If you haven't seen this You Tube video of Miss South Carolina Teen USA talking about why one in five Americans can't find the U.S.A. on a world map, you should. Priceless!
This is a real live, walking, talking blonde joke. She’ll probably end up a trophy wife, or running for president. (but that’s another blonde joke)
August 28, 2007 at 2:46 pm
(2) eliza says:
can someone tell me what study this statistic is based on? thanks.
August 28, 2007 at 7:46 pm
(3) Linda Stephenson says:
Beauty contests, for what they’re worth, are beauty contests — and all the contestants are gorgeous. What’s the point of assessing their intellect or knowledge? Poor Miss South Carolina fumbled, badly. She clearly hadn’t been coached to answer this question and, unlike our president, wasn’t wearing a wire to feed an intelligent response.
August 29, 2007 at 12:13 am
(4) Matt Rosenberg says:
Hi Eliza! That statistic is totally inaccurate. According to the National Geographic-Roper Public Affairs 2006 Geographic Literacy Study, “Nearly all (94%) young Americans can find the United States on the world map, and Canada (92%) and Mexico (88%) are nearly as familiar.” For more…
Hey Linda Stephenson:
I understand your sympathy for this girl, because I too can relate to the stress that is caused from answering a question in front of many others when it is imperative to sound intellegent and not have it all wrong.
With that said, there is no reason to turn this into a weak stab at the President. In fact all modern Presidents have staff members that prepare speeches for our presidents. Press confrences are quite regulated no matter who you are.
August 30, 2007 at 11:43 am
(7) Don says:
Matt,
Shh!! Don’t correct them with real statistics because maybe if they over-exaggerate the problem enough, geography will find a place in public schools again.
August 30, 2007 at 11:22 pm
(8) Robert Trebes says:
The question then becomes who is stupider, the eighteen-year-old schoolgirl who was humiliated before a world-wide audience, or the adults who should be pilloried for stumping her with a question based on totally false premises.
September 2, 2007 at 11:34 pm
(9) Dom Margiotta says:
I think she had a gooof start but then that blonde or airhead thing set in and POOF, good idea gone. I hear people complain because young children can’t find china or india on a map. That’s the least of our worries now!
September 3, 2007 at 12:07 am
(10) Chris says:
Of course this girl had a bad answer to say the least. But what was the correct answer to that question anyhow? It was asking an opinion. I guess she should have paused and said that she is one of the people from the poll that couldn’t locate the U.S. on a map. People would have gave her more credit.
September 3, 2007 at 3:36 am
(11) Guillermo says:
Matt,
I completely agree with your comment, better pretend or exagerate a fact because to me, a vast amount of people of this country have no a clue where they are.
September 3, 2007 at 4:03 am
(12) xavier says:
What concerns me even more is the fact that there was applause in the public…
September 3, 2007 at 7:30 am
(13) GK says:
Guys, you missed “The Iraq!”
September 3, 2007 at 8:52 am
(14) CD says:
As a university Geography professor, I agree that the poor girl’s plight is a sad comment on geography education in the US. But I think she has been overly bashed in the media. Anyone can have a goofy moment. As a parent of kids who have gone through those years, I like the comments of the lady on this video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=6vkrF8tzo2Y
Especially the one about abolishing beauty contests for girls.
September 3, 2007 at 10:22 am
(15) JT says:
I agree: perhaps the greater question concerns the adults who prepared such a baseless question. Sure, this teenager fumbled badly in front of a national audience. But haven’t we all had our bozo moments?
Also, at first I thought that it was totally bizarre when she identified those of us from the USA as “US Americans,” but then, from the Spanish-speaking world point of view, this malaprop would make sense: to hispanohablantes in the western hemisphere, we are all “Americans” and to identify those of us who are residents of the USA as the only Americans is insulting at best.
Thirdly, I agree with Nathan’s response to Ms Stephenson’s swipe at the President, except I wouldn’t call it a weak stab, I would call it an uncalled for cheap shot.
September 3, 2007 at 11:52 am
(16) Mike McGuire says:
There is a great geography trivia book titled 1001 US geography trivia Q & A that will help anyone to learn more about the United States geography before worring about the rest of the world.
September 3, 2007 at 11:59 am
(17) Matt Rosenberg says:
Hi Mike!
Thanks for the post! It appears that you are the author of this book. I appreciate your comments toward geographic literacy but I beg to differ and think that Americans need to be more globally oriented. U.S. geography is not important but it is certainly not something to prioritize over the “rest of the world.”
-Matt
September 3, 2007 at 12:00 pm
(18) Matt Rosenberg says:
Sorry, I meant to type “U.S. geography IS important…”
-Matt
September 3, 2007 at 1:44 pm
(19) DickBoyd says:
Did you notice the political two step shuffle?
Ronald Reagan began his answers with let me say this about that. Then he would ask and answer his own question, which had nothing to do with the question that was asked. The original question was completely ignored. Reagan was known as the great communicator.
This young lady has a fantastic career in politics ahead of her if she can perfect this change of topic without being noticed.
She apparently knew the audience would react to the need for the United States to take the lead in world education, but flubbed the transition.
Notice similar switched responses by just about anyone to a public question.
Those more skilled in the art are called elected officers.
September 12, 2007 at 4:15 am
(20) yolanda ortiz says:
I sympathize with the Miss South Carolina for her comment which is not accurate. Being in that present situation she shows her lack of intellectual capability on that subject in a very tense moment of her life. Anyway she is pretty enough to survive that lapses.
