Steve is back

wybnormal

Have you seen this? Its as much detail as anything I've read
https://www.thedailybeast.com/sex-deceit-and-scandal-the-ugly-war-over-bob-ross-ghost

ForestVueGallery

wybnormal Everyone should read this article. I ran across it a couple months back and can no longer support Bob Ross, Inc. I look forward to more people seeing the truth in the Netflix documentary airing August 25th.

Ian_Adkins

OMG, wow. Thank you so much, I had somehow missed this. It answers so many questions, some bearing directly on academic research I was trying to do but couldn't get an "in." Now I know for sure: the fear of lawyers, on one hand, and an ugly truth coming out on the other.

Maybe a trip to Winchester, IN is not out of the question after all. 👏👏👏

TheLandscapePainter

I don't know much about it, but Bob wouldn't have wanted this would he, all the bad feeling I mean. And he would have wanted the very best for his son. It sounds like its all gone wrong and Bob's not here to have his say. I think it's sad, particularly as Bob spread so much joy. It just shows how important it is to be careful when signing business contracts, and also to have a cast iron will in place before you die.

Ian_Adkins

TheLandscapePainter Seems as though he wasn't cool with any of it in life, but didn't have all his legal ducks in a row before he died. He seemed to be waking up to his business partners (who shall go nameless, lest lawyers descend) being right bastards, but seems to have underestimated just how vicious they are and how they'd behave after he was gone. One of the ironies here is that it's his smiling face and gentle reputation that allowed BRI to do some truly villainous things (suing a PBS children's show?) and skate away still smelling like roses.

TheLandscapePainter

Ian_Adkins I still don't know much about it but what you said makes sense. I've seen people in the music industry in similar situations who have had their lives turned upside down by those who are supposed to support them. What really gets my goat is that massive numbers of people love Bob so much, some have had their lives remarkably enriched by him, others simply want to paint like him, but when they try to follow his videos they are often blocked in the uk on youtube. I ask myself, who is responsible for that? Bob wanted to share! Try dailymotion, they are accessible there if any of you guys are having difficulty accessing his videos. But what annoys me most of all, is that his followers think they are buying "his" products, literally "Bob Ross" paints and brushes, after all, that's what it says on the tin. I suspect they feel that in some way they are supporting him. I know I did to begin with. When you discover this is not the case you do eventually realise that there are other brands you can use. To be honest, I'd be more than happy to buy products from Steve. I have wondered if he has is own range. I just did a quick sweep of the internet but only BRI products seem to be on offer.

[deleted]

Ian_Adkins There also seems to be a false information about Bill Alexander. It is mentioned he was Austrian.
As far as I know he was born in eastern Prussia, which did belong to Germany until 1945, if I am correctly informed. So he was German.

Ian_Adkins

Tom0779 Right you are, I missed that. No one could mistake that Prussian accent of his for an Austrian one.

moai

Interesting Winchester is not too far from Muncie, which is not too far from where I live.

Ian_Adkins

ForestVueGallery Hopefully it's not just another BRI hagiography like "The Happy Painter," which not only plastered over Bob's humanity, but all the infelicities and treachery leading up to Bob's death and thereafter. I've told everyone to please, please not buy me any Bob Ross-branded gifts at gift-givingtide because I don't want the money going back to BRI.

ForestVueGallery

Ian_Adkins We will know soon enough. Based on a chat I had with a BRI certified instructor many of them are up in arms about this. They’ve invested the time and money to use Bob’s name to instruct, and now feel their supporting the enemy. The instructor said many had contacted BRI about this issue and received no response. Based on things I’ve read this may just set the record straight, and I’m hopeful that Steve will build his own empire now that he is free from the shackles of BRI. Steve’s name and life has been the true casualty in all of this.

Mgiese84

@ForestVueGallery I too was pretty PO'd about the way the Kowalski's treated Bob and his family & friends towards the end of his life and now afterwards. I hope Steve and Dana maybe can combine and continue Bob's work in the way he would have wanted.

