Searching for Most Americans.

[Greenday]

http://www.jetpunk.com/quizzes/how-m...n-you-name.php

88/195

I almost felt proud of that. Beat 71.4% of the test takers. Nailed NA and SA. Got nearly all of Asia minus some of the middle east. Africa kicked my ass and Eastern Europe kicked my ass.

It's been years so I feel good about that. But back in middle school and high school, we had to learn every damn country in the world. They did it by continent, splitting up Europe and Asia into Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Eastern Asia, and Western Asia.

[AdminAssistant]

150/195

Why, yes, I did go to the state geography bee. Also, many of my friends are studying Eastern Europe/the Baltics, so those were a snap.

I've met many Americans woefully ignorant of very basic US geography. For example, a friend from Philly never could understand that Arkansas was west of the Mississippi River. (According to him, his teachers only taught the geography of the tri-state area because "that's all anybody really needs.") I mean, I get not knowing every single capital or exactly where each state is. But everybody should have a general idea of where states are located.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

That quiz is a little slanted. I knew more countries by name and pronounciation than I could spell and sadly if you couldn't spell it correctly...it wouldn't take it.

125/150

And I've still yet to figure out why in the name of Zeus's Butthole it wouldn't tale Greenland.

[AdminAssistant]

And I've still yet to figure out why in the name of Zeus's Butthole it wouldn't tale Greenland.

Greenland is a territory of Denmark, not a separate country.

[ExRetailDrone]

82/195 - greater than or equal to 68.2% of test takers.

Not bad for not having studied geography in about 15 years. I missed some easy ones, but my brain locked up and I just couldn't remember them.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

Greenland is a territory of Denmark, not a separate country.

And here is just what I mean about rote memorization being the worst way to @#$%ing teach something.

I. Did. Not. Know. That.

All I knew was that big honking landmass to the North-East of the United States was called Greenland. My Middle School-aged self got an "A" on the countries bit in class, got a pat on the head for getting the Capital city of Nuuk correct.

But never once in all my school career did anyone say "Oh by the way, they're Danish"

[Mikkel]

But never once in all my school career did anyone say "Oh by the way, they're Danish"

Technically they are an autonomous country under the Danish commonwealth. They'll probably secede in a generation or so, much to the lamentation of Danish politicians . It's only an accident of history that they became a part of Denmark and not Canada or USA.

[Mongo Skruddgemire]

Technically they are an autonomous country under the Danish commonwealth. They'll probably secede in a generation or so, much to the lamentation of Danish politicians . It's only an accident of history that they became a part of Denmark and not Canada or USA.

Again, an example of the flaws in the school system. That all they felt that I needed in life is that Greenland is *there*. That [insert country here] is *there*.

Nothing useful about the country or the culture.

Which...may partially explain why we have this thread talking about "most Americans". The Americans who go abroad and fit this stereotype, may themselves be convinced that everything is the same as America because they were not taught any different.

[Gravekeeper]

Yeah, that test is more about spelling than anything else by the looks of it.

Which...may partially explain why we have this thread talking about "most Americans". The Americans who go abroad and fit this stereotype, may themselves be convinced that everything is the same as America because they were not taught any different.

This is utterly illogical. Considering how much of the American mentality is seemingly devoted to how much better and more awesome the US is by comparison to the rest of the world its utterly illogical to assume other countries are the same. You can't celebrate all that makes your country better than another country....and then expect that country to be identical when you go there.

Tis madness.

[Hobbs]

All I knew was I didn't want to be stationed there [Greenland].

[Fashion Lad!]

I thought Russia was considered to be Eurasian because of where it's located. Part of Russia would be considered part of Europe while most of it would be considered part of Asia.

Also, the Pope lives in the Vatican City.

I also believe that most Americans are going to understand that Communism is not a country, but what Obama practices. (I joke.)

I think your friends are wildly underestimating what a lot of Americans do know.

[smileyeagle1021]

I think your friends are wildly underestimating what a lot of Americans do know.

I've heard people ask why judges rule on what is considered constitutional.
I've heard people claim that Thomas Jefferson was in favor of the United States being a Christian Nation (Jefferson's Deistic religious views and skepticism towards Christianity be damned).
I've heard people go on and on about just how evil those fags are, and oh by the way, what's an LGBT (I wish I was making that one up, but I asked someone why they hated LGBT people so much after he was done ranting and he responded "what the fuck is an LGBT")
I've had more hotel guests than I can count who were shocked that Utah was right next to Nevada... after all, Utah would be much more awesome if it was that close to Nevada (yeah, our awesomeness comes from the fact that we can drive to Nevada so easily )

Oh yeah, I have no doubt that a lot of Americans are dumb enough to be worthy of the stereotypes about us.

[Fashion Lad!]

I've heard people ask why judges rule on what is considered constitutional.
I've heard people claim that Thomas Jefferson was in favor of the United States being a Christian Nation (Jefferson's Deistic religious views and skepticism towards Christianity be damned).
I've heard people go on and on about just how evil those fags are, and oh by the way, what's an LGBT (I wish I was making that one up, but I asked someone why they hated LGBT people so much after he was done ranting and he responded "what the fuck is an LGBT")
I've had more hotel guests than I can count who were shocked that Utah was right next to Nevada... after all, Utah would be much more awesome if it was that close to Nevada (yeah, our awesomeness comes from the fact that we can drive to Nevada so easily )

Oh yeah, I have no doubt that a lot of Americans are dumb enough to be worthy of the stereotypes about us.

And there are a lot of Americans I can have an intelligent conversation with. We really only mention the bad. I always hear about how someone said or did something stupid, very rarely do I hear someone say "so and so made a valid, intelligent point" or anything of the sort. We like to point out the stupidity because it's far more entertaining than someone making a brilliant yet dull comment. Jay Walking is a success because he found people who couldn't answer simple questions that most Americans can answer. That's what makes that little segment popular.