Rant: Is there any room in Canada?
Rob
Unknown Enemy Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 25Members, NS1 Playtester
Unknown Enemy Join Date: 2002-01-24 Member: 25Members, NS1 Playtester
I can't believe I'm even entertaining such a wretched thought. <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" /> But, here we have this game show called "1 vs 100." Where 55 out of 100 people just answered this question wrong:
"Santa is parallel parking his sled, what part of his sleigh is perpendicular to the curb?
A. Driver's side door
B. Passenger's side door
C. The back end"
...
...
...
WHAT THE ###### IS WRONG WITH MY STUPID ###### COUNTRY?
Even if you've never taken basic geometry and don't know what perpendicular means, you ought to be able to reason well enough to figure out that the passenger's side and driver's side doors are pretty much the same in orientation, and be elimination, the back end should be the right answer.
But no, we're apparently so completely and utterly so stupid that at adult age, fully half of our population can't figure out that when someone asks you what part of a parallel parked car is at a 90 degree angle to the curb, the answer is THE BACK END.
UPDATE: 5 people missed the question of what stain on Santa's coat is this result of COMBUSTION when given the choice of Milk, Lipstick, or Soot.
UPDATE: 8 people missed "how many more shopping days till next Christmas on the 26th? less than 350, exactly 350, more than 350
UPDATE: 12 people just missed a basic math problem. This guy answered two of the easiest questions in the world and won $68,000. This is ridiculous.
We're a lost people...
"Santa is parallel parking his sled, what part of his sleigh is perpendicular to the curb?
A. Driver's side door
B. Passenger's side door
C. The back end"
...
...
...
WHAT THE ###### IS WRONG WITH MY STUPID ###### COUNTRY?
Even if you've never taken basic geometry and don't know what perpendicular means, you ought to be able to reason well enough to figure out that the passenger's side and driver's side doors are pretty much the same in orientation, and be elimination, the back end should be the right answer.
But no, we're apparently so completely and utterly so stupid that at adult age, fully half of our population can't figure out that when someone asks you what part of a parallel parked car is at a 90 degree angle to the curb, the answer is THE BACK END.
UPDATE: 5 people missed the question of what stain on Santa's coat is this result of COMBUSTION when given the choice of Milk, Lipstick, or Soot.
UPDATE: 8 people missed "how many more shopping days till next Christmas on the 26th? less than 350, exactly 350, more than 350
UPDATE: 12 people just missed a basic math problem. This guy answered two of the easiest questions in the world and won $68,000. This is ridiculous.
We're a lost people...
Comments
[...]
Even if you've never taken basic geometry and don't know what perpendicular means, you ought to be able to reason well enough to figure out that the passenger's side and driver's side doors are pretty much the same in orientation, and be elimination, the back end should be the right answer.
[...]
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This right here is the failure I find most important. It's one thing when a person forgets a principle, concept, or vocabulary unrelated to their daily life. Or if they never learned it to begin with.
But if people are unwilling or unable to use the parts of their brain that handle "logic of the unfamiliar," I just find it saddening.
I watched Sesame Street on public TV very often as a kid. Arguably too often. My first teachers were impressed that I could identify an octagon. Looking back I consider learning that shape a few months/year earlier than average is *completely* insignificant compared to learning from Sesame Street's "One of these things is not like the others..." skits.
Tell Santa to ditch the sled and get one of those new Lexus LS460's that parallel parks itself.... ... .. . <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" />
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I chuckled at this <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":D" border="0" alt="biggrin-fix.gif" /> should be red though!
I'd say 80% of the people will miss that first question, instead of 50%(Canada).
Canada > U.S. in terms of the average's persons knowledge of stuff.
If U.S. had a gameshow with the same question, I think more people would miss.
I'd say 80% of the people will miss that first question, instead of 50%(Canada).
Canada > U.S. in terms of the average's persons knowledge of stuff.
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How can you justify saying that? Anecdotal evidence? Lame polls like this?
You can't base this on game shows. I think it is likely they pick "below average" people to be on them, so people watching at home feel smarter and/or like they would have a chance on the show.
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I agree. Have you watched "Deal or no Deal?" that show makes me want to hit somebody, preferrably the contestants.
