Lets have a laugh at America!

Blitzkrieger · 05-02-2003 02:31AM #1

I was watching Jenny Jones today (don't ask, and isn't that rotating Jenny Jones icon annoying?), and they were doing a show on 'real life video'. They featured a show called Street Smarts (www.streetsmartstv.com), where a presenter would go up to people on the street and ask them general knowledge questions.

Host : In what countries would you find Niagra Falls?
Some Dumb Ass American On The Street : Ahhh....Paris and United States.
Host : Those are the countries where you would find Niagra Falls?
SDAAOTS : Texas and Mass..

Host : Name the big dam near Las Vegas.
SDAAOTS : Hooter Dam......Hooter Dam.......What?

Host : Pronounce this word : *Host shows a printed card with the word Debut
SDAAOTS : De-butt.

Host : Pronounce this word : *Host shows a printed card with the word Cologne
SDAAOTS : Colaangee.

Shocking as it may be that their literacy is so poor they can't recognise the word Debut, despite it being a popular word with sports presenters, and their knowledge of geograpy is so poor they don't know major land-marks in their own country, I can't get over the fact that they wouldn't just say : "I don't know".

One of the questions was a fill in the blank question : "Name this popular children's computer game : Where in the world is Carmen _____?". The first thing that popped into my head was "Electra", and indeed, that was the answer SDAAOTS gave. The difference is I would have considered my response, realised that a children's computer probably wouldn't feature Carmen Electra and responded : "I don't know". It's the difference between stupidity and ignorance.

Without getting into a whole debate about ignorance being a sign of stupidity, let me just say I don't mind being ignorant about inconsequential things, for example : who won big brother.

In typical dumb ass american fashion, the host also asked a number of questions about popular culture (read : TV), which you would expect to be hit and miss, then taunted the unfortunate SDAAOTS for getting it wrong. If you asked me a question about Coronation Street, Eastenders or one of the many Popstars, Pop Idol, Pop Fluff shows out there I would probably get it wrong too - does that make me stupid?

Maybe we should set a minimum intelligence level before you're considered civiliSed?

Soooooo, before I rant any further, how about we post our own experiences of not just Bush-isms, but American-isms.

My sister was in the states last summer, and mentioned to an American lady that my brother had gone to the Canadian Grand Prix. The response : "Oh Canada? That's like a whole other state." How dumb do you have to be not to notice a country the size of Canada on your border?

Cheez · 05-02-2003 02:58AM

Heard about thiese americans that went into the anne frank museum in amsterdam and asked this girl i know
"where is little old anne" anyway
to which the reply was "what the fuk?"
"yea little old anne frank,where is she?"

like they paid in an everythin,dumasses!

DriftingRain · 05-02-2003 03:16AM

I could get really upset at this post because I am an american. But I am just going to ignore some of these posts. Not all americans are rich enough to enjoy some of the leisures of getting to see the anne frank museum in Amsterdam. I am sure other countries also have a high rate of illiteracy. Why not bash them...Africa? Pakistan? In some of those countries females can't even go to school to learn to read and write? Why not bash those? There are to many people that want hash out at us. I will be the first to agree that many things in the US need to get better such as our need to want to feed the other countries that are hungary when we have our own people starving. I think it is highly unfair to judge america as a whole. There are some really stupid people here and there are some really smart people here. Everyone is still an equal and still treated as an equal. Anyhow ...now i have ranted enough!

Bluehair · 05-02-2003 03:25AM

Second last time in the States and met up with some distant relatives in NY. One of the first questions... and I $hit you not.... was "How long did the drive take from Ireland?" :rolleyes:

After a bid of prodding about the Atlantic ocean being something of a problem to drive over a completley unashamed uncle declared "Oh yea...." and stared into space a bit.

It's nothing to be proud of the general level of education over there is astonishling bad but whats worse is they don't seem to feel thats a problem.

