Comments on: Dumb blonde fails 3rd grade question

By: Harold Swanson

Harold Swanson — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 05:01:47 +0000

I have taught junior high and senior high English and social studies for over thirty years, and let me tell you: There are people just that ignorant - many more than you want to know. And the problem is getting worse. I have had students tell me on tests that Anne Frank went into hiding during the U.S. Civil War, that Hitler was president of the United States during World War II, that July is the coldest month of the year in Minnesota, etc. I remember a general music student from years ago (when I was a student) who thought that a particular song was written in the key of H. The ignorance problem is not always the result of poor schools; a teacher can teach, prod, and cajole until he's blue in the face. The sad fact is that some students have NO intellectual life at home, read nothing, pay no attention to what goes in the classroom, and simply CANNOT THINK. The scariest part is that too many of these people vote and that politicians shape their views according to the "collective wisdom" - spoken in hushed tones,
of course - of the American people.

By: Clutch

Clutch — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 19:14:43 +0000

I apologize. This is all my fault.I once fu--ed her brains out, and now she's left like this.

By: anon

anon — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 17:46:21 +0000

FYI in case you're not an American, this is from a quiz show called "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth-Grader?"...the implication being that the majority of the contestants are not. Contestants seem to be selected for their ability to appear peppy and enthusiastic and dim--Kellie is pretty much par for the course.

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

Now that I look at the Wikipedia entry, I have to admit I was unaware of the various international versions, including "Are You Smarter Than A Canadian Fifth Grader?"

Has anyone seen the Polish version, "Czy jeste? m?drzejszy od 5-klasisty?"

By: Rhea

Rhea — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 16:47:52 +0000

God, we are so stupid in this country. I don't think she was born that way. My guess is that her local school system lacked the money to attract good teachers.

By: Nicholas Dollak

Nicholas Dollak — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 05:07:57 +0000

Oh --- by the by, I believe Badiuk's Polish comment translates into English as "...but, being a native European, I know [that Europe's a continent]; most Americans [probably don't know this because they're foreigners]." If that's correct, it's a fair enough admission; we all are more likely to know more about our own region than about places that are distant. I admit that my Polish is about as good as a Polish two-year-old's at this point, so I apologize if I'm too far off the mark. (I also don't know how well Badiuk phrased his comment; it might be well-written, or it might be the Polish equivalent of the cryptic "well I dont but you know what I mean" that some kid sent me after hacking into my ex-fiancee's e-mail account: something that defies translation and is a baffling non-sequitur even to native speakers of the language. [The e-mail I had sent to my fiancee at the time simply asked her when she expected to get off work that day, and that I looked forward to seeing her that evening. She had checked her e-mail on a library computer and forgotten to log off, so a kid who got on next read her e-mails and sent prank replies.])

By: Nicholas Dollak

Nicholas Dollak — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 04:46:21 +0000

Re: Badiuk - I've got a very nice "pen-pal" who may be a neighbor of yours (lives in Opole, in the Silesia), who when she first wrote to me took care to specify that Poland is located between Germany and Russia (I'm not sure if Belarus & the Ukraike had become independent states yet; I'll have to look that up). Apparently, United Statesian geographic ignorance is "common knowledge" in Poland! I thanked her for the tip, but assured her that I didn't let my schooling interfere with my education; I know quite a bit about geography, and don't mind learning more. Although I teach, it's hard for me to tell how many United Statesians are profoundly geographically ignorant like this woman on the TV show (a program I've seen but do not care for, as much of it seems staged. Also people tend to forget things they haven't studied recently; this has little to do with how "smart" someone is). I don't doubt that some of the ignorance can be blamed on the schools --- but schools usually fail only if the community forces them to. If the parents openly discourage "book-learnin'" or waste time constantly trying to fine-tune the educational system at the expense of letting teachers do their jobs, then of course most kids won't learn. The kids will either get the message that education is worthless, or will sit back and enjoy the drama of watching their officious parents interfere with the teachers. Kids aren't stupid. But if certain values (like learning and minding your own business) aren't a part of their education, the rest of it's not going to do them much good, and ultimately they'll become stupid. A closed brain is a stupid one, and brain-closing is what most kids learn in that kind of environment. Anyway, I've seen elementary-school kids who can tell you right away where certain countries are in relation to each other, as well as high-school kids who ask dumb questions when they see a globe like "Is there people in Australia? Then what keeps them from fallin' off?" People tend to learn things that interest them... but I've never been avidly interested in geography, and yet I apparently know more than many people my age. I attribute this to the fact that my parents got me a globe and a two-sided puzzle that was a map of the USA on one side (each state was a piece) and a world map on the other when I was little, and made sure that I did my homework instead of making up excuses for me or letting me slack off. Yeah, I hated doing schoolwork (I still hate working for no pay) --- but I LEARNED. And my "pen-pal" and I have kept up a delightful and intelligent correspondence for years. I've been studying Polish in what little spare time I have, and we hope to meet soon.

By: algonkin

algonkin — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:49:02 +0000

No offence Ted but ... if you were a Canadian, you'd understand
..hope you are...

By: ted

ted — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:17:38 +0000

Yup, I know it was Rick Mercer. Just didn't want to say his name - he's a nasty little unfunny man.

By: Hoza

Hoza — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 20:07:32 +0000

In defense of Foxworthy, it appears that he was trying to get the audience off her back & on to his. That suggests that it was real.

