempt to do what is right.