Btw in a later conversation that evening I asked my cousin (19yrs old) was Canada on the North or South border of the US. He had a 50/50 shot at this and got it wrong. When I then asked which border Mexico was on the response was (no, really) "Yea right.. Mexico on the US border! (laughs histerically)).

Oh well.. :rolleyes: makes me grateful when I get home

Wook · 05-02-2003 08:38AM

Originally posted by DriftingRain
I could get really upset at this post because I am an american. . I am sure other countries also have a high rate of illiteracy. Why not bash them...Africa? Pakistan? . Everyone is still an equal and still treated as an equal. Anyhow ...now i have ranted enough!

funny you should compare yourself with 'Africa and Pakistan' yes these countries make as much money as you guy's and have as much money to invest in education. The price of another Usa bomber could fund the schools of usa with an updated library?

daveirl · 05-02-2003 09:30AM

This post has been deleted.

BigEejit · 05-02-2003 09:39AM

Ahhh ... you've got to love 'em ...
My brother is married to an American and lives there, he likes the lifestyle (and yes his wife is well edumacated

) ... but his father in law is another story ..
He bought a "small" car for his other daughter on her 16th birthday ... it was a new Honda Accord 2 litre ... it was considered small because his car had an engine in the region of 5.5 litres ...he just did not check to see what sort of a car it was, he just assumed that because it had a small 2 litre engine that it would not be able to go fast:rolleyes: ..

But the thing that got to me was the wastefulness ... they had a sink, a diswasher ... but no plates or cups or knives forks and spoons ... all plastic and paper .. (granted they might have had them lying around somewhere, but they never used them) .. they did however have glasses (except for one uncle, we drank whiskey out of paper cups:( , it actually stripped the coating off the inside of the cup:eek: )

God, I could go on and on and on and .....................

daveJAM · 05-02-2003 09:46AM

Africa isn't a country.

But Hungary is!!!

our need to want to feed the other countries that are hungary when we have our own people starving.

Big Chief · 05-02-2003 11:18AM

Originally posted by Blitzkrieger
One of the questions was a fill in the blank question : "Name this popular children's computer game : Where in the world is Carmen _____?". The first thing that popped into my head was "Electra", and indeed, that was the answer SDAAOTS gave. The difference is I would have considered my response, realised that a children's computer probably wouldn't feature Carmen Electra and responded : "I don't know". It's the difference between stupidity and ignorance.

Carmen Sandiego ?

sorry but that question is bugging me and im quite sure the answer is the above, just wanted to know if it was

(oh and electra also popped into my mind right away, but then i remembered the cartoon i watched when i was younger called the above ^)

Bard · 05-02-2003 11:24AM

"Oh you're going on holiday to Ireland? You know they don't have computers there, don't you? Or indoor toilets."

- as said to an American friend of mine by a shop assistant

flyz · 05-02-2003 11:35AM

A bus load of americans trying to figure out why they were going on a Bus to Connemara and wondering who Con and Maura were and why they were so important

Also I've heard tell of people telling them that Leprachans are considered a deliacy in Ireland

Samba · 05-02-2003 12:29PM

I think the most shocking fact about America is that under 10% of them hold passports

I will conceed that going from one state to another is like a holiday, different landscapes and scenery etc, but I think that it says alot about their culture and unwillingness to learn of others, yet they pass judgement on other cultures that they have never even experienced "cough Bush" Cough.

While I have visited the states once, I dont think it is fair to pass judgement on them as a whole, as there is such a large population.

Imagine Ireland had the population of America! I for one would be amused by alot of people

Oh dear, i suddenly felt the urge to go in to a big rant there, good thing I wont

.

