History

Nick Gillespie | From the October 2024 issue

Podcaster and former Dirty Jobs host Mike Rowe stars in Something to Stand For, a patriotic documentary film in which he tells unknown stories about legendary figures in American history. Reason's Nick Gillespie spoke with Rowe about the film, his influences, and what to think about the decline of patriotism.

Q: Tell us about Something to Stand For.

A: Really all I did was take the format that worked well on the podcast, which was to tell these historical tales through the lens of a mystery while stealing shamelessly from the late, great Paul Harvey. We visited some monuments and memorials, and every few minutes you get another story, another mystery, something you didn't know about somebody you do.

Q: The storytelling is very engaging, but there's always a reveal at the end. At one point you end up at the National Mall, around the World War II Memorial,........

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