Can't find the US on a World map.

[lawyerdad]

Originally Posted by EL72

My four-year old son can find many Asian and African countries on a map, including Indonesia and Egypt; he can even recognize their flags and name their capital cities. It's just a question of being interested and curious about it, not necessarily smart.

That, and withholding dinner until he answers three questions correctly.

 

[Fuuma]

Originally Posted by gdl203

Are you serious Ed?

Look at this chart. I do find that surprising that 12% of Americans between 18 and 24 cannot locate Mexico on a map. I may agree somewhat on your Indonesia point, but 65% cannot locate the UK on a world map?

No wonder your prisons are overcrowded, people must be running away in the wrong direction.

 

[horton]

I genuinely feel for her.

How did she fare assuming she got a zero for that part of the contest

 

[LanAltec]

That video is hilarious. I think she was really going somewhere good with that answer before the buzzer cut her off!

 

[Ambulance Chaser]

You know what? I really don't care.

 

[Piobaire]

What this was, was just uncontrolled pablum puking. She got all her little warm fuzzy, Bono, save the whales, type buzz words mixed up. She just felt she needed to let people know the problem is people just don't have maps! And that his is due to apartheid in South Africa and sweat shops in...uhhh, like Asian countries. And US school kids should make sure we all have maps and never, uhhh, run out of apartheid...whatever that is.

It was basically Katie Couric meets NPR meets Valley Girl.

 

[Manny Calavera]

Ugh. How do people pity her? She couldn't even put a coherent sentence together. It could've been bullshit for all I care; that's what she's been bred to do, after all.

 

[Manny Calavera]

Originally Posted by Piobaire

What this was, was just uncontrolled pablum puking. She got all her little warm fuzzy, Bono, save the whales, type buzz words mixed up. She just felt she needed to let people know the problem is people just don't have maps! And that his is due to apartheid in South Africa and sweat shops in...uhhh, like Asian countries. And US school kids should make sure we all have maps and never, uhhh, run out of apartheid...whatever that is.

It was basically Katie Couric meets NPR meets Valley Girl.

Don't forget the Iraq.

 

[tiger02]

Originally Posted by iammatt

To get through sixth grade, we were required to be able to name, on a blank map, 80% of the 150 or so countries recognized at that time. Since I made it through, I am sure that I was able to do so, just as I was able to name all of the states and capital of US states.

Nowadays, while better than most Americans and likely most Europeans, I would not be able to come close to 80% of the current countries recognized. Nevertheless, I know how to use a map and especially the index where I can find coordinates and that is probably more important than finding Indonesia (which I can do).

For me it was seventh grade; I guess there has been an exponential decline since.

I generally tell people here that I'm from New York because of the blank stares when I say I'm from New Jersey. Jersey certainly does a **** ton more for the world than, say, Moldova does (see recent Jersey Girl thread for proof).

 

[LabelKing]

Originally Posted by tiger02

For me it was seventh grade; I guess there has been an exponential decline since.

I generally tell people here that I'm from New York because of the blank stares when I say I'm from New Jersey. Jersey certainly does a **** ton more for the world than, say, Moldova does (see recent Jersey Girl thread for proof).

Ask them to find the island of Jersey.

 

[LabelKing]

Originally Posted by Ambulance Chaser

You know what? I really don't care.

That site lies--notice the text that states "Where Beauty Meets Ability".

Maybe ability in bed.

 

[Merckx]

 

[matadorpoeta]

i disagree with those who say she is hot and can just get by on her looks. i can't tell about her body from that video, but her face is very common. she's just an average looking girl with nice teeth and a lot of make-up.

 

[Brian278]

Originally Posted by matadorpoeta

i disagree with those who say she is hot and can just get by on her looks. i can't tell about her body from that video, but her face is very common. she's just an average looking girl with nice teeth and a lot of make-up.

To be fair, it is really, really good teeth.

 

[Cantabrigian]

For the life of me, I have no idea how I would answer that question.

First, I don't believe that 20% of Americans can't point to the US of A on a map but you couldn't really call the question flawed in that situation since it seems like a cop out and since it doesn't exactly earn you congeniality points.

On the outside chance it is true, there is no rational explanation for it.

Whatever its failings the education system here is designed to teach that sort of thing (and I went to an undistinguished elementary school in a po-dunk town). And even the lower 20% of people I've met (in terms of general knowledge / caring about that sort of thing) have picked up enough along the way to figure that one out.

Do you blame teachers? Do you just call Americans stupid?

I really can't figure out what the right answer would be.

Her answer was worse than what most people would come up with but it's not the national quiz bowl and they did really throw her an unfair curve ball.