BigEejit · 05-02-2003 12:34PM

Heh ... just remembered when I was in Blarney last, i was asked where yoggal was ... I was scratching my head until I figured it was Youghal ... and kinsally (Kinsale)

Bard · 05-02-2003 12:41PM

Originally posted by BigEejit
Heh ... just remembered when I was in Blarney last, i was asked where yoggal was ... I was scratching my head until I figured it was Youghal ... and kinsally (Kinsale)

Oh you big eejit

For the benefit of those who don't understand what you're saying though, of course, Youghal is pronounced "Yawl" (not "Yoggal") and Kinsale as "Kin Sayl" (not "Kinsally").

One of the lads in our Danish supplier company keeps calling Ballina (Bal-ih-nahh) "Balleena". A particular English weather forecaster used to always call Drogheda "druh-heeda"... *shrug*

artvandelay · 05-02-2003 01:53PM

not to metion kin-sella and the gal-ag-er brothers

Calibos · 05-02-2003 02:56PM

"How many Dart stops is Dun leg wire?"WTF????? Em Er?? Oh you mean Dun Laoghaire.....................

Wook · 05-02-2003 03:07PM

understandable with irish location names, that you can make some mistakes

They are not really obvious on how to pronounce them .

The_Bullman · 05-02-2003 03:07PM

A friend of mine's mother was in America when Titanic came out in the cinema. She was standing in the queue with a friend and just mentioned to her friend

"I wonder how they dealt with the sinking of the ship"-referring to the special effects, cgi or whatever

Surprise, surprise, the people in the queue in front of them who overheard where discusted in them for ruining the end of the movie. They(the americans) gave them an earful and left

eth0_ · 05-02-2003 03:38PM

Originally posted by DriftingRain
I am sure other countries also have a high rate of illiteracy. Why not bash them...Africa? Pakistan? In some of those countries females can't even go to school to learn to read and write?

Drifting rain your post is stupid. The main point of this thread is that there are so many ignorant and almost terminally stupid people in the USA, which is a crying shame considering everyone is well able to go to school and learn for free!

I mean, not knowing where Niagara falls is located, one of the 7th wonders of the world is, is just incomprehensible to me!

As for Africa, well it's not a country, and many of the countries inside that continent are so poor they can't school their citizens so I think that's a FAIR reason why they're illiterate!

Pakistan....is a country with VERY highly educated people.

You really should check your facts my yankee chum :-)

Sangre · 05-02-2003 05:44PM

Originally posted by Blitzkrieger

Shocking as it may be that their literacy is so poor they can't recognise the word Debut, despite it being a popular word with sports presenters, and their knowledge of geograpy is so poor they don't know major land-marks in their own country, I can't get over the fact that they wouldn't just say : "I don't know".

Nigara Falls is in Canada.....

Monty - the one and only · 05-02-2003 06:18PM

actually they are in both...there are 2 waterfalls at niagra...the big one is on the canadian side of the border, where as the smaller on is on the US side

seamus · 05-02-2003 07:19PM

It's not really fair to slag them because they get placenames/surnames wrong, but it is funny.
Ma-hoe-knee instead of Mahoney (Ma-honey for the uninitiated).

In fairness, if I hadn't heard of Mianus (My-anus) before they showed it on jackass, I would have pronounced it Mee-ah-nuss or My-ah-nuss, never My-anus.

Two friends of mine (who are brothers) were in a lift in New York one time, talking away, and a couple in the lift heard there accents and said "That's an interesting accent...where you from?".
"Ireland."
"Oh, really? You're not native Irish though are you? One of your parents must be, like, European or something?"
"No....both our parents are from Ireland"
"That's not possible...all native Irish have red hair and green eyes!"
<stunned silence>

heh

lemondrop · 05-02-2003 07:46PM

Originally posted by DriftingRain
Why not bash them...Africa? Pakistan? In some of those countries females can't even go to school to learn to read and write?

I have to say i really like America ive been there a few times and i cant wait to go back but in your post..............while females are not able to go to schools in those countries, in America they are so you're not comparing like with like!!!!!

