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ayana Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 2:27 PM |
Love this video, haha.
But really it's not very objective. We don't know how many people answered right cause they just picked the worst!
As for the "american-are-stupid" thing, I couldn't remember what the capital of Greece was this morning... Well, at least I know where Greece is, unlike some other students (one said it was an island...).
And I can never remember the name of Turkey's capital (I always wanna say it's Encarta lol). |
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minnmess Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 2:44 PM |
megg_inc wrote: lilly wrote:
Btw: if we take that "can you name all the capitals of all 50 States" a little further, we would have to be able to name the Capitals of the Spanish "Comunidades Autónomas", the German "Federal States (16)", the Chinese Provinces and regions, etc etc etc, too, if you see what I mean... ;)
I agree. Sorry guys but I don't think the 'name the European countries and their capitals' is the same thing as 'name the states and their capitals'.
Ya i'm with that. Especially considering that geographically, Canada is bigger than the US, so you should then be expected to know all the Canadian provincial capitals by that logic. Although I do see what you were getting at.
People generally don't know my nation's capital either.
Megg, those are sad questions! Im glad this *crazy* internet thing doesn't overwhelm you and you manage to post, lol |
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Turtleneck Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 2:46 PM |
I had to learn the US states and capitols in 7th grade. Other than that, we were not required to learn any geography. There would be a map in our social studies book if it pertained to something we were reading about, but we were never tested on it and most of us barely looked at the maps.
I'm fairly well traveled, so I know limited geography from that, but I will admit that my formal education in geography is sorely lacking.
We are isolated in the US. We can't hop on a train and within 2 hours be in a different country with a different language and a different culture. (Most of us can't even hop on a train.) We don't get foreign TV, we don't generally watch world news.
We are happily buried in our own country and the rest of the world doesn't enter in very much. If you want to equate intelligence with "worldliness," than many of us will appear ignorant. I know a whole lot of people who have never left the country, will never leave the country, and have never communicated with someone from another country. Knowing world geography is just not a priority to many people. It's game show trivia. |
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Posts: 275 |
Kristy Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 3:09 PM |
Moray wrote: Kristy wrote: To be fair, many Americans in the media over here in the UK (whether they are celebs or random people on the street) do seem incredibly insular.
Maybe the media needs to be blamed for the "stupid American" idea.
yes, it's definitely the medias fault for perpetuating the myth, and not our fault for believing in it. Brilliant. Shouldn't we be smart enough to say "hold on a minute...... that sounds like a sweeping generalisation to me!"
What I meant was, perhaps the media use and abuse the idea that 'Americans are idiots' via editing and post-production - i.e. they, for whatever reason, edit out those who appear to be intelligent. Perhaps it's a subconsoous thing, perhaps it draws a bigger audience ... I don't know. All I'm saying is, the media show it = many people will believe it. That's the way it'll always be. There are too many sheep in the world who believe everything and follow every trend etc.
Look how many people buy celeb magazines and actually believe the photos aren't airbrushed.
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Posts: 275 |
Kristy Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 3:11 PM |
Nikki wrote:
MoreThanMe was trying to single me out because I'm American and ask me to answer a geography question. I find that very insulting. Too bad for him that I had the answer right and he had it wrong. Makes my argument that much stronger.
Maybe he was asking you (singling you out?) because you seem to have an opinion about a lot of things :)
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Posts: 176 |
Lizzie b Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 3:20 PM |
lilly wrote: Btw: if we take that "can you name all the capitals of all 50 States" a little further, we would have to be able to name the Capitals of the Spanish "Comunidades Autónomas", the German "Federal States (16)", the Chinese Provinces and regions, etc etc etc, too, if you see what I mean... ;)
Yes, that is true. I didn't think of it that way.
I also COMPLETELY agree w/ Turtleneck. Every. Word. She. Said. |
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Posts: 7519 |
Nikki Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 3:38 PM |
silvella wrote: Nikki wrote: MoreThanMe was trying to prove a point in the chat that Americans don't know anything about geography by asking me to quickly answer what the capital of Germany is without looking it up online. My answer: Berlin.
Everyone else in the chat thought it was Berlin as well, but he only asked me because I'm the "stupid" American, I guess.
He said I'm wrong and that it's Bonn.
After he left the chat, Luke, Kristy and I checked Wiki and it says it IS in fact Berlin.
German bordies: what is your current capital? Bonn or Berlin?
Thanks. :)
-Nikki-
PS: If it IS in fact Bonn...fine. I learned something new. However, I'm offended I was the only one asked this question in the chat because I'm American when none of us knew for sure.
