The Average American?

[Spokesperson 0]

Is it true that the average american is like those people? If that's the case there's no democracy There's no real democracy in a country where people know less than school-children.

Ok most americans on the net know better, but I don't count the average internet-connected american.

[Heatseeker 0]

C'mon, you cant honestly believe that .

Closing?

[ebns72 0]

As an American, both I and my fellow americans watch these programs and can't believe the absolutely stupidity of the people that live in our country. While there certainly are a lot of people like that, I'm sure the people that made this program were problably selective in showing what segments to show on television - the really stupid ones.

Also, the "coalition of the willing" IMO is a stupid question, because here in the U.S. it is ALWAYS just refered to as "The coalition" or "coalition forces." You could have no idea what they were talking about but still know the multinational forces involved in Iraq.

Also, in America there is this gameshow called "cash cab" where random people in a taxi are asked somewhat difficult (not general knowledge) questions in order to win money - and many of them do fairly well, only a few don't know any of them. So all and all I'm not sure if this would be all that accurate of a depiction of the average american.

[NeMeSiS 11]

People like that are everywhere around the world, they just cut the smart people out. Although this clearly shows where the steotype american image comes from

Although it is quite strange to see people who are 25+ years old still dont know stuff like this

EDIT: I love the part with that map though

[Spokesperson 0]

Well they must've been selective, otherwise there would be no show. But the thing that strikes me is that it must be easy to find that kind of people.

Quote[/b] ]People like that are everywhere around the world, they just cut the smart people out.

I've maybe met 1-2 of that kind in my entire life.

[Turkmenbashi 0]

Well they must've been selective, otherwise there would be no show. But the thing that strikes me is that it must be easy to find that kind of people.

Quote[/b] ]People like that are everywhere around the world, they just cut the smart people out.

I've maybe met 1-2 of that kind in my entire life.  

I hope you weren't armed at the time. If you were, you'd better be posting from prison or after having been let out early for good behaviour :P

[Infidel 0]

There are people like that everywhere, however, there is more of them in the US. The US is a rather large country and therefore pretty much self-centered.

What may also come in here is the US school system, which has gone pretty much downhill for the last thirty years. Colleges on the on the other hand do give a pretty good education.

But one also has to admit that it seems like the European school system is following suite.

Infidel

[cozza 24]

Thats just a comedy TV show in Australia. CNNNN. Dont tell me you took it seroiuly  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNNNN

[Messiah 2]

nothing can come of this but petty arguments and flaming - as previously stated the footage would have been cut so that only a selections of the most ignorant were shown - I've seen the same done here in the UK - it's easy to make people look stupid if you really want to.

[martinovic 0]

Those poor Australians lol! They keep on wanting to attack them!

"I'm a little bit mixed up over the Palestinians and the Israelis... which one is throwing the rocks?"

[sputnik monroe 102]

I usually stay out of this part of the board but I just have to say something. I am an American and I will tell you that most of my countrymen are mentally incompetent. However this video you just watched is nothing more than hate propaganda.

 I read about two pages worth of comments below the video on the youtube site and must say that it just confirmed my belief that the rest of the world is just as foolish, ignorant and xenophobic as the "stupid" Americans they rail against so much.

 All the hatred and foolishness in the world really has made me pretty much numb. Still from time to time the dullness wears off such as when I read all the comments about this video, and yeah it stings.

 I talk to people from other countries in Flashpoint and on this board quite a bit. Quite a few are tolerant and don't take propaganda such as that video at face value. However that is an exception to the rule. The majority are arrogant American fools or Arrogant European fools.

 This world is beyond repair and always has been. I cannot excuse my fellow country men's ignorance yet at the same time I cannot see how many Europeans, Asians and others can excuse their fellow country men's zealous hatred of Americans. It's a two way street, the west is a dump the east is a dump. Mankind is a cesspool of ignorant, arrogant, jingoistic, xenophobic, hate filled dirt.

 The only thing that gets me by day to day are my friends and family. People I know who are not mindless hate filled fools. If it where not for them I don't see how I could go on living in such a dark world.

 There is no hope that the rest of the world will all get together and sing Kum by ah and hold hands. I know this, I'm a realist. It still depresses me how much the majority of mankind hates and loathes one another.

 Sorry for the rant. I just had to put my two cents in before the lock. I'm not really mad... just sad.

Was there ever a time when the majority was right? ~Robert Heinlein

[fardwark 0]

I read about two pages worth of comments below the video on the youtube site and must say that it just confirmed my belief that the rest of the world is just as foolish, ignorant and xenophobic as the "stupid" Americans they rail against so much.

xkcd.com has something to say about youtube comments...

[sputnik monroe 102]

ROFL

Thanks for bringing a smile back to my face fardwark

[Messiah 2]

good site - the wikipedia comic really struck a cord with me too

[lilwillie 47]

As with most really terrible TV in America I'm sure the producers interview and hand pick the contestants for the show.