Even though the answers maybe very dumb i still love the StreetSmarts show.... i got hooked on it when i was in the States. Maybe i like proving my intelligence!!!! lol.

Biffa Bacon · 05-02-2003 08:21PM

Yes, I've always found it amazing that a country whose people are so dumb they have difficulty pronouncing non-phonetic foreign place-names correctly, can still be the world's center of scientific and technological research, the world's richest economy, the world's most popular culture, the world's most powerful military etc. What are the chances of that happening!?!?!?!

Spas.

Earthhorse · 05-02-2003 08:47PM

Right, I probably should just let this go but seeing as my mother's American I won't.

/me rolls up sleeves

First off you're using a television show for the purposes of drawing conclusions about a nation's people. It's a pretty poor starting point. Would you have Americans or Europeans judge us by looking at Pat Kenny or listening to Joe Duffy? Did it ever occur to you that Street Smarts might be edited for entertainment's sake and that they'll rarely if ever show the people who got the questions right?

Second of all you've misspelt geography in your post. Should I conclude from this that you have a poor level of literacy or that you were just too busy to notice? Similarly is it fair of you to say that people who hazard a guess when they don't know are stupid, or is it just they're a small bit nervous with a camera pointed at them? A case in point here are the contestants on Winning Streak who seem unable to push buttons when asked to do so.

It's easy to quote the lowest common denomintors in society and seem superior to them. If Bertie Ahern were the world's most powerful politician there'd be just as many e-mails doing the rounds.

As for this:

originally posted by ethO_
The main point of this thread is that there are so many ignorant and almost terminally stupid people in the USA, which is a crying shame considering everyone is well able to go to school and learn for free!

What makes you believe that there are proportionally any more stupid Americans than there are Irish, or is it just their numbers that makes it okay to have a pop at them? And I think you'd have a hard time proving that everyone in America has access to free education; the country has her fair share of poor.

Also, I think DriftingRain was referring to the fact that some countries deny women's rights to education and that surely this is a worse thing than some people not being able to pronounce debut. I'm not saying she's right with regard to Pakistan, just that people seem to have taken her up incorrectly on that point.

I'm sorry if this post makes out to be a pedant or humourless but I'm sick of this superiority complex most Irish and Europeans seem to have toward Americans and which seems to be based solely on junk TV, a summer or two working in the States or a few anecdotes about yankee tourists. It seems to me that people who make their minds up on evidence such as this are the ones who need their intelligence questioned.

And yes Big Chief it was Carmen San Diego!

Vuk · 05-02-2003 08:51PM

What I have found funny and disturbing, is that a number of years ago, while out drinking with some Yugoslav friends while living in Malta we happened across some US Air Force guys. A few drinks later, the conversation of course ventured to the Nato bombing of Belgrade. One of the USAF lads (who was involved in the 'campaign') stated 'I thought all you guys were black'.
We promptly left.... I'm not sure whether it was a defence of his actions (disturbing) or a show of his ignorance (funny).

Big Chief · 05-02-2003 09:09PM

Originally posted by Earthhorse
And yes Big Chief it was Carmen San Diego!

cheers

thought i was right

Lafortezza · 05-02-2003 09:22PM

don't mean to be a bollox here, but wasn't it Carmen Santiago?

Big Chief · 05-02-2003 09:30PM

you are being a bollox!

it might have been

Earthhorse · 05-02-2003 09:35PM

We're both wrong.

It was Carmen Sandiego.

Kalina · 05-02-2003 09:37PM

I've only ever met 3 Americans, by that I mean got to know them a bit, so I haven't too much experience but out of the 3 I met 2 of them were so self-centered, they assumed the world turned because they are on it, and that everyone should do what they want when they want it. Granted these people were 18 and 30 year old women and you'd expect that to a point. But they were pretty dumb aswell. I know that's only 2 out of however many million Americans but they were so stereotypically American it was unbelievable!!

Lets have a laugh at America!

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