Dramatic Americans

So you know, I like to download and watch documentaries while I work. I was feeling upset this morning (my kitty Lucky might be dying) so to stave off sadness till my sister came home I watched two.

The first was a BBC documentary about the discovery of a long lost Leonardo da Vinci painting, Salvator Mundi, (pictured to the left) and the second was about Nemesis, a hypothetical star that causes comets to fling into the inner solar system every 26 million years.

The discovery of a long lost painting done by the epic renaissance master is, forgive me for this Laura, slightly more mind blowing than a star which may or may not exist and may or may not cause comets to hit the Earth in ten million years. Not that Nemsis isn't exciting. Anyone who knows me knows I love love physics and astronomy. However, the theory is not as immediately relevant in my life. (Except for the fact that I might use the idea in RT.) And it's still unproven.

At any rate, the first vide was made by the BBC so the announcer says, in a calm and composed British accent, "what an amazing discovery. How lucky we are to see it [the painting.]"

Meanwhile, the second video, made by the History channel, opens with a deep voiced American accent booming, "does our star have an evil twin out in the solar system bent on destroying us?!"

Wow.

Normally I would not have noted a difference but because I had played the videos back to back I found myself really annoyed with the stupidly over hyped and garish History Channel presentation. It was filled with ominous BGMs, overblown assumptions and over simplified explanations. Such a great topic too. I just found myself longing that the BBC had done the presentation instead of the History Channel.

I think Eddie Izzard is right. Americans just cannot present information (to the masses) without tossing it in a coating of pompous hype. It lessens the drama and importance (for me) when the information is presented like a trailer for the newest Armageddon du jour film. Why are we so dramatic I wonder?