The Dumbest Person Ever?

[toxostoma]

Okay, so I've been meaning to post this in the off-topic forum for a while now...

A few weeks ago, I was at the movies with some friends. The place was crowded and I ended up sitting next to someone I'd never met before. (There was actually an empty chair inbetween us, but that's beside the point).

One of the previews was for the movie "The Alamo." Being from Texas, this is a VERY familiar story for us. They teach it in middle school history classes, even through high school. It's my perception that the story is fairly well known even outside the state...

So, after the trailer ends, I look over to the guy next to me and on a whim, I make a joke. "Don't go see that movie. It sucks," I say. "Everyone dies in the end."

I couldn't believe his response. "Really? How do you know? Have you seen the movie before?" My eyes must have gotten big and my jaw dropped. Besides the fact that the movie doesn't open until next April (how could I have seen it?) I couldn't believe that he seriously didn't understand the joke.

"No. It's called the Alamo - Everybody dies in the end..." I said. "Oh", he said, acting like he understood, but still clearly didn't.

I've been laughing about it ever since... Still can't believe it.

[sebringal]

Maybe not quite the dumbest---I've had to explain this old joke before:

"Two men walk into a bar....(pause)...the third one ducked."

[Janak Parekh]

8O Then of course, I do remember all the kids sleeping in my history classes... ;)

--janak

[CoreyJF]

I once watched someone repeately try and fax something and was convinced the fax was broken beacuse the paper kept coming out the otherside instead of going through the phone lines.

[Steven Cedrone]

Hey, that battle would have been won if they had someone like "The Duke" fighting at the Alamo...

Oh, never mind... (http://einsiders.com/features/columns/alamo_part5.php) :wink:

Steve

[Don Tolson]

Actually, those of us 'outside of the US' probably know the phrase, but may not have heard all the 'details'.

[Wontonion]

Similar story. Was at the movie theater watching Titanic however many years ago it was. Anyway, the teenage girl next to me kept prognosticating that Rose--that was her name right?--was going to die while in the freezing water, all the while Rose the Elder was narrating the story flashback style.

Classic.

Americans are so freaking stupid these days. Funny, yet tragic.

[JackTheTripper]

I think I might have a movie story dumber than all these....

http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/images/threads/000/052/364/759639-328.jpg

[Duncan]

Frankly it wouldn't surprise me if Hollywood made a film of the Alamo where people people survived (BTW - outside the US the Alamo is not very well known - it is generally heard of but not the details).

After all - the fact that the capture of the Nazi code machines was carried out exclusively by British ships or that no American ever escaped from Colditz never stopped the Hollywood rewriting of history...! Then consider the assumptions made by Hollywood execs - that The Madness of George III needed to be renamed The Madness of King George because US audiences would think they'd missed movies I and II !!!; that Tom Sawyer needed to be added to League of Extraordinary Gentlemen on the grounds US audiences wouldn't go and see a film without an American hero!

I get really irritated too by the number of times I start to get into US import TV programmes that are intelligent and beautifully made - only to discover they bombed in the US and were cancelled - while mindless trash (Andromeda anyone?) and crap reality shows continue to get made...

I don't know if the average US audience is that dumb - I suspect not (at least not any more than anywhere else in the world!) - but the people who make US films and TV certainly think they are! Which - if I lived in the US - would worry me...

[JackTheTripper]

that The Madness of George III needed to be renamed The Madness of King George because US audiences would think they'd missed movies I and II !!!; I never head this, though it was a very good movie. :D

[Jason Dunn]

Actually, those of us 'outside of the US' probably know the phrase, but may not have heard all the 'details'.

I just knew that everyone died. :worried: It DOES seem rather strange for an American to not know the basics of such an important historical event.

[GoldKey]

Americans are so freaking stupid these days. Funny, yet tragic.

