Comments on: Index of Global Relevancy to the Average American Citizen

By: Nunya

Nunya — Sun, 08 Aug 2010 23:51:51 +0000

Why do I care about Sweden (that’s Sweden, right? (sorry, if I’m wrong, just an American (but I really do know where a lot of countries are on the world map, maybe about 50%ish (sorry for all the parentheses, I don’t think that using so many parentheses is gramatically correct, and you know what?! I don’t care)))).

By: Erik

Erik — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 23:59:43 +0000

I’m American, and I could label 90% of the countries of the world on a blank map, I’m sure (including obscure ones like Tajikistan or Lesotho). But I’m not mad, this is still true. Most Americans are terrible at geography, and knowing the world beyond their country’s borders. I could give you story after story of appalling ignorance (not even knowing which states bordered on the ones they lived in, for example), from all across the US. But suffice it to say, there is tons of truth to this chart. And all the other countries I’ve been to have been worlds better than us, no pun intended.

One could quibble on details, but the basic point is very valid. Now should someone make a graph of American spelling?

By: The L

The L — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:14:41 +0000

…That’s Sweden, not Norway. You know, Sweden? Source of ABBA, IKEA, Volvos, and Swedish meatballs?

Norway is the one to the left of Sweden.

By: The L

The L — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:07:53 +0000

Another question: Why is it that, when an American makes a self-referential joke, people automatically assume that that person CAN’T be an American, because they don’t worship America as a god?

By: Ghosty

Ghosty — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 21:37:31 +0000

I… didn’t actually know that. Any of what you just said.

GAH! Stupid American! Stupid! *hits self repeatedly*

For me, personally, the whole map would be red, except Japan, Russia, India, Australia, and Brazil would be orange (and of course everything in North America- I mean, seriously).

By: skittlesxmonster

skittlesxmonster — Sat, 02 May 2009 15:52:01 +0000

haha wow…kinda true..i know a couple of the red states though..and the rest is true..

though i am 13…haha oh well

By: shannon

shannon — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 06:44:59 +0000

pretty much true and halarious

By: anaranjada

anaranjada — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 22:42:06 +0000

Yes! Thank you. I’m a 4.0 student and I try my best to keep informed and intelligent, but here’s how it works (at least in my district): Since some kids are STUPID and/or Mommy and Daddy didn’t care enough to make sure they were in school regularly before, the standards are lowered and lowered so that they actually learn the required information. This means that semi-intelligent humans like me and many people I know are dragged down with them. For example, I have learned the entire history of the U.S. twice, in 5th grade and 8th, and next year, I will be taking ANOTHER U.S. History class because it’s required. At the same time, I have learned next to nothing about how the government functions today, trends in the economy, OTHER COUNTRIES, etc. And several of the classes I am taking right now BARELY touch the surface of the interesting and important topics we’re covering because half the dumb-asses in my class can barely keep up with the simplest stuff. Yet, the teachers assign so much busywork and pointless projects that it’s ridiculous. So my only option is to bust my ass for the select classes that are offered “Advanced” (which usually just means hours more work and stress). I don’t know, but isn’t that a school system that’s just set up for ignorance?

By: Dee-Aussie

Dee-Aussie — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 23:12:14 +0000

This needs to be fixed! Haha.
I bet you all Americans could tell you/me where Australia is!
Its like the easiest country to pick out.
Hahaha.

Peace.

By: corbin

corbin — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 18:49:20 +0000

i am kinda mad at this graph becuase i know where all these places are on the map and it is kind of stereotypical about americans, but you should also make other maps about other kinds of people becides americans so so many people don’t get as mad at it.

By: Wownik

Wownik — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 07:32:42 +0000

I.m amazed and embarrassed when people can’t even locate states within our own country O_o

By: John

John — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 04:54:43 +0000

I’m always amazed when ppl can’t locate countries on maps – I mean, hello, maps always have the NAMES of the countries RIGHT ON THE MAP!!!!

Oh, and why is Norway red? Who cares about them?