Nikki, keep cool! It is Berlin, but it WAS Bonn before the reunification of Germany and the German Democratic Republic. Hope you've heard of the Fall of the Wall in 1989?
*sigh* Of course I have.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I agree with Kayte that because of our geographical location, Americans are far more isolated and many don’t know much about other countries and their cultures because we can’t jump on a train and travel there as easily. But isn’t it the same for Canadians? How come they aren’t labeled with the same stereotypes? Having said that, America has some of the most highly educated people in the world and to make such a sweeping generalization and claim Americans on a whole are stupid is asinine. I, like many of my fellow Americans on the board, know a lot about geography. I went to college, got a degree, took classes on world geography, relations, politics, culture, religion and history. I’ve only been outside of North America once (to Poland for a month), but I feel I have a pretty good grasp on what is going on in the world. (To clarify, MoreThanMe didn’t come out and say the word “stupid,” but it’s a view that other countries seem to have of us for some odd reason).
Megg, I can't stand when people make Polish jokes, and I'm third generation, so I can't imagine how it feels for you to hear all that crap.
Also, I don’t think that knowing all 50 US states and their capitals equals knowing the countries of Europe, for example, and their capitals. That’s two different levels of “importance.” If we said that, we’d have to know all the providences in Canada and their capitals. Which I don’t think any of us could do off the top of our heads…except for Kristy maybe. |
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Nikki Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 3:42 PM |
Kristy wrote: Nikki wrote:
MoreThanMe was trying to single me out because I'm American and ask me to answer a geography question. I find that very insulting. Too bad for him that I had the answer right and he had it wrong. Makes my argument that much stronger.
Maybe he was asking you (singling you out?) because you seem to have an opinion about a lot of things :)
? So what. |
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minnmess Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 3:46 PM |
Nikki wrote:
*sigh* Of course I have.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I agree with Kayte that because of our geographical location, Americans are far more isolated and many don’t know much about other countries and their cultures because we can’t jump on a train and travel there as easily. But isn’t it the same for Canadians? How come they aren’t labeled with the same stereotypes?
If we said that, we’d have to know all the providences in Canada and their capitals. Which I don’t think any of us could do off the top of our heads…except for Kristy maybe.
And even that takes me a second to think about, lol. We have some pretty stupid ones (sorry Victoria, but why do you get to be British Columbia's Capital?). I can teach you a song to learn all the names of the provinces though!
Oh fear not Nikki, we have our own batch of Canadian stereotypes to deal with! I'll tell you about them one day if I can ever get out of my igloo and get my polar bear to take me to visit you. |
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Turtleneck Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 3:48 PM |
minnmess wrote:
People generally don't know my nation's capital either.
Is it Ottawa? |
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Nikki Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 3:49 PM |
minnmess wrote: Nikki wrote:
*sigh* Of course I have.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I agree with Kayte that because of our geographical location, Americans are far more isolated and many don’t know much about other countries and their cultures because we can’t jump on a train and travel there as easily. But isn’t it the same for Canadians? How come they aren’t labeled with the same stereotypes?
If we said that, we’d have to know all the providences in Canada and their capitals. Which I don’t think any of us could do off the top of our heads…except for Kristy maybe.
And even that takes me a second to think about, lol. We have some pretty stupid ones (sorry Victoria, but why do you get to be British Columbia's Capital?). I can teach you a song to learn all the names of the provinces though!
Oh fear not Nikki, we have our own batch of Canadian stereotypes to deal with! I'll tell you about them one day if I can ever get out of my igloo and get my polar bear to take me to visit you.
As long as you bring some cute hockey players with you. :) |
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minnmess Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 3:53 PM |
| But of course Nikki. I'll get out my 8 passenger polar bear. His name is...Trigger. (that was the first word that popped in my head, lol) |
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Posts: 7519 |
Nikki Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 3:54 PM |
Turtleneck wrote: minnmess wrote:
People generally don't know my nation's capital either.
Is it Ottawa?
Yeah. It is. A lot of people think Detroit is the capital of Michigan too. |
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Posts: 7519 |
Nikki Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 3:55 PM |
minnmess wrote: But of course Nikki. I'll get out my 8 passenger polar bear. His name is...Trigger. (that was the first word that popped in my head, lol)
Isn't that one of Sarah Palin's kids names? lol |
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Posts: 8142 |
minnmess Posted Fri 07 Nov, 2008 3:56 PM |
| HAHAHAHA, my polar bear is Sarah Palin's kid? |
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