This is embarrassing

[FreeThinker]

Watch this video and mourn for your country. It would be easy to say--Well, they're Texans--but I fear this would happen no matter where the test was taken. Interesting. They don't know the Vice-President or who won the Civil War, but they ALL know who Snookie is.

http://safeshare.tv/w/oHbxeOtsOP

[colinian]

Oh. My. God.

Maybe at 25 I'm too old. I knew all of the answers except the series of stupid questions at the end. I don't know who Snookie is. I've never even HEARD of Snookie. Who the fuck is Snookie? Why would anyone know that answer???

Colin

[Bruin Fisher]

Even I knew most of them - I forgot momentarily the word Union, but I knew it was the North. And I thought the vice president might have been Hilary Clinton. Why isn't Hilary Clinton vice president?

I've never heard of Snookie.

[FreeThinker]

Thank goodness they didn't ask them who won the English Civil War!

Snookie was a character on the MTV "reality" show, Jersey Shore. I am embarrassed that I know that. I am horrified that American university students, even if they are from Texas and subject to the Republicans' new education standards there, don't know America won it's independence from Britain, that we declared independence in 1776, that the Union defeated the Confederacy in the American Civil War, or that Joe Biden is Vice-President, but they know Brad Pitt was married to Jennifer Anniston before he was married to Angelina Jolie.

Maybe we should demand some kind of intelligence test before we let people vote.

[TalonRider]

I know who Snookie is, but I've never watched the show. She was in the News a lot.

[DesDownunder]

Okay I am Australian, in Adelaide South Australia and I knew all the answers except Snookie, who I thought was the name of the lady's cat across the road.

Now please don't ask me the equivalent questions for Australia, although I can tell you that our current Prime Minister is thought of as the Village Idiot.

[Chris James]

The only thing missing in this video was the student who used his iPad to text the question to Google for a correct answer. I am afraid that real knowledge is lost on college students, but Texas Tech has a good football team. Need I say more?

[Merkin]

The only Snookie I remember is Snooky Lanson.

[Cole Parker]

I'd forgotten all about Snooky Lanson! But, thanks, TalonRider. Until your post, I assumed Snookie was male.

Hilary isn't our VP because when Obama had to choose a running mate, Hilary had been campaigning against him. He did choose her for Secretary of State, which she accepted.

C

[Bruin Fisher]

I too thought Snookie must be male - and probably a cartoon character...

[Lugnutz]

Never seen it or ever wanted to watch Jersey Shore. Remember when MTV played music?

[Nick Deverill]

Maybe we should demand some kind of intelligence test before we let people vote.

Ah, a geniocracy...

[Pedro]

I was ready to play the smug European. But I passed on two that i would have been right but wasn't sure. Joe Biden who I thought might have been replaced for the second term, and Angelina Jolie. I also didn't know two but thought them of no consequence : Jennifer Anniston and Snookie. I would have said South Park for the latter if pushed.

My feeling is that UK college students would probably do at least as well as I did on these US questions, but that you could easily pick similar questions on UK history /politics that they would make just as poor a showing as your Texan students.

I presume the clips/interviewees were chosen to make a point, but I did suck my teeth when the black kid said he thought the Confederates had won the Civil War! Ignorance may lead to discrimination, but you can't say ignorance discriminates.

Did anybody spot the trick question? Texas gained its independence from Mexico, in 1836.

And my first (very smug) reaction to the piece?

"Now I know how 'Dubya' got elected!"

[colinian]

Some might say the results demonstrated by these students in Texas are what you'd expect from the Texas K-12 education system. Of course, that's assuming they all went to (at least) high school in Texas. Some might have come from other states to attend Texas Tech University. Woe is us!

Colin

[JamesSavik]

Ever noticed how perfectly normal people go brain dead when you put a mike and a camera in their face?

If you asked me who won the Civil War, my answer would probably be which one? There have been so many.

I actually paid attention in world history.

[colinian]

Ever noticed how perfectly normal people go brain dead when you put a mike and a camera in their face?

If you asked me who won the Civil War, my answer would probably be which one? There have been so many.

I actually paid attention in world history.

That's a great answer, James.

Colin

[ChrisR]

Remember - this is Texas Tech you're talking about; not a real college. Any real Texan would tell you we won our independence from Mexico in 1836, so there! (Remember the Alamo, y'all?)