Assume the Position with Mr. Wuhl (2006– ) User Reviews

This is great!!

[TLGeer · 10/10 · 27 April 2006]

Robert Wuhl is teaching a class of film students at New York University in Manhattan, New York.

He covers fallacies of history and truths that are no longer generally known. I would like to see much more of this show. It is very entertaining. Mr. Wuhl uses examples and "show and tell" to get his points across. He explained that the person who actually rode the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere was not Paul Revere! Henry Wadsworth Longfellow used Revere's name because it sounded better.

I've watched Robert Wuhl for many years, from the time he was doing stand-up comedy and all the way through "Arli$$" on HBO. He's a good actor and a good stand-up comedian, but he's an excellent teacher! I highly recommend that you watch an episode of this show. It is well worth your time.

Funny and Informative

[TBritt · 10/10 · 4 May 2006]

I recently watched this, but when it started I had no idea what the concept was about, what the topic was.....in short - I had no idea what it was. Was it a documentary, was it a comedy routine.....Well, it was BOTH.

It started a little slow, but I think that's because I had absolutely no idea what type of program I was viewing. But it quickly sucked me in. The episode I watched had Robert Wuhl discussing fact and fiction in history. Mainly how we (american's) learn history that isn't really true - and how we got to learn what we did. He did this in such a way as to keep the viewer completely entertained, and interested. I actually learned a few things and that is a true indicator of how effective this type of program can be.

I would love to see this picked up as a series for HBO. I believe it can be just as fun and effective with a variety of topics - especially if they are "taught" in the same type of manner as this episode.

Skip your history class and watch this for a change..

[MairegChernet · 10/10 · 13 August 2008]

I never really knew who Robert Wuhl was before seeing this. But after seeing it I realized what a funny man he is. This HBO special features him teaching "American history" to New York university film students and the man was just phenomenal. He poked fun at almost every key historic event that occurred not just in the U.S. but some other parts of the world. This documentary/comedy was a great satire that made me question if what I accept as the infallible true history is really true.

I enjoyed how Mr. Wuhl managed to mix useful information with great comedy and made learning a lot more exciting. I would recommend this to anyone interested in history and is willing to question what his/her beliefs.

Amazing

[wpadams · 10/10 · 12 April 2007]

this was one of the funniest and informative shows that I have ever seen. This is a MUST see for anyone over the age of 16. this show had me and my 2 boys laughing out loud from the beginning. I don't know if everything on the show was true but the way it was presented left little doubt that Mr Wuhl was not only very knowledgeable but he also had a blast presenting this information to the very lucky college kids who were in attendance. If Mr Wuhl ever decides to do this format again they will have to rent a building the size of the Georgia Dome to hold all the people who will want to see it. I agree with the idea of making this a HBO series. It would have an amazing following

If only my History teacher is as good as Mr.Wuhl !

[ichocolat · 6 January 2008]

If only my History teacher is as good as Mr. Wuhl, then I'm pretty sure I'm gonna cruise my History exams with ease, and my result would have made my parents proud. But too bad as my History teacher (I'm so sorry for bad-mouthing you here in IMDb, teacher!) is not even half good as compared to Mr. Wuhl.

History class taught by Mr. Wuhl is so much fun! I laugh almost every other minute because of the jokes he made. That, and the and witty slideshow he showed to the class. He is very good in cracking jokes, and the students clearly looked very much enthusiastic.

As I am not an American and I do not study American History, it is also a very good way for me to know more about America. Good job, Mr. Wuhl !

Entertaining and Educational

[npkraus · 10/10 · 28 January 2007]

You do not have to be a history fan to enjoy this hilarious run-through of some famous historical myths and wrongheaded preconceptions about American history. If you are a fan of the subject, it'll be that much more fun.

I have a degree in history and wish my professors had been as entertaining as Mr. Wuhl, who clearly has command of his facts (even I learned a thing or two) as well as a lot of enthusiasm for the topic. The show conveys a lot of cool information in a very entertaining manner.

Note that it definitely does feature some adult situations and language, so it ain't good for young kids (too bad--some might come away with a greater appreciation for history after watching this).

I hope that HBO picks this up as a future series--it has great promise.

Assume the Position

[biancanetta · 10/10 · 20 January 2007]

This is an excellent show! I had a US history teacher in high school that was much like this. There are many "facts" in history that are not quite true and Mr Wuhl points them out very well, in a way that is unforgettable.

Mr Wuhl is teaching a class of film students but history students and even the general public will appreciate the witty way that he uncovers some very well known fallacies in the history of the world and strive to impress them upon that brains of his students. Use of live actors performing "skits" is also very entertaining.

I highly recommend this series to anyone interested in having the history they learned as a child turned upside down.

Be careful what you say

[aswatley · 5/10 · 10 December 2006]

This show is very entertaining but should not be taken to be a serious history lesson. The host points out that a lot of what we are taught as true history is not true at all. But then makes the mistake of giving tidbits of "true" history that are...false. You should not put others down for telling false truth and then back it up with your own made up facts. So while this show is entertaining it is somewhat hypocritical. I would recommend watching the history channel. At least then you can do some of your own research without being subjected to the harsh language that serves no purpose in education or in humor in this setting.

Only fun if you were there

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 31 August 2017]

"Assume the Position with Mr. Wuhl" is an American half hour short film from 2006, so this one had its 10th anniversary last year already and you can read the name of the protagonist in the title. This HBO production can basically be seen as a comedy performance overall I would say, even if the location was a somewhat different stage and the audience is by definition also different in here as Wuhl, an Emmy winner, involves them in his stand-up routine permanently. It does look as if everybody there had a pretty great time and good for them I can only say. However, this does not mean you also have a good time checking this one out. It's mildly funny and the best about it is probably random snippets of information like the one about the Guinness Book of World Records. But there are also some parts that didn't work out and there is really nothing more cringeworthy than watching student laugh and their only purpose is to suck up to the professor. This is an occurrence here from start to finish and it is embarrassing really. As for Mr. Wuhl I think he did an okay job overall, sometimes a bit over the top, but he managed to make all his scripted stuff look spontaneous and that is a bit of an achievement I suppose. The one thing I won't appreciate though were the ways in which he repeatedly mocked Ben Affleck. Sure there was no Argo yet, but still I found it very disrespectful and this is one of the crucial reasons why I give this one a thumbs-down. Another would be that all scenes outside the classroom (even if it weren't many) were really weak. Not recommended. Now lets see if the sequel is any better.