Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed

This is one of the most emotional documentaries I've seen in a long while, telling a side of Bob's story that I never knew. Not only is the drama of Bov's life told beautifully but it is accompanied by gorgeous shots of landscapes in reference to the subject of many of his paintings. This alongside truly magnificent dramatical painting used to illustrate parts of the story that were not visually documented creates a truly engaging experience of truth. My eyes have seen a new vision of Bob Ross Inc. That will surely shape how I spend my money in the future, but also a new appreciation of Ross and his work.

It's hard to think that anyone would want to take advantage of a man as kind as Bob Ross. I hope the people who did him wrong are shamed into doing the right thing. I say shame because we know they won't do the right thing on their own accord. If I were a part of the Kowalski family or Bob Ross, inc I wouldn't be able to sleep at night. Shameful! Greedy! Monsters!

Growing up without cable television, the people I gravitated to were Bob Ross, Mr. Rogers, Levar Burton, Mr. Wizard and Alex Trebek. I don't regret not growing up with the wild variety of cable networks, for I can consider myself an OG when it comes to the media that so many people only wish they had been able to follow. The Mr. Rogers memes are especially hilarious to me considering I avidly watched his show.

Either way, Bob Ross was the unusual noise in the background who somehow made cool paintings in less than half an hour. I have never been much of an artist so I always loved how he was capable of such things so quickly. I have fond remembrance of the man, and for the longest time I just wanted it to stay that way.

Of course, the modern era with its thousands of channels and shows eventually had to come around and talk about the world of Bob Ross. I mean, we already broke down all of the other stalwarts of my youth, so now it was his turn. I was expecting the worst, but thankfully his only real vice was he seemed to like the ladies too much, which in all honesty is forgivable as long as he isn't outright assaulting them. However, the real tragedy is the story is the twisted and painful aftermath of his death.

Turns out the likeness of Bob Ross was a fierce and ugly battle. One thing the modern era has taught us is with the commodification of everything is that if we are not careful, we may not even own the intellectual rights to our own name!! Now this sounds utterly ridiculous, but this is what happened to Ross' family when a scrupulous family member signed a very unfriendly contract that pretty much gave the likeness of Ross away to a third party. This basically means all of the board games, t-shirts and even coffee mugs are not even being licensed by the family. Heck, the paints that bear his name on them are not even being made by the company Bob originally picked to distribute.

The result is a sad tale of making sure you have all your ducks in a row after death. While it was completely one sided affair, judging by the amount of products and fear that many people displayed in the making of this documentary, its pretty clear this was a highway robbery. Without the other side participating, we can't get a full picture of the story. But its pretty clear who is the wrong side. Either way, watch the film and enjoy the funny old photos of Bob, and then prepare to be sad. That seems to come in spades these days.

This documentary will make you smile, cry, MAD and even love Bob Ross more than you already did. It was especially painful to watch the injustice that has been done to Bob Ross and his son Steve Ross by Walt and Annette Kowalski. It will infuriate you when you know the details. I really hope justice will take place and they will be punished!

(And the 2 negative reviews are obviously from evil team Kowalski).

Incredible documentary. I would watch Bob Ross all the time when I was a young man, and eventually as an adult I'd tune in at night to help me fall asleep. He was so soft-spoken and kind, you couldn't help but be pulled into his show and comforted.

Though delving into interesting people's lives occasionally becomes quite the obsession for me (I love reading and watching biographies), I'd somehow never looked into Ross's life. All I knew for years and years was that he was an ex-military man who somehow ended up painting on television. I never felt like I needed to know more. We all have our trials and tribulations through life, absolutely, but Ross radiated this palpable sense of peace. It was even infectious. I think a lot of us just naively assumed that this guy's life was perfect; he had a true passion for something, and excelled in its field to a near-envious degree.

You'll feel just about every emotional reaction under the sun when watching this. You'll revel in his success and generosity, cry when things go wrong, and become furious when the "Betrayal & Greed" from the title make themselves known.

I hope the Kowalski's get their comeuppance one day. And I'm glad Steve, Bob's son, was able to find peace in the canvas.