And making gross generalizations is a sign of intelligence? :wink:

[Janak Parekh]

Americans are so freaking stupid these days. Funny, yet tragic.
And making gross generalizations is a sign of intelligence? :wink:
Let's say the average American is freaking stupid then. :razzing: Have you ever watched "Jaywalking" on Leno? I would often think it's fake, but then I hear too many real stories. I'm very fortunate in that I get to associate with smart people (both here and in real life), but never overestimate mediocrity. ;)

Mind you, this is likely true in every other country as well, but we seem to have a penchant to export mediocre behavior to the rest of the world via reality TV...

--janak

[Janak Parekh]

It DOES seem rather strange for an American to not know the basics of such an important historical event.
Oh, not always -- there's always someone. As I mentioned before, I was lucky in that I get to work with smart people, but that wasn't always the case. In high school once, I was on a field trip to the UN. Our tour guide showed us a gift to the UN from China made out of ivory (a palace, IIRC). One of the students in the group looked bewildered, and asked (I am not making this up) "You mean Ivory soap (http://www.ivory.com/)?" 8O This was the same person who once asked in Earth Science whether we live "on" the Earth or "in" it. Mind you, this person was not exactly the sharpest tack in my grade.

--janak

[Wontonion]

In lower school perhaps, I remember a girl frantically complaining to the teacher that she couldn't find England on her map. (It was a project: you're assigned a country in europe, and then you have to do a report on it.) Little did little Christen know that she was looking at a map of Africa! I kid you not! (and this was at a private school, too.)

and in response to whoever it was that disparaged my point above, yes, i find the average american to be extremely stupid. i believe it is the product of the fact that we are breeding for people too stupid to use a condom. there, i said it. i think it is very sad. "the fate of empires depends on the education of youth"--aristotle.

[GoldKey]

Americans are so freaking stupid these days. Funny, yet tragic.
And making gross generalizations is a sign of intelligence? :wink:
Let's say the average American is freaking stupid then.
Mind you, this is likely true in every other country as well, but we seem to have a penchant to export mediocre behavior to the rest of the world via reality TV...
--janak

I will agree that the average person is pretty stupid, I think this is probably a universal truth. I will agree that Americans tend to be more visible in their stupidity. The original statement was written such that it was the opinion of the writer that ALL Americans were stupid. Here is a scary thought - Thinking of the intelligence of the average person, remember that half the people you meet are below average.

[Janak Parekh]

I will agree that the average person is pretty stupid, I think this is probably a universal truth. I will agree that Americans tend to be more visible in their stupidity. The original statement was written such that it was the opinion of the writer that ALL Americans were stupid.
wontonian clarified him/herself, so no problem there. :)

Here is a scary thought - Thinking of the intelligence of the average person, remember that half the people you meet are below average.
Indeed. I'm sure that colors our perceptions as well. We must also remember that mass media caters to the lowest-common denominator. I personally can't stomach reality TV or Jerry Springer, or actually a lot of what's on TV here, but some people really seem to find these shows appealing. Duncan, I can reassure you that a lot of Americans find our "successful" shows just as distasteful as you do.

BTW, before I come across as arrogant, I understand that everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, and I don't begrudge anyone of that - I know I have plenty of weaknesses. ;) I'd like to think I treat everyone with respect. However, the one thing that I find frustrating is when I meet people who don't try to use their brain. To me, there's no excuse for that.

--janak

[sebringal]

Thinking of the intelligence of the average person, remember that half the people you meet are below average.

Not necessarily; half the people are below the MEDIAN, but that doesn't mean half are below the AVERAGE.

And even if it were true, consider this: Half the people would be ABOVE average.

[Sven Johannsen]

I certainly get the joke, but ever consider that everyone dying in the end is from the point of view of those inside the Alamo and those who identify with them. From the other point of view it might have seemed a victory with minimal casualties.

[Kati Compton]

A friend of mine was at the first LOTR movie. Some guy next to her kept yelling "Put the ring on! Put the ring on, man!" any time there was danger, completely missing the point that it's BAD.

The "good" part though was at the end of the movie, when the same guy stood up and said "Oh, man.... you *know* there's going to be a sequel to *this*!"

Apparently he didn't realize it's a series of books...