If so she must have had a miserable childhood. That doesn't make me feel particularly good about myself. Why would I feel good that we let someone slip between the cracks?

BTW-The Rick Mercer bits are lame. Right on par with Leno.

By: Mike

Mike — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 18:58:06 +0000

Geez, Danny D. lighten up. I don't want to live in a world where men and women can't poke fun at each other. I'm a liberal democrat but this political correctness thing has gone WAY too far. We're all different from each other. Let's laugh about it.

By: algonkin

algonkin — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 13:42:09 +0000

Replying to Ted:

That was with Rick Mercer.

Part 1) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLXRVvA6T9k
Part 2) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFqzBiLBwM8

By: ted

ted — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 13:17:56 +0000

This had to be staged. She knows how to act the dumb blonde. Same reason that Foxworthy deliberately pronounced it Hungry instead of Hungary - setting up her next joke.

There was Canadian show called something like "Talking to Americans" where the host went around the US asking Americans on the street silly questions about Canadian current events. Reminds me of this - meant to make the audience feel better about themselves by laughing at someone else.

By: DannyD.

DannyD. — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 08:37:12 +0000

Oh Jeff Foxworthy, you have the wit of a rapist. This actually plays on US television? How despicable to make jokes at a woman's expense then smirk about it.

By: SE

SE — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 06:40:23 +0000

Is she related to Miss South Carolina?

By: Hmm

Hmm — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 05:50:33 +0000

I remember a documentary where this guy walked around New York City asking people questions to see if they could answer them correctly, and he went up to this blond girl and asked her "Where is the Statue of Liberty located" and she answered "Washington?" I couldn't believe her stupidity. She probably sees it everyday and has no idea what it is.

By: Chris

Chris — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 03:01:59 +0000

I met some people like that. A 20 years old nanny for my kids was pretty much feeding herself with TV garbage and People magazine stories. She was so clueless, I think she would have flunked hairdresser school. Hey, she did not know how to cook Bird's custard or Jello!
But she was a very nice person. We 'raised' her to take care of the kids and even taugh her a couple of cooking receipes. She moved in recently with her boyfriend, got a job at the local supermarket and seems to be starting her normal life. We think we helped
There's still hope!
And if everything fails, you could still be on a TV show.

By: Andrea S.

Andrea S. — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 02:00:42 +0000

That kind of blatant ignorance makes me want to puke coat hangers.

By: algonkin

algonkin — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 01:28:30 +0000

LOL @ Vako...good one

By: Namowal

Namowal — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 23:35:26 +0000

Americal Idol? American Idle is more like it.

By: k

Sat, 01 Dec 2007 23:28:47 +0000

Scripted.

..I hope.

By: biltmore

biltmore — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 21:13:17 +0000

Haha Thomas, what a funny story!

Yeah, this girl ... she's stupid. Plain and simple.

By: Edward

Edward — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 20:48:24 +0000

O.K. Here is my idea for a minor network reality show. Jessica Simpson teaches Kellie Pickler everything she know. Hey, that can be the title 'Everything She Knows'.

By: m.a.d

m.a.d — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 19:41:13 +0000

i think the whole point of the show is to make the viewer fell smarter than a celebrity, also, i don't think it's possible to graduate from high school and still think europe is a country. So, she's probably told by the producers to act stupid when she might be smarter than she looks

By: sushirama

sushirama — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 18:52:21 +0000

She's going to be some rich guys trophy wife. Not a first place trophy mind you, more like that trophy they give all the kids for showing up to bowling practice.

By: mark elrayes

mark elrayes — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 18:30:18 +0000

I must say she is really really cute, almost as cute as the little kids hehe

But I really dont think she represents a very big part of the nation. I mean really, thinking Europe is a country or not knowing if France is a country...

atleast she did the whole thing for a charity. Respect.

By: jonn

jonn — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 18:04:03 +0000

Anyone that ignorant should be drug out into the street and shot.

By: Dave

Dave — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 17:49:52 +0000

Classic. At least she's got cute going for her; she'd be better off with smart too, but... I don't think she could fake those blank looks that well. Foxworthy has some classic lines in that; "Women don't really want to hear a man's opinion, they just want to hear their opinion in a deeper voice." So very true (for some women anyway!)

By: nat

nat — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 17:36:40 +0000

Oh my god, how do people like that function?

By: floporama

floporama — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 17:10:34 +0000

My wife would kill me if she ever read this comment, but Foxworthy's pronunciation of Hungary reminded me of the fact that my wife--who is a horrible speller--spelled would routinely send me e-mails and IM's saying "I'm hungary". My response was always, "I'm Czechoslovakia." Only after I teased her for at least a year did she stop. Also, Kellie Pickler was an idiot even on American Idol. She had no idea what Calamari were and all sorts of other moments of brilliance.

By: Thomas

Thomas — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 17:01:58 +0000

Wow, she gives women and southerners a bad name. And yes, some people really that ignorant.
In my 10th grade history class, there was a girl named Ashley, and she never once payed attention in class. Spent the whole time text messaging. Then she'd ask me for my notes, and I realized that she'd believe ANYTHING. I told her that we fought the civil war against Australia. I told her that settlers went west for lower mortgage rates. I convinced her that we won the war of 1812 via a wrestling match with luchadores.
I was meaner in those days, but that bimbo had it coming.