You can't base this on game shows. I think it is likely they pick "below average" people to be on them, so people watching at home feel smarter and/or like they would have a chance on the show.
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I should've remembered that the show organizers have such incentives to select certain types of people...good point there.
I know when casinos in major cities like Las Vegas have any sort of opportunity for winning something, there's usually some form of regulation to make sure the odds of winning/losing are fair (or at least consistent <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" /> ) Do game shows have any sort of similar regulatory agency?
I hope it ruins your life when I say I'm Canadian and managed to get perpendicular and parallel confused and answered side door.
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Imagine you do confuse them, then you would have read ""Santa is perpendicular parking his sled, what part of his sleigh is parallel to the curb?" right? ;o
In any case, supposing you have only one answer, you can't have the passenger door perpendicular, and the driver's door NOT perpendicular. (assuming your car is about in right shape)
That said, <a href="http://www.wideo.fr/video/iLyROoaftYZx.html" target="_blank">this</a> is much more worrying than a mistake in basic geometry.
I hope it ruins your life when I say I'm Canadian and managed to get perpendicular and parallel confused and answered side door.
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But, but, there are two side doors in the answer set! Maybe I'm over estimating the importance of systematic elimination, but I know for a fact that only by its saving grace am I still in college. I would say nearly half the answers I give on tests I arrive at through this process.
I'm still not satisfied to just say that they grab the lowest rungs of people off the street, because even if this is the case, it's still broadcast over a network. (I think I was watching CBS...) So, now the average Joe thinks "Wow, I'm a lot smarter than the average Joe, I can stop trying to be so smart." And the mean intelligence of the country drops. My theory anyway.
There are worse examples out there (these are from Private Eye's "Dumb Britain" column, and are genuine, I kid ye not);
(in it to win it)
Dale Winton: Boo Radley is a character in which prize-winning 1960s novel?
Two Contestants (after conferring): Pride and Prejudice.
(weakest link)
Robinson: Which "D" normally refers to the male parent?
Contestant: Mum
Robinson: Watling Street, which now forms part of the A5, was built by which ancient civilisation?
Contestant: Apes.
yes, the contestant actually thought that part of the A5 motorway was constructed by an ancient civilisation of apes :/.
I guess the moral of the story is, there are thick people the world over.
But, but, there are two side doors in the answer set! Maybe I'm over estimating the importance of systematic elimination, but I know for a fact that only by its saving grace am I still in college. I would say nearly half the answers I give on tests I arrive at through this process.
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You can't really say that without knowing the meaning of perpendicular. People WILL fall into the trap that it's about what's it's facing.
[...]I know when casinos in major cities like Las Vegas have any sort of opportunity for winning something, there's usually some form of regulation to make sure the odds of winning/losing are fair (or at least consistent <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tounge.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":p" border="0" alt="tounge.gif" /> ) Do game shows have any sort of similar regulatory agency?
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I suppose they'd have to, as long as the chances of winning were pure chance, and not skill or knowledge, then they'd need to be regulated. But if the chances of winning are related to their knowledge or skill, then they can't really regulate it, because the loss would be attributed to the player, and not to an impossible question.
I suppose the games do just have to be within certain acceptable guidelines, like not asking a chav to recall Einstein's complete theory of relativity, or ask a paraplegic to lift a car...
The gene pool requires chlorine
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I was thinking a restriction enzyme that looks for the stupid gene.
I agree so completely it makes me want to cry. Our entire popular culture is this massive ball of degeneration urging everyone to stop thinking about anything. Man, sometimes I just can't take it. I swear I'll ride this train into the wall if I have to, but I really do think that's where it's going.
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If you're going to get depressed every time people do something stupid, you're in for a long ride. You are not living in the singular age of unreason and idiocy. People have been like this since the dawn of time. Get over it.
If you're going to get depressed every time people do something stupid, you're in for a long ride. You are not living in the singular age of unreason and idiocy. People have been like this since the dawn of time. Get over it.
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/me shoots self
Well, I'll never bid for attention by being overly dramatic again.
/me shoots self
Well, I'll never bid for attention by being overly dramatic again.
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Further than that, you ought to just let it go. People are dumb. We get it. It's like getting angsty over the sun or only having 10 fingers. It's not going to change, ever.
unless we kill them all
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As if that isn't where we're all headed either way.
MOOSE!!