[rhmorrison]

Computer help stories

This article is from the Wall Street Journal, Tuesday, March 1, 1994: Befuddled PC Users Flood Help Llines, and No Qquestion Seems To Be Too Basic

AUSTIN, Texas - The exasperated help-line caller said she couldn't get her new Dell computer to turn on. Jay Ablinger, a Dell Computer Corp. technician, made sure the computer was plugged in and then asked the woman what happened when she pushed the power button.

"I've pushed and pushed on this foot pedal and nothing happens," the woman replied. "Foot pedal?" the technician asked. "Yes," the woman said, "this little white foot pedal with the on switch." The "foot pedal," it turned out, was the computer's mouse, a hand-operated device that helps to control the computer's operation.

Personal-computer makers are discovering that it's still a low-tech world out there. While they are finally having great success selling PCs to households, they now have to deal with people to whom monitors and disk drives are as foreign as another language.

"It is rather mystifying to get this nice, beautiful machine and not know anything about it," says Ed Shuler, a technician who helps field consumer calls at Dell's headquarters here. "It's going into unfamiliar territory," adds Gus Kolias, vice president of customer service and training for Compaq Computer Corp. "People are looking for a comfort level."

Only two years ago, most calls to PC help lines came from techies needing help on complex problems. But now, with computer sales to homes exploding as new "multimedia" functions gain mass appeal, PC makers say that as many as 70% of their calls come from rank novices. Partly because of the volume of calls, some computer companies have started charging help-line users.

The questions are often so basic that they could have been answered by opening the manual that comes with every machine. One woman called Dell's toll-free line to ask how to install batteries in her laptop. When told that the directions were on the first page of the manual, says Steve Smith, Dell director of technical support, the woman replied angrily, "I just paid $2,000 for this stupid thing, and I'm not going to read a book."

Indeed, it seems that these buyers rarely refer to a manual when a phone is at hand. "If there is a book and a phone and they're side-by-side, the phone wins time after time," says Craig McQuilkin manager of service marketing for AST Research, Inc. in Irvine, Calif. "It's a phenomenon of people wanting to talk to people.

And do they ever. Compaq's help center in Houston, Texas, is inundated by some 8,000 consumer calls a day, with inquiries like this one related by technician John Wolf: "A frustrated customer called, who said her brand new Contura would not work. She said she had unpacked the unit, plugged it in, opened it up and sat there for 20 minutes waiting for something to happen. When asked what happened when she pressed the power switch, she asked, "What power switch?

Seemingly simple computer features baffle some users. So many people have called to ask where the "any" key is when "Press Any Key" flashes on the screen that Compaq is considering changing the command to "Press Return Key.

Some people can't figure out the mouse. Tamra Eagle, and AST technical support supervisor, says one customer complained that her mouse was hard to control with the "dust cover" on. The cover turned out to be the plastic bag the mouse was packaged in. Dell technician Wayne Zieschan says one of his customers held the mouse and pointed it at the screen, all the while clicking madly. The customer got no response because the mouse works only if it's moved over a flat surface.

Disk drives are another bugaboo. Compaq technician Brent Sullivan says a customer was having trouble reading word-processing files from his old diskettes. After troubleshooting for magnets and heat failed to diagnose the problem, Mr. Sullivan asked what else was being done with the diskette. The customer's response: "I put a label on the diskette and rolled it into the typewriter."

At AST, another customer dutifully complied with a technician's request that she send in a copy of a defective floppy disk. A letter from the customer arrived a few days later, along with a Xerox copy of the floppy. And at Dell, a technician advised his customer to put his troubled floppy back in the drive and "close the door." Asking the technician to "hold on," the customer put the phone down and was heard walking over to shut the door to his room. The technician meant the door to his floppy drive.

The software inside the computer can be equally befuddling. A Dell customer called to say he couldn't get his computer to fax anything. After 40 minutes of troubleshooting, the technician discovered the man was trying to fax a piece of paper by holding it in front of the monitor screen and hitting the "send" key.