January 1, 2008 at 3:49 pm
(21) UR MOM says:
omg i saw this thing live, with like another 5 mil. ppl. i got seriously confoogled by that and i wuz like, huh>>
Good thing Mario didn’t burst out laughing, or else miss USA would have turned into a joke permanently
August 9, 2008 at 12:09 am
(22) Jini says:
Let’s get it straight!! Americans have a problem with geography and they should admit it. My coworkers know I am from India and they ask if it is located between UAE and Iraq. Now mind you that these people are college educated and are over the age of 30. I am not joking when I say this : America has failed it’s people as far as education is concerned. If you talk to people from other nations you will see that they are more informed about world affairs compared to Americans; that is a shame for a ‘rich’ nation.
Comments
This is a real live, walking, talking blonde joke. She’ll probably end up a trophy wife, or running for president. (but that’s another blonde joke)
can someone tell me what study this statistic is based on? thanks.
Beauty contests, for what they’re worth, are beauty contests — and all the contestants are gorgeous. What’s the point of assessing their intellect or knowledge? Poor Miss South Carolina fumbled, badly. She clearly hadn’t been coached to answer this question and, unlike our president, wasn’t wearing a wire to feed an intelligent response.
Hi Eliza! That statistic is totally inaccurate. According to the National Geographic-Roper Public Affairs 2006 Geographic Literacy Study, “Nearly all (94%) young Americans can find the United States on the world map, and Canada (92%) and Mexico (88%) are nearly as familiar.” For more…
http://geography.about.com/b/a/257537.htm
I felt a bit sorry for the young lady, but have to admit I could hardly stop laughing. But for you out there that would like to try make some sence out of her statement, try this : http://news.aol.com/newsbloggers/2007/08/27/win-big-its-the-miss-south-carolina-word-scramble/2#comments
Hey Linda Stephenson:
I understand your sympathy for this girl, because I too can relate to the stress that is caused from answering a question in front of many others when it is imperative to sound intellegent and not have it all wrong.
With that said, there is no reason to turn this into a weak stab at the President. In fact all modern Presidents have staff members that prepare speeches for our presidents. Press confrences are quite regulated no matter who you are.
Matt,
Shh!! Don’t correct them with real statistics because maybe if they over-exaggerate the problem enough, geography will find a place in public schools again.
The question then becomes who is stupider, the eighteen-year-old schoolgirl who was humiliated before a world-wide audience, or the adults who should be pilloried for stumping her with a question based on totally false premises.
I think she had a gooof start but then that blonde or airhead thing set in and POOF, good idea gone. I hear people complain because young children can’t find china or india on a map. That’s the least of our worries now!
Of course this girl had a bad answer to say the least. But what was the correct answer to that question anyhow? It was asking an opinion. I guess she should have paused and said that she is one of the people from the poll that couldn’t locate the U.S. on a map. People would have gave her more credit.
Matt,
I completely agree with your comment, better pretend or exagerate a fact because to me, a vast amount of people of this country have no a clue where they are.
What concerns me even more is the fact that there was applause in the public…
Guys, you missed “The Iraq!”
As a university Geography professor, I agree that the poor girl’s plight is a sad comment on geography education in the US. But I think she has been overly bashed in the media. Anyone can have a goofy moment. As a parent of kids who have gone through those years, I like the comments of the lady on this video:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=6vkrF8tzo2Y
Especially the one about abolishing beauty contests for girls.
I agree: perhaps the greater question concerns the adults who prepared such a baseless question. Sure, this teenager fumbled badly in front of a national audience. But haven’t we all had our bozo moments?
Also, at first I thought that it was totally bizarre when she identified those of us from the USA as “US Americans,” but then, from the Spanish-speaking world point of view, this malaprop would make sense: to hispanohablantes in the western hemisphere, we are all “Americans” and to identify those of us who are residents of the USA as the only Americans is insulting at best.
Thirdly, I agree with Nathan’s response to Ms Stephenson’s swipe at the President, except I wouldn’t call it a weak stab, I would call it an uncalled for cheap shot.
There is a great geography trivia book titled 1001 US geography trivia Q & A that will help anyone to learn more about the United States geography before worring about the rest of the world.
Hi Mike!
Thanks for the post! It appears that you are the author of this book. I appreciate your comments toward geographic literacy but I beg to differ and think that Americans need to be more globally oriented. U.S. geography is not important but it is certainly not something to prioritize over the “rest of the world.”
-Matt
Sorry, I meant to type “U.S. geography IS important…”
-Matt
Did you notice the political two step shuffle?
Ronald Reagan began his answers with let me say this about that. Then he would ask and answer his own question, which had nothing to do with the question that was asked. The original question was completely ignored. Reagan was known as the great communicator.
This young lady has a fantastic career in politics ahead of her if she can perfect this change of topic without being noticed.
She apparently knew the audience would react to the need for the United States to take the lead in world education, but flubbed the transition.
Notice similar switched responses by just about anyone to a public question.
Those more skilled in the art are called elected officers.
I sympathize with the Miss South Carolina for her comment which is not accurate. Being in that present situation she shows her lack of intellectual capability on that subject in a very tense moment of her life. Anyway she is pretty enough to survive that lapses.
omg i saw this thing live, with like another 5 mil. ppl. i got seriously confoogled by that and i wuz like, huh>>
Good thing Mario didn’t burst out laughing, or else miss USA would have turned into a joke permanently
Let’s get it straight!! Americans have a problem with geography and they should admit it. My coworkers know I am from India and they ask if it is located between UAE and Iraq. Now mind you that these people are college educated and are over the age of 30. I am not joking when I say this : America has failed it’s people as far as education is concerned. If you talk to people from other nations you will see that they are more informed about world affairs compared to Americans; that is a shame for a ‘rich’ nation.