In an era of fake news, it's refreshing to be able to count on the proven facts of eras
past.
But while you might put your money on a network whose literal brand is bringing bygone times
to life, let's just say not everything on the History Channel, now known simply as History,
is particularly respectable.
Ancient Aliens might hold the dubious crown of the History Channel's least historical
show.
It also made its way onto Southern Poverty Law Center's Hatewatch blog for showcasing
white supremacist theories.
"Is it possible that the course of human civilization has been determined, not by history's most
profound thinkers, but by some external force?"
The idea that ancient African, Asian, and Native American architectural marvels could
have only been built by some kind of alien entity isn't a new one.
Hatewatch reminds us that this concept was used by Andrew Jackson to justify the Indian
Removal Act of 1830 in North America.
In fact, much white supremacist literature over the years has suggested that non-European
civilizations didn't build any wonders of the past, and that ancient Aryans are somehow
secretly responsible.
Switch out Aryans for aliens and you can see why people find the show so distasteful.
And, as Hyperallergic points out, we already know how the pyramids were built: ramps.
When it comes to The Curse of Oak Island, there exists a piece of so-called evidence
that we know is a fake: the Oak Island map.
This particular map looks like it got torn out of a journal someone purchased at the
Dollar Tree, but the notes are in French.
According to the show, this map is connected to a much more mysterious and valuable Templar
document.
"Zena's map and her research I find incredible, I wanna prove that it's authentic.
And to that end, I think we've made some strides."
But according to Donald Ruh, who was once in possession of both of those documents,
the two are unrelated.
He also says that the Oak Island Map is a fabrication, created by someone in the '70s.
If the show's use of those two pieces of evidence is what amounts to "proof," we don't really
believe anything else on Oak Island.
The fact that Counting Cars star Danny Koker is living a hippy-hating, muscle car-loving,
masculine stereotype, isn't surprising.
He's a car guy, and he likes combustion engines, loud noises, and high speed, and really none
of those things are compatible with a cleaner environment.
"Guys, I'm just not feeling this."
He told the Canadian Morning Show in 2013,
"Prius, I've got no use for.
If it gets 4 miles to the gallon and has 800 horsepower, I'm thrilled.
We've got more oil than we can shake a stick at.
The politicians are playing a game.
Let's burn this stuff and have a good time."
According to the Vegas Tourist, Rick Dale from American Restoration was called out in
2012 for restoring a 1950s-style jukebox but failing to actually repair the thing, per
the original agreement.
Now, it's great to have a sharp-looking jukebox, but what you really want is a sharp-looking
jukebox that plays music, especially if you paid someone $4,000 to do it.
But not only did Dale reportedly fail to acknowledge that the work wasn't complete, he also cashed
the check and stopped returning his customer's phone calls.
"It's not all about the money.
It's about making something that you want, your memory, alive."
Sons of Liberty is what American history would look like if the Founding Fathers were all
moonlighting as characters on Riverdale.
Actual history recalls the Sam Adams of 1765 as a middle-aged dude with a paunch, but in
Sons of Liberty he's…hot.
And that's not the show's only inaccuracy; the Journal of the American Revolution listed
22 missteps within the first episode alone.
"This is yet another incident in a long line of treasonable acts committed by a childish
and insubordinate colony."
Of course, this is historical fiction, and almost every piece of historical fiction ever
written contains inaccuracies.
It's called creative license.
Just don't believe everything you see on History.
"That freedom cannot be taken away from us.
That, that is our God-given right."
In History's defense, Vikings is based on the old Norse sagas, which National Geographic
reports were written down in the 13th century but were passed down verbally for centuries
prior.
So the "facts" recorded in the sagas have likely been embellished, altered, or even
completely made up.
Historians don't even agree on whether the show's central character, Ragnar Lothbrok,
even existed.
"Who wants to be king?"
One of the biggest liberties showrunners took was with the relationship between Ragnar and
Rollo.
In real life, assuming Ragnar existed, the two men were not only not brothers, it's unlikely
they ever even met.
And the show's timeline is suspect, too, as we see our favorite marauders raiding a monastery
in Season 1, and then attacking Paris in Season 3, two events that happened 120 years apart,
according to Ranker.
Also, the Vikings did wear helmets, though not horned ones, Christians didn't crucify
heathens, and Vikings almost never fought pitched battles since they preferred raids.
Sadly, that doesn't leave a whole lot of room for the truth.
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