Another Dell customer needed help setting up a new program, so Dell technician Gary Rock referred him to the local Egghead. "Yeah, I got me a couple friends," the customer replied. When told Egghead was software store, the man said, "Oh! I thought you meant for me to find couple of geeks.

Not realizing how fragile computers can be, some people end up damaging parts beyond repair. A Dell customer called to complain that his keyboard no longer worked. He had cleaned it, he said, filling up his tub with soap and water and soaking his keyboard for a day, and the removing all the keys and washing them individually.

Computers make some people paranoid. A Dell technician, Morgan Vergaran says he once calmed a man who became enraged because, "his computer has told him he was bad and an invalid." Mr. Vergara patiently explained that the computer's "bad command" and "invalid" responses shouldn't be taken personally.

These days PC-help technicians increasingly find themselves taking on the role of amateur psychologists. Mr. Shuler, the dell technician who once worked as a psychiatric nurse, says he defused a potential domestic fight by soothingly talking a man through a computer problem after the man had screamed threats at his wife and children in the background

There are also the lonely hearts who seek out human contact, even if it happens to be a computer techie. One man from New Hampshire calls Dell every time he experiences a life crisis. He gets a technician to walk him through some contrived problem with his computer, apparently feeling uplifted by the process.

"A lot of people want reassurance," says Mr. Shuler.

[Dave Beauvais]

... Apparently he didn't realize it's a series of books...
That reminds me so much of this Real Life (http://www.reallifecomics.com/daily.php?strip_id=995) comic. :)

[rhmorrison]

Take a look at the Dawin Awards (http://www.darwinawards.com/) for the dumbest people EVER!

Named in honor of Charles Darwin, the father of evolution, the Darwin Awards commemorate those who improve our gene pool by removing themselves from it.

[aroma]

Being from Texas, this is a VERY familiar story for us. It's my perception that the story is fairly well known even outside the state...

Just to clear up a few missconceptions, the original poster said that he assumes the "Alamo" story is well known outside ot the "state" (meaning Texas), not outside of the "states"...

- Aaron

[toxostoma]

I just knew that everyone died. :worried: It DOES seem rather strange for an American to not know the basics of such an important historical event.

Jason, I forgive even Americans. I mean, I doubt the Alamo is of central importance in the course of American or world history... But, for a Texan not to know, that's just unbelievable.

Our state has some really good things and some really bad things going for it. (I don't even want to touch this topic with a ten foot poll). But, we definitely for better and sometimes worse, have a very strong sense of identity. To be from Texas and not know the story of the Alamo is like being from Italy and not knowing that Rome was the most powerful city in the world...

(And this guy that I refered to in the story was definitely from Texas. His accent and dress made it clear).

[toxostoma]

I certainly get the joke, but ever consider that everyone dying in the end is from the point of view of those inside the Alamo and those who identify with them. From the other point of view it might have seemed a victory with minimal casualties.

Sven. You're right. But let's be honest. We always see history through our culture's lens. (I was actually kind of intrigued to discover that I had relative from my mom's side you fought and died in the Alamo).

Some people view the events of 9/11 as a wonderful start to fixing problems they see in the world. I would imagine that your point of view depends on your culture... I certainly think it was pure evil. (I'm certainly not comparing these two events to say that they're on equal footing!)

[sublime]

I met a dumber guy before:

I was working at a store in the mall during the rush season where tons of people hand in their resumes to stores. One guy handed in his resume to me, was very polite, and left on good terms. I read his resume soon after to see his qualifications. He worked at a grocery store for as a stock-boy and on his resume wrote "two years experience of stalking." I ripped the resume up immediately afterwards.

[toxostoma]

As funny as that is, it could be a simple typo - something he didn't proofread and catch...

[Janak Parekh]

As funny as that is, it could be a simple typo - something he didn't proofread and catch...
It is, without question. But it's a sad demonstration of one's vocabulary skills. Unless you think he was using it as a thinly veiled threat? :lol:

What would scare me more (and I bet this will ultimately happen) is that this young man will encounter a place where he will get a job because the resume reader won't know the difference between "stalking" and "stocking", either. 8O

--janak

[Kati Compton]

What would scare me more (and I bet this will ultimately happen) is that this young man will encounter a place where he will get a job because the resume reader won't know the difference between "stalking" and "stocking", either. 8O
Let's just hope he doesn't apply to Victoria's Secret....

