Well, let's hope it helps to break down the divides in the US.
(CNN)We're divided by culture as much as politics. The roots of red state vs. blue state tribalism reflect the different ways we live in rural and urban America. But while these divides run deep, they are also simplistic stereotypes that are reinforced by ignorance and insults.
That's just one reason why the new Ken Burns documentary "Country Music" is essential viewing right now: It can help break down these divides by increasing understanding and appreciation of our shared American story.
Country music comes from the heart of rural America. But it is both a cruel and stupid mistake to dismiss it as hillbilly music. It is a cross-pollination of different traditions that has evolved over more than a century. It's the sound of Saturday night and Sunday morning, a music of love and loss. And like jazz, the subject of an earlier series from Burns, country music is an authentic American art form.
The series is arguably the best documentary series Burns has made since his initial epics on the Civil War and baseball.