By: benji

benji — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 12:02:39 +0000

true true

By: josh

josh — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 15:34:43 +0000

I don’t follow pokemon

By: Cybermuse

Cybermuse — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:23:23 +0000

Oh right! I was wondering why Sweden was on the map! :p

By: Cybermuse

Cybermuse — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:21:00 +0000

You should maybe care about your spelling… My mothertongue is French and even I can see your grammar mistakes… (Hope I didn’t use too much complicated words) :p

By: phate

phate — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 20:12:04 +0000

how is the US not marked red? most Americans when asked to name a country starting with the letter “U” couldn’t even do that.

By: Jal

Jal — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:21:41 +0000

You’re just angry because you don’t have anyone around you to talk to, right? They’re all fat, stupid, lazy and stuffing their maw with twinkies?

You should look up the difference between it’s and its, by the way. That’ll help your “I’m a smarty-pants” rant some.

By: Andrew W.

Andrew W. — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 18:40:08 +0000

Ha ha ha! Yeah, America is basically stupid. Well this is a little hyperbolic, I hope. I’d like to think that the people for which this graph is true are a minority here, but maybe not. still funny as hell. I’ve met people like this; they cracked me up.

By: CoeshCoesh

CoeshCoesh — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:22:30 +0000

Down here in Holland we know pretty damn much, but nobody cares ^^ (Holland is that little country between Germany and Britain, and above Belgium (wich is above France) just for the people who don’t know (seeing this graph))..

By: Malarkeh

Malarkeh — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 00:40:25 +0000

Epic.

By: aimomo

aimomo — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 08:46:48 +0000

I’m pretty sure it’s a joke referring to Miss South Carolina. I haven’t any sound on my computer anymore, but I’m pretty sure this is the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lj3iNxZ8Dww

Sad…

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 07:00:35 +0000

I know this is a joke, but there seems to be a lot of people taking this way too seriously…

In any graph like this… Do… They…

They don’t actually ask three hundred million people to locate and rate each nation on a map for relevance to their social conscience.

By: Dogmeatstew

Dogmeatstew — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 06:34:07 +0000

Up here in Canada we’re generally more educated, or at least so we like to think, this may just be caused by my not affiliating with stupid people… whatever happened to natural selection anyways?

By: Athiest

Athiest — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 15:08:46 +0000

most canadians are stupider than americans

By: Sinead

Sinead — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:23:28 +0000

I know! We have kangaroos and everything Surely the kangaroos should win us a few points?

I also remember a funny story about one of my friends from when I was living in England. She went to America and someone asked her where she was from. She replied “England.” The person just stared at her and said “okay, but what state is that in?”

Um seriously who doesn’t know that England is a country! Where do you suppose the English language and Harry Potter came from? Hehe

By: chee

chee — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 01:23:42 +0000

True, but it takes about 5 seconds to find a map where all the nations have their names right on top of them.

By: JadedLilth

JadedLilth — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 19:34:19 +0000

*South* Africa is a country on the continent of Africa!

I’M AMERRICKAN DID I PASS OMGBBQ?!?

By: JadedLilth

JadedLilth — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 19:28:20 +0000

Stereotypical american does not equate to AVERAGE american.

A lot of Americans listen to programs like NPR you know…not all of us are Fox-News-Loving, Wall Street-Subprime-Mortgage-Lending jackasses!

…but there IS a disturbing number of Americans that this pertains to. *shudder*

By: Tyler

Tyler — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 21:26:16 +0000

I once spoke to an American. I was asked where I came from. I said the UK. She said, wow, I didn’t know they spoke american in the Ukraine.

Then I bludgeoned her with a rusty spade.

By: Miss Malice

Miss Malice — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 12:44:06 +0000

I once talked to someone from America who thought that New Zealand was an actual like err (thinking of a none racist way to say this) “native” island with hardly any power and people living in huts.
Obviously this was before Lord of The Rings…

It’s not just a problem in America though, ignorance and thinking too much of ones self seems to go hand in hand with living in a large and influential country

By: Desserts

Desserts — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 20:34:31 +0000

good post!