[Sven Johannsen]

Sven. You're right. But let's be honest. We always see history through our culture's lens. (I was actually kind of intrigued to discover that I had relative from my mom's side you fought and died in the Alamo).

Absolutely. There are three sides to every story, the two that are told by the participants and the truth. I hope everyone gets the opportunity to read assorted news reports of a significant event they were involved in, sometime in their lives. I guarantee it will affect how you see news in the future. And history...you can spin that any way you choose...if you choose to.

[maximus]

Back in undergrad school, I work part time as a computer helpdesk. One day, a fellow student asked me how to login into an application, and I told him to enter his ID, password, and click the 'login' button.

He was quiet for about 5-10 seconds .. and then he said "I am sorry, but perhaps the keyboard that I am using is too old, it does not have the 'login' button" ...

I was trying very hard not to laugh (my supervisor is right behind me, and I will get in trouble if he caught me laughing at a customer) ... and then I explained to him that the 'login' button is on the screen ... not on the keyboard.

He is my nomination for the Darwin award.

[Thinkingmandavid]

I am from Texas and I cant imagine not knowing about the Alamo :!: 8O
All through school they taught us about it, and duh :!: they die at the end.
I am an American and proud of it, but I do realize there are a lot of generalizations about Americans and about people from all types of cultures. Each culture tends to forget that it has weaknesses included in its strengths, but when we think of our culture we think of what is great about it. I do not know of nationality that is the best, but I am sure proud to be an American :wink:

[chunkymonkey75]

A friend of mine was at the first LOTR movie. Some guy next to her kept yelling "Put the ring on! Put the ring on, man!" any time there was danger, completely missing the point that it's BAD.

The "good" part though was at the end of the movie, when the same guy stood up and said "Oh, man.... you *know* there's going to be a sequel to *this*!"

Apparently he didn't realize it's a series of books...

This is just a guess, I wasn't there.....I would like to believe that they guy was "attempting" to be funny....I hope.


Who could blame people outside the US for thinking we are stupid? Our biggest export is entertainment. And look at the aweful crap that is on TV!! I'm soooo sick of those stupid reality TV shows that I barely watch TV at all anymore. Not to mention the STUPID sitcoms. Every once in while a good one comes along. But there is so much other crap that I don't bother giving any new show a chance.

The fact is, there are stupid people everywhere.

Examples:

Those that believe that the US attacked Iraq because of they're religion.

The countries that discrimate against their women. Half of their citizens are not allowed to be productive (tax paying) citizens.

....Bean. (sorry not a fan) :wink:

[GoldKey]

Some of my favorite comments on the subject:

The problem with common sense is that it is not very common.

If ignorance is bliss, why aren't there more happy people.

Half the people you meet are below average. (I know technically the mean and not the average, but it sounds better this way.)

[ux4484]

Is it really cultural stupidity, kids sleeping in history class, or political correctness gone astray?

I doubt an American made movie about The Bastille, would even include it in the title...

Or that many Americans know that Bastille day exists, much less what it's about.

Cinco de Mayo?.....Isn't that when Pepe's has tacos on sale ;).....hmmm.....do the French sulk on the 5th of May :lol:


.....and what's all this "Boxing day" crapola ;)

[doogald]

Then consider the assumptions made by Hollywood execs - that The Madness of George III needed to be renamed The Madness of King George because US audiences would think they'd missed movies I and II !!!;

Most of the rest of your post is correct - though I have been to Britain and seen some really successful crap TV shows (EuroTrash, for example?) - crap TV is not the exclusive domain of the US.