So just like Jeopardy with the smart ones your going to grab the not so smart ones for a 5th grade show. In their normal day to day life they may be very smart at what they do. But throw them on tv and shot questions at them and blunders will happen.

TV in America does suck, big time.

[kavoven 4]

I guess there're stupid people everywhere around the globe... There are similar TV shows here in Germany and I still remember one, where they asked how long the German-Italian border would be... Don't know how many people didn't recognize the trick..

However, I think there are indeed some questions, which show the attitude of some Americans towards the rest of the world and that is really poor for a country, which claims beeing a super-power.

[wex-q 0]

Well, not all americans are stupid, but the ones that these TVguys caught are surely and terribly stupid.

C'mon, who doesn't know where the Berlinwall is, or that there is only 1 Eiffel-tower in Paris

Gosh, they suerly caught idiots, but sadely that media makes it looks like all americans are stupid, but I guess it's we who're stupid and fall for the cuts that the editors make before airing it.

wex

[Thunderbird 0]

I'm afraid there wouldn't be such a high ratio of wrong answers to the number of questions if you would try the same here in france, with people of the same social level, not that I'm trying to make the US look bad in a certain light but the high level of ignorance regarding general knowledge, is kind of worrying.

regards,

TB

[wex-q 0]

I'm afraid there wouldn't be such a high ratio of wrong answers to the number of questions if you would try the same here in france, with people of the same social level, not that I'm trying to make the US look bad in a certain light but the high level of ignorance regarding general knowledge, is kind of worrying.

regards,

TB

Yes, but then again, the french are just proud bastards...

Nah, just kidding.

@your reply: wtf are you on about, you're talking straight against what everyone just said?

Besides, don't you understand that if someone gave a right answer, they cut it out, simply cause it wouldn't have made fun and entertaining TV. I mean, there is alot of smart people in USA, aswell as stupid people, same goes with France, and any other country aswell.

Such a reply though, that's what I call ignorance...

[NeMeSiS 11]

I'm afraid there wouldn't be such a high ratio of wrong answers to the number of questions if you would try the same here in france,

Well you dont know how much people they asked so there is no such thing as a ratio here

A while back i told my girlfriend (who was more or less an average 16 year girl when it comes to intelligence, at least according to her school results) i wanted to go to New Zealand and i was shocked to find out she didnt know where it was. (Im Dutch for what it matters)

General knowledge in general seems to be quite bad, ok, you might ask yourself 'whats the point in knowing where country x' is (which is an argument i really say anything against), but i still find it quite weird.

(Just ask questions like that to 'average' people you know, its quite shocking sometimes what people dont know)

*And with 'average' i dont mean that we/I are some all-knowing gods, but there is no point in asking your geography teacher

EDIT: But i guess where this 'average american' image comes from is from the Americans who think they live in the greatest country in the world and feel the need to tell everyone that every once in a while, and seem to be senseless for any logic or tests like this where the US doesnt show very good results.

And I dont know any (western-)european who would ever want to live in the US instead of their own country.

(Not saying the US is a bad country to live, but people just hate it when Americans talk about their country like that and when they assume that all other countries cannot possibly beat the US in anything (and the usual 'without the US you would have been speaking german, without the US this, that, ..')

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

The only thing I know is how the press works. And they manipulate, polarise and stigmatise just to get their point accross. Moral and Objectivity arent journalistic standards these days. I dont blame these attention-prostitutes, but I blame those readers and viewers that still believe journalism is about intensive research and carefull conclusions.

[Spokesperson 0]

Then there also is a difference if people are ignorant in Tahiti, Europe or USA. It doesn't matter much to the outside world if tahitians are ignorant, if europeans are ignorant it's a bit worse but if Americans are ignorant it's a major problem.

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

deleted comment. sorry

[Thunderbird 0]

Quote[/b] ] I mean, there is alot of smart people in USA, aswell as stupid people, same goes with France, and any other country aswell.

Naturally, there is no point in discussing such an obvious statement.

Quote[/b] ]you're talking straight against what everyone just said?

I somehow agree on everyone's point of view, Just to clear mine, people of the same community, village, city, area, country or whatever you want to call it, are obviously different, they share different visions of how the world works, with different mentalities, cultures and values, and that what makes diversity.

I want to make it clear that there was no offense meant, just a neutral and objective approach based on my own opinion and what I have seen so far, though.

regards,

TB

[ebud 18]

I have to admit I laugh every single time I see shows or segments like that. There is another one called Jaywalking on a late night talk show that is just like that. Another one that just came out asks people questions on subjects taught to 1-5th grade children. Most contestants fail horribly.

For every one person who would know the questions that interviewer asked there are hundreds if not thousands who wouldn't have a clue. I'm pushing 40 and have lived in a few different places here in the U.S. and worked quite a few jobs ranging from oilfield worker to art director in a studio with people of every social class and it never ceases to amaze me at how ignorant the majority of the people here are. It isn't just a class issue. I've worked with many college graduates who wouldn't know many of those questions.

I may be jaded, but I say that's a pretty fair representation of the "average" american.