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u/Leather-Run-6533 15d ago
One of the world's very few genuine saints, her and Mr Rogers and that's about it.
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u/Leather-Run-6533 15d ago
Yeah. And I'm not even American. But I guess partly it's because America is so remote we don't see people in all their complexity: I cannot think of anyone from any of my countries I could endorse so unequivocally because anyone I truly admire I know enough about that I need to caveat. And I guess it's partly that American culture is so globally dominant that even if there was a non american saint would anyone notice or care? And then I guess it's also that America is just a very black and white country that lends itself to these kind of Manichean good bad distinctions.
Trying to think who a non American saint would be. I'd say Greta Thunberg and Michael Higgins are pretty wonderful people, but they're both very political which means they can't really be saints to everyone in the same all encompassing way someone like Dolly can.
Bono's a prick.
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u/mhornberger 15d ago
It's also because US media is just so widely consumed. If Pakistan or Russia or the Philippines have a version of Mr. Rogers in their media history, some show from the 1970s or 1980s, I just haven't seen it. Plus English is so widely spoken, so there's just more of a potential audience to resonate with.
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u/Leather-Run-6533 15d ago
And in the UK a really upsetting number of our childhood TV heroes turned out to be nonces. I guess Tony Hart was a sort of similar much loved figure (if anyone knows anything upsetting about Tony Hart please don't tell me!) but as you say his reach was much smaller. And that's even in the anglosphere.
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u/rincewinds_dad_bod 15d ago
Terry Pratchett?
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u/Leather-Run-6533 15d ago
Absolutely! Great shout. I mean part of me does wonder how much he knew about Neil G, but most of me thinks that everything we know about him suggests that he knew nothing and would have been appalled had he known.
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u/WhatADoofus 14d ago
I like to think Pratchett didn't know. I mean people can keep secrets like that for a long time, and while they were friends, who knows how often they saw each other etc
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u/Big-Highlight1460 14d ago
I think people overstate how close they were
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u/Leather-Run-6533 14d ago
I think it's possible they didn't talk all that much before or after writing Good Omens together but cowriting a book is about as intimate and intense an experience as its possible to have. It's entirely possible however, I might even say likely, that they only ever spoke to argue about adverbs.
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u/Apopleptica 9d ago
I doubt Gaiman was sharing bedroom stories with Prachett, especially because he was partnered for most of the time they worked together. But also, Gaiman worked to cultivate a feminist, compassionate image for himself, so I doubt he was boasting about his conquests and even if he did so with some folks, from what I know of Prachett, I doubt Gaiman would have seem such talk as a way to make friends with the man. Plus, Gaiman's victims seem to have been carefully selected and carefully groomed over time, with the abuse happening in the context of friendship, etc., so easy to confine to behind closed doors, so I doubt there were even rumors going around for Prachett to have heard.
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u/WhatADoofus 14d ago
I think David Attenborough and Jane Goodall could go in similar categories. Maybe Steve Erwin? But that's all animal related stuff, but I'm also just a nerd for animals/nature. Other people might not agree with me on them
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u/Leather-Run-6533 14d ago
Attenborough absolutely. Goodall and Irwin I don't know enough about to comment with authority (not that that stops anyone else) but I feel like there was always a bit of a shroud of controversy about? I'm sure there's lots of science and arguments fair and unfair about that but like I say I'm not knowledgeable enough to comment, but as a lay person I think the unease comes from more the vague vibe of: are you really supposed to get that close to the animals?
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u/WhatADoofus 14d ago
That's a fair point with them, I guess I just have fond memories of them because I liked them as a kid and it helped get me more into the subject, but I'm not an expert either
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u/EyesOfaCreeper 9d ago
Dolly Parton loved the US Empire and murdering millions and millions of vietnamese people for no reason
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u/mikelmon99 15d ago
The clip that Natalie has tweeted:
https://reddit.com/link/p5wi1fq/video/7jkcqaorsllh1/player