Riveted: The History of Jeans

source: Riveted: The History of Jeans

I watched this with my granddaughter. We were both wearing blue jeans and were equally curious as to why the younger generation would want to wear anything remotely similar to seniors garb. We laughed and learned things we didn't know about jeans and each other. I was not allowed to wear "farmer pants" until my Mom found them stylish. That was hilarious to me and even more so to my granddaughter. They could have started with the early cowboy generation to not strike a nerve with some sensitive people but facts are facts. I don't know that anything in this documentary has been disputed. We enjoyed the flashbacks.

I'm not sure why people find a factual look at history so uncomfortable. Just because you don't like it, doesn't mean it didn't happen. It is clear in modern times that history has always been told by those in power. The poor have long been unable to tell their side of the story. I find a fresh re-examining of things that we've all taken for granted quite refreshing. And finding out new information, and having what I thought I knew challenged, is exactly why I watch documentaries in the first place.

About as riveting as you can expect a documentary on denim to be (pardon the pun!). It does however give you an interesting viewpoint that is factual but most wouldn't know because no one researches the history of jeans in their spare time. It does challenge some of your preconceived subconscious notions to broaden your perspective; which is what the other reviewers are alluding to. However, as evidenced, many people are uncomfortable being challenged intellectually these days. Worth a watch.

I have to agree with the other reviews regarding the WOKE aspects. Many parts about the slaves etc., seem to be shoehorned in as part of an obligatory need to WOKIFY the documentary sufficiently in order to satisfy PBS minimum requirements. NPR has been doing this to a larger extent but PBS is now catching up. There are some great photos of earlier America - if you are not suffering from White Guilt to much to enjoy them.

Yet again, a documentary about one thing - jeans - spends about 1/3 of the time talking about how bad America and White people are. This is getting very very tiresome. Lets get over all this America is bad stuff.

I was looking forward to watching this and all of a sudden it turned into a lesson on slavery. I should have known when I saw PBS. This was an incredible disappointment and just another attempt to spread white guilt.

If you are looking for an actual history of blue jeans, don't bother with this "documentary". Instead of a history covering all aspects of the topic, this show spends more time discussing a one-sided social and political aspect of jeans. Instead of discussing how they have been manufactured through the years, we are told about slavery relating to Indigo dye. Instead of discussing the history of the major manufacturers, we are told they either were or were not made by black labor. One moment they say jeans were almost exclusively worn by black slaves in America, then we are told EVERYONE did, even the Chinese railroad workers. Wearing jeans were a symbol of rebellion for civil rights fighters in the 1960s, were a slap in the face to rich whites when worn by rappers, etc. What about jean culture in other countries? Not covered. While it is good to learn different things about a topic, it is very obvious that in this case PBS cared more about race than the overall history of blue jeans.

Once you get through the obligatory liberal white guilt and the use of ancient slavery history to bludgeon the audience there really isn't much there. 15 min in the real story begins to be told. So in.teresting facts about racism in the manufacturing process are explained then later on some interesting facts on diversity or the lack there of are explored. Oh yeah jeans, this is a story about jeans.... i think. Well jeans and misogyny that is. Women's rights through jeans.. apparently.

The title is very attractive, but regrettably the substance is framed within a racial lens. It's disturbing that this was funded with taxpayer dollars and disappointing that the actual history of jeans and denim took up about 10 cumulative minutes-the rest was dedicated to differences in race and class. The brushed up against the tip of the iceberg of the 1960s, but shifted focus to the civil rights movement and landed on black rappers in the 90s. "People started actually verbalizing what everyone had known for a hundred years... that blue jeans are sexy" was one of the cringiest, most poorly timed and ridiculously canned moments in this disaster which I regrettably cannot recommend to anyone who's looking for a legitimate historical perspective on jeans or denim.