Remix Analysis Paper Rubric

History Remixed

Drunk History is the brainchild of Derek Waters, he created it with intentions of igniting a spark of interest regarding history into younger generations. The premise of these short internet videos, which have since gained popularity and become a television series, is to get an intoxicated person to recite the story of an important historical figure. During the drunken narration well known comedic actors and actresses reenact the story, using every word, slur, and hiccup uttered by the narrator as part of the skit. Drunk History has succeeded in making history lessons more engaging by changing the tone, giving a little extra information, and above all else: sticking to the facts.

The tone of a history lesson, no matter how important the knowledge, can be a little bland at times. Finding new and interesting ways to instill knowledge into younger generations is exceptionally important; Drunk History does just that. Frequently on the show the people telling the tipsy renditions are unintentionally hilarious, they fall out of their chairs, they spill their drinks, and occasionally they have to finish the story from the cool tile of the bathroom floor. Essentially, they behave like children in their intoxicated states, but somehow manage to regale the audience with a factual rendition of a historical event. This humor may be cheap to some, but it’s extremely effective for others. People are more inclined to listen and provide their undivided attention, if they’re having a good time while they do it.

Derek Waters realizes the importance of history, and the benefits of teaching it in new and exciting ways. As he states during a radio interview with NPR: “I grew up with the best history teacher ... who's still teaching history, and the reason why I liked history was — it was how he taught it. And I believe if you can make someone laugh, you can secretly make them learn something.” It’s apparent that this show means something to the creator. He had a history teacher who made him care, and now he wants to use humor to return the favor to a newer generation. He recognizes the importance of making learning fun. Being informed in creative and memorable ways is how people, especially young people, are going to get excited about knowledge.

American schools are notorious for sugarcoating the truth when it comes to history. Drunk History on the other hand, gives not only the ugly truth, but also adds in some little known quirky facts. One example of this is the Nikola Tesla episode, and how the story provides information about Tesla’s obsession with pigeons. According to the show he fed them daily and kept them in his hotel room as he truly started his descent into madness; he also picked out a favorite pigeon. This certainly seems like the trivial ramblings of a drunkard, however it’s an accurate account, and it provides insight into who Tesla was. He was an important historical figure, he had an important rivalry with Thomas Edison, and the world as we know it today wouldn’t be the same without him. All of these facts about Tesla are relayed to the audience, but with that little extra insight into the fine line between genius and insanity that he seemed to balance on.

Another example of Drunk History providing extra information is the Oney Judge episode. Slavery is an impossible subject to sugarcoat, there’s no positive outcomes and no silver lining; it’s just a despicable thing that happened in history. Slavery is taught in schools, but the details tend to get swept under the rug. An average history lesson will admit that “mistakes” were made, but will focus less on the darkness of that history and more on the progress that has occurred since. Drunk History devotes an entire segment to the brave story of Oney Judge, a slave for the Washington family, who escapes, and then returns when her family is threatened as a result; this episode in of itself is extra information. No negativity is cast upon George Washington in a typical history lesson, he’s the brave leader who “couldn’t tell a lie”. However, in this Drunk History regaling he is exposed for laying claim to his escaped slaves children to punish her for fleeing. A typical history lesson regarding George Washington makes little to no mention of his slave ownership at all, because the tone of a lesson about him is meant to be about victory and glory. He’s portrayed as an honest war hero, so no mention is made of him owning slaves; that information detracts from the positive image America has come to know and love. Drunk history reaches into the darkest corners of history, and teaches people about them while putting a smile on their face; even if the subject matter is nothing to laugh about.

When a historical event is being comically retold, sometimes the facts are changed to make it more interesting or humorous. In Drunk History, the humor and intrigue doesn’t come from the exaggeration of the truth, but from the memorability of the narrators themselves; the history doesn’t need to be altered to make the lesson effective. It’s no secret that humans enjoy watching each other embarrass themselves, there are many popular television shows that depict people fighting, falling down, and all around failing. This show plays to that appeal, but does it with intentions of imparting its audience with wisdom while they watch someone make a fool of themselves. On the surface Drunk History appears as sloppy as its story tellers, but there’s actually a great deal of time and effort put in to ensure accuracy. There are history majors brought in to oversee, and the story teller is encouraged to brush up on their knowledge before they start drinking, just to make sure they remember correctly. The attention to detail and respect for history shine through with every episode.

Any statements made on the show that seem questionable can easily be double checked. If the audience doubts something, they can get online, or go to a library and delve deeper into the subject; ideally they would be intrigued, and want to look further into these topics, as they are fascinating and important moments in history. A search for the truth behind Tesla, for instance, and his aforementioned pigeons provides troves of information, like this excerpt from a book about the life of Nikola Tesla: “In addition to feeding the birds in the streets, Tesla took care of pigeons in his rooms in the various hotels in which he made his home. He usually had basket nests for from one to four pigeons in his room and kept a cask of seed on hand to feed them.” The facts in Drunk History are all there, but trusting the word of a drunk person seems foolish, so doing further research is an intelligent way to be certain. Questioning everything they hear is a quality everyone should have anyways, but especially if the person telling the tales is in an altered state of mind.

Drunk History is Derek Waters using his comedic platform for the betterment of society. An accurate knowledge of history is essential for ensuring that past mistakes are not repeated, and studying the patterns in human behavior can help decipher why people act the way they do. A knowledge of the past is a helpful tool in understanding the future, so getting people excited about history is vital for human advancement. Younger generation’s attention spans are shorter than ever, and holding their interest for important matters is becoming increasingly difficult; finding new ways to keep them interested in learning is imperative to the progress of humanity. So in sticking to the facts, revealing extra information, and switching the tone of a regular history lesson, Drunk History goes from just another comedic way to pass the time, to an ingenious way to fool young people into absorbing important knowledge.

Works Cited

Inskeep, Steve. “'Drunk History' Serves An Educational Cocktail, With Comedic Twist.” NPR.org. National Public Radio, 2 July, 2014. Web. 10 November 2015.

O'Neill, John J. Prodigal Genius: The Life of Nikola Tesla. New York: Cosimo, 2006. Google Books. Web. 11 November 2015