However, that story about The Madness Of King George is urban legend and your account is exagerated - there is some truth, but the film bore the same title in Britain, and the play was called "The Madness Of George III" when it was in NY. See http://www.snopes.com/movies/films/george.htm

[toxostoma]

Hey doogald, are those radiowaves or is that a marijuana leaf growing out of the watch on your avatar :D

[doogald]

Hey doogald, are those radiowaves or is that a marijuana leaf growing out of the watch on your avatar :D

That is a two way wristwatch radio, my friend!

[disconnected]

There seems to be a widespread assumption among geeks, that anyone not very computer literate is stupid. It's not the same thing at all.
I'm obviously not totally computer illiterate, but I'd be confused too if I were asked to send a copy of a defective floppy. And it seems natural, if you haven't used computers much, to assume that a button is part of the keyboard, not a picture on the screen.

A lot of the blame belongs to the companies making and selling computers and software. A lot of it is very unintuitive, unpredictable, and unreliable, and the manuals tend to obscure as much as clarify. Much as I love my Pocket PC, I won't even recommend one to anyone who doesn't want to spend a lot of time on the care and feeding of it. All of the TV advertising talks about the ease of use of these products, so companies should expect lots of calls to tech-support. If the consumer feels laughed at or condescended to, then that is a consumer that will not be buying much from that company in the future. (Not to mention that for every story by a tech about a moronic customer, there are just as many by customers about moronic or unhelpful techs).

I seem to be feeling somewhat old and grumpy today. :oops:

[toxostoma]

I seem to be feeling somewhat old and grumpy today. :oops:

Not at all! I completely agree with you.

I have a college roommate that hates technology. I mean hates it. He'll go days without checking his email, because he just doesn't care. When he leaves the house, his cell phone stays behind... Because he doesn't like the intrusion. He's extremely intelligent. His stance on technology is very much an intellectual stance.

I on the other hand enjoy technology (when I'm not turning purple from rage at the latest unfathomable decision MS or some other programmer has made :twisted:). It does have it's place though (and sometimes it can be too intrusive) and I have nothing but respect for those that aren't as technologically affluent as I am.

[maximus]

So, after the trailer ends, I look over to the guy next to me and on a whim, I make a joke. "Don't go see that movie. It sucks," I say. "Everyone dies in the end."

I couldn't believe his response. "Really? How do you know? Have you seen the movie before?" My eyes must have gotten big and my jaw dropped. Besides the fact that the movie doesn't open until next April (how could I have seen it?) I couldn't believe that he seriously didn't understand the joke.


Well there is also a possibility that he was just kidding, as a response to your joke ?

T+ :wink:

[toxostoma]

Maximus, he was completely serious in his response. You know how you can tell when someone's uncomfortable when they know they should know something, but don't? That's the way this was. Big time. It was awkward and he backed off the conversation as quick as he could...

[Sven Johannsen]

He is my nomination for the Darwin award.

Silly or not, you really shouldn't wish that honor on the poor fellow, as it is only awarded posthumously.

[Falstaff]

Silly or not, you really shouldn't wish that honor on the poor fellow, as it is only awarded posthumously.
Actually the Darwin Award is given to people who remove themselves from the gene pool, so death isn't the only way to win, they can recieve certain other injuries...

[Kati Compton]

Actually the Darwin Award is given to people who remove themselves from the gene pool, so death isn't the only way to win, they can recieve certain other injuries...
Which probably also shouldn't be wished on anyone.

[maximus]

... or that person is abducted by aliens, frozen in liquid nitrogen, and placed on a museum on Squornshellous Zeta ...

[Pat Logsdon]

... or that person is abducted by aliens, frozen in liquid nitrogen, and placed on a museum on Squornshellous Zeta ...
Hey, only mattresses get to be in museums on Squornshellous Zeta!

Like the dreaded Tyrannospringus Mattress - one of the largest (and most comfy) of the mattressosaurs.

[Kati Compton]

Start a new thread if you want to discuss Douglas Adams... ;)

[NeoAxim]

A friend of mine was at the first LOTR movie. Some guy next to her kept yelling "Put the ring on! Put the ring on, man!" any time there was danger, completely missing the point that it's BAD.

