Native American Heritage Month - Will Rogers: Actor, Comedian, Political Pundit, Truth Teller - And Proud Cherokee
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Will Rogers: Actor, Comedian, Political Pundit, Truth Teller—And Proud Cherokee.
In our time, we can remember where we were when a few transformative events occurred—the assassination of John F. Kennedy and the killing of John Lennon. The explosion of Challenger, the tanks rolling into Tiananmen Square.
For our grandparents, the psychic notch in time was made when they finally heard about the event rather than when it happened, but according to my grandparents there was still that feeling upon hearing the news that everything had changed. For them, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was like the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11, no less shocking because they did not get the news immediately.
According to my grandparents, the news of one man dying in August of 1935 struck them like the deaths of both Kennedy and Lennon, a simultaneous earthquake in both politics and entertainment. The New York Times devoted 13 full pages to coverage of this death two days after it happened, almost four pages the next day, and the ink kept flowing for more than a week. On the Times‘s editorial page, the editors with whom that man had clashed many times opined: “He came to hold such a place in the public mind that, of his passing from the stage it might be said…that it will ‘eclipse the gayety of nations.’ Let us hope…some one may arise to help us as he did to keep our mental poise, to avoid taking all our national geese for swans, and by wholesome laughter make this world seem a better place to live in.”
President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, “His appeal went straight to the heart of the nation. Above all things, in a time grown too solemn and somber he brought his countrymen back to a sense of proportion.”
On the day of his funeral, 51,000 people waited five hours in the hot Los Angeles sun for a brief chance to pay their respects. Every movie theater in the country went dark for two minutes; the CBS and NBC radio networks observed 30 minutes of silence in his honor.
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NO POLITICS.
Will Rogers an American icon.
Famous quote by Will Rogers.
“I had just enough white in me to make my honesty questionable.”
''Everything is changing. People are taking their comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke.''
''The more you observe politics, the more you've got to admit that each party is worse than the other.''
'' There are three kinds of men. The one that learns by reading. The few who learn by observation. The rest of them have to pee on the electric fence for themselves.''
'' Be thankful we're not getting all the government we're paying for.''
A painting of Will Rogers that hangs in the Oklahoma state capital, by Charles Banks Wilson.
"I do not belong to an organized political party. I am a Democrat" - Will Rogers...
That was another classic jbb.
Will Rogers and Wiley Post made an outstanding team and their friendship knew actually no bounds.
A great team no doubt.
Was my comment deleted or did it just disappear on its own, like so many of my comments have been doing lately?
It was not deleted.
Well, what I had said is that I was amused by the fact that you said "NO POLITICS", followed by three Will Rogers quotations that were about politics and one Will Rogers quotation about politics by jbb. LOL
Finally, someone picked up on it...LMAO
Hey, I did try much earlier, and the comment disappeared.
So what do you think of Wil Rogers?
Will Rogers, Ralph Waldo and Samuel Clemens, some of our wittiest writers of all time. My book shelves runneth over with them.
Thanks for reminding us of this important Native Amercan's contribution to the American consciousness and lexicon. He was magnificient!
Life is politics.
Diplomacy is the art of saying, "Nice Doggie" until you can find a rock.
- Will Rogers
It's quite amazing how popular and beloved he was by the American public.
He was quite the entertainer, indeed! I grew up loving him in my childhood and in part, because he was proudly NA. He was one of me.
My white stepmother used to quote him to me all the time when I was little. There was racism in my community growing up I had to contend with, like so many native kids assimilating in white culture. She was always reminding me to be proud of my native heritage and to never let anyone disparage me over it and learn how to laugh at ignorance.
I'll never forget her reminding me of his, "I am a Cherokee and it's the proudest little possession I ever hope to have."
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Will Rogers was one of the most famous American figures of his era.
Good video, thanks JR.
I only know what I read on the Newstalkers.
Peace and Abundant Speed Readings.
Enoch.
Oh no, you could be in deep doo doo.
Been there, done that.