By: K

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 19:48:32 +0000

At least I now know I’m far above average.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:44:24 +0000

I agree.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:43:50 +0000

I hope you are kidding.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:42:20 +0000

Whoa there stallion, what’s up your butt? If you’re gonna look at a stereotype as universally true for all members of that particular group, well that’s just stupid, and no stereotype would be true. A stereotype is considered true of the majority of the people in that group behave in that manner. I never said all Americans were fat, lazy, stupid or whatever. Some of them are highly intelligent, hard working, and in great shape. Good for them! But the stupid fatties are outnumbering them. I also never said that no other country was filled with stupid fat people either. They most certainly are. I know an English woman who is just… God, she’s such an idiot. And there are Americans who would knock your socks off with all their knowledge. You make so many stupid assumptions and are far too butthurt from a joke. If you’d like to know I was being facetious in my last post. Mhm.

By: Tyler

Tyler — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 10:23:52 +0000

@RJ

>But I don’t eat donuts or hamburgers! I do eat salmon. Can you give me salmon?

I have no more salmon to give sadly. I doubt you would know what do with it if I did however. Burgers made from salmon are uncommon you see.

>Or maybe I can drown in Starbucks espresso(not the real espresso from Europe, thought.)

Maybe you could. Why did you put the word ‘thought’ at the end of your sentence. Did you mean the word ‘though’? I know its difficult to sit through 8th grade for the 4th time but you will get there in the end.

>Are you a terrorist?

No I am not, although this is a typical Merkin reaction. ‘Hang on, he’s sayin’ stuff about all y’all, he must be one of them terrorists’. For your information, the rest of the world has had to deal with American led and funded terrorism for decades. The IRA received American funding and don’t get me started about South American regimes and the Afghan Mujaradeen (Hey guess what Americans? The CIA bankrolled the Taliban in the late 70s and early 80s – Ooops!)

By: Sarah

Sarah — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 02:49:07 +0000

Yes. We’re also taught about England, a little bit of France/Spain/Germany, and a lot about ancient (but not present!) Greece and Italy. That’s it unless you’re taking college-level history/geography/whatever courses, and I’m not even joking.

By: Manda Banda

Manda Banda — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 02:27:26 +0000

I like your graph – some people just have panty twisting problems

By: Manda Banda

Manda Banda — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 02:21:46 +0000

i think you need to look up anger management in the phone book

By: Manda Banda

Manda Banda — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 02:20:51 +0000

LOL (For real, not just saying it)!

Besides, if your offended, just take that as being another typical American trait.

By: Smapdi

Smapdi — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 00:01:09 +0000

WIN.

By: Petrograd

Petrograd — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:39:41 +0000

And Swedish meatballs!

It’s all in the food.

As much as I know what Sweden does have, I’m still a little surprised we got colored… I think it’s more because he wanted one of the “known, but small” European countries colored, and Sweden lucked out

Of course Sovi…err, Russia and probably Israel are more known to Americans than Sweden

By: RJ

RJ — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:18:08 +0000

But I don’t eat donuts or hamburgers! I do eat salmon. Can you give me salmon? Or maybe I can drown in Starbucks espresso(not the real espresso from Europe, thought.)

Are you a terrorist?

By: RJ

RJ — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:16:26 +0000

I bet you call yourself a good christian, too. I especially like the implied sex(rape) with your ‘redneck bone’ comment.

sicko

By: Tyler

Tyler — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:47:55 +0000

I absolutely love the way that Americans are affronted by this sort of thing and are unable to take things in a humorous way.

Here is a newsflash to all those posting serious defensive comments on here inclusive of your spelling mistakes and appalling levels of grammar. You are ridiculous. You are figures of fun. People reading your comments don’t think how brave and clever you are to be American. They laugh at you.

The world doesn’t like you.

The world pities you.

The world wants to leave you drowning in your own burger and doughnut vomit.

By: Meghan

Meghan — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 16:15:03 +0000

So true. As an American I was quite amused because I so don’t know exactly where the Sudan is! And I can’t believe some of the serious posts here; apparently many Americans also cannot locate their sense of humor on a map.
Pop quiz for the day: Is Africa a country or continent?!

By: Alan

Alan — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 10:16:38 +0000

Please continue to be offended, it is highly entertaining

By: G

Tue, 23 Sep 2008 08:23:39 +0000

Paid attention in geography but not in English when they were telling you when to use “its” and when to use “it’s” it would appear

By: BC girl- Jen

BC girl- Jen — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:56:52 +0000

lol and *thats* what we’re known best for