ForestVueGallery

Mgiese84 I watched the new Bob Ross documentary on Netflix this morning and I was practically in tears several times. I will watch it again to pick up more detail on the legal portions of it. It didn’t disappoint in making clear that Bob was wronged and Steve was gagged to silence. I sincerely hope that everyone sees this documentary and reacts in the one way we can.

Ian_Adkins

I saw it and after all I could was mutter permutations of the same curse word, because it's just incomprehensible. Now I'm just livid. I would rather put my hand on a hot iron than see a one more single farthing go to BRI. I hope this documentary dents the merch mill a bit.

ForestVueGallery

Ian_Adkins Oh I am so with you on this!! There is an absolute firestorm on the BRI Facebook site in response to a memo BRI posted in response to the documentary. Prepare yourself to curse some more.
https://www.facebook.com/100044183181677/posts/391902142292555/
The first couple of sentences in the memo:
“Bob Ross Inc. takes strong issue with the inaccurate and heavily slanted portrayal of our company in a Netflix film.

If not for the efforts of the remaining founders and their dedication to this mission, Bob’s artistic and cultural relevance would have been lost decades ago with his passing.” 😡

Ian_Adkins

ForestVueGallery Total self-serving jackassery. I didn't scroll all the way down, but there were some choice excoriations that expressed my sentiments exactly.

If there is justice anywhere, this bankrupts BRI and Steve can buy it off Ahab and Jezebel there for $1 and a pack of smokes.

Felix

As you've probably noticed I've stayed silent in this thread. The reason for that is twofold:
I haven't watched the doc yet and didn't do any real research about the whole situation (besides reading the article posted above and some rumours on the net) myself.
On the other hand as the person running this website I'd rather stay out of this topic as much as possible, for obvious reasons.

For everyone that wants to switch to other brands: I'm currently working on a guide that lists alternatives to the BR brand stuff. If you'd like to give your input please visit this thread: https://www.twoinchbrush.com/forum/d/199-alternatives-to-bob-ross-products

Ian_Adkins

Felix I suppose we had all best be circumspect. As the documentary makes clear, lawyers abound. Though being based outside the U.S., you may be somewhat protected from litigation originating here. OTOH, depending on where your servers are or who is routing the traffic, a well-aimed cease-and-desist could be...disruptive.

Sunnylady

I watched documentary just today and I wish all the best to Steve as this is a big war he will need to handle. I hope there is some fund raiser to collect 200k as minimum as legal expense will sky rocket. I hope people will help him to restore him as heir after his Dad.
there are a lot of things in this documentary that require some thinking in retrospect about Bob Ross (as a name and brand) in the last three decades.

RosoLima

My husband and I watched the docu last night. We were glad to see that Bob Ross in the videos is very close to the way he thought and carried himself in real life. But we are utterly dismayed at the treatment of Steve and other fellow artists. In reading the statement the BRI put out on their FaceBook page, it seems they might have agreed to participate in the film if they knew it was going to be distributed by Netflix! In otherwords....had they known the whole world could see it, they might have made different choices.

Forgive my ignorance for not understanding or if I missed this in the film, but can someone tell me why Steve was not notified his uncle was selling his 51% ? Shouldn't a lawyer have let him know? That seems unethical as well.

Anyway, I'm asking all my friends not to buy me funny Bob Ross merchandise anymore. And Felix, I'll look forward to your list of alternative products and appreciate the effort. I really love THIS community but really disappointed in the actions and greed of the Kowalski's. It's not too late for them to do the right thing.

Mgiese84

RosoLima My best guess on the 51% to Steve's 49% is I'm sure a lawyer had to let Steve know what was going on. I, along with several family members, have a couple small businesses in town and regardless of % ownership everyone is in the loop if any major changes would happen. I too am extremely disappointed in how Bob, Steve, Dana, and the whole group was treated. Very sad.

mrdaputer

I am perplexed I have just started to paint. I don't want to support BRI any more and seen the post about alternative supplies. I will use the products I have bought and and let Bob teach me how to paint.