The "good" part though was at the end of the movie, when the same guy stood up and said "Oh, man.... you *know* there's going to be a sequel to *this*!"

Apparently he didn't realize it's a series of books...

This is just a guess, I wasn't there.....I would like to believe that they guy was "attempting" to be funny....I hope.


Who could blame people outside the US for thinking we are stupid? Our biggest export is entertainment. And look at the aweful crap that is on TV!! I'm soooo sick of those stupid reality TV shows that I barely watch TV at all anymore. Not to mention the STUPID sitcoms. Every once in while a good one comes along. But there is so much other crap that I don't bother giving any new show a chance.

The fact is, there are stupid people everywhere.

:wink:

I love how Americans are the stupid ones because all we do is "export crappy TV" and mind numbing cinema.

You have to ask yourself, is it the Americans who are selling and making money off of this form of entertainment that are the mindless drones or is it countless number of people around the world who gobble up any crap America spits out that maybe deserve the "stupid” label.

N’SYNC didn’t seem to have much trouble selling out their world tour a few years ago did they?
There are riots in Asia whenever Michael Jackson, Americas most famous pedophile, decides to stop by and sing some of his decades old music.
Isn't it Germany who actually believes David Hasselhof can sing?

Seems to me any garbage the US sends out there results is a line of countries ready to gobble it up with their hard earned money.

So I ask again is it the seller who is the moron or the buyer?
Don't throw stones if you live in a glass house.

[Pat Logsdon]

N’SYNC didn’t seem to have much trouble selling out their world tour a few years ago did they?
There are riots in Asia whenever Michael Jackson, Americas most famous pedophile, decides to stop by and sing some of his decades old music.
Isn't it Germany who actually believes David Hasselhof can sing?

Seems to me any garbage the US sends out there results is a line of countries ready to gobble it up with their hard earned money.

So I ask again is it the seller who is the moron or the buyer?
Don't throw stones if you live in a glass house.
One little point for you - all of the people you mentioned became famous FIRST in America and THEN the rest of the world. Therefore, by your logic, Americans would be the first morons.

[NeoAxim]

N’SYNC didn’t seem to have much trouble selling out their world tour a few years ago did they?
There are riots in Asia whenever Michael Jackson, Americas most famous pedophile, decides to stop by and sing some of his decades old music.
Isn't it Germany who actually believes David Hasselhof can sing?

Seems to me any garbage the US sends out there results is a line of countries ready to gobble it up with their hard earned money.

So I ask again is it the seller who is the moron or the buyer?
Don't throw stones if you live in a glass house.
One little point for you - all of the people you mentioned became famous FIRST in America and THEN the rest of the world. Therefore, by your logic, Americans would be the first morons.

Terrific point. So what you saying is Americans at least originate their own garbage, the rest of the world just enthusiastically pays for it after we are done with it?

Does that make everyone else any less of a moron?

See the difference here is I never go about labeling anyone from any other country as “stupid” or “moronic” yet those from outside the US have no problem labeling Americans this way. Yet America undeniably has no problem at all shipping over some of the muck we have here and selling it for a premium in countries all around the world.

Does that the make the rest of the world, from which the US entertainment industry rolls over for a quite a profit, somehow smarter than Americans?

I just love how the rest of the world has got it all together, has perfect governments and, according to some here, a much more intelligent population but yet the U.S. is still recognized as the only super power in the world. Did we get there by accident? Or is Norway, Mexico, Germany, etc.. just biding their time until they take over as the most successful and influential nation in the world? I don’t think so.

Again my point was don't throw stones if you live in a glass house. And since none of us live in a perfect country stop being ignorant enough to believe you can insult Americans in your posts and not manage to offend, believe or not, the AMERICANS who post here.

[Janak Parekh]

See the difference here is I never go about labeling anyone from any other country as “stupid” or “moronic” yet those from outside the US have no problem labeling Americans this way.
Oh, believe me, we have done this many times. Not you, perhaps, but remember the whole thing about "freedom fries", for example? Simply put -- the entire world insults each other. I don't agree that it goes only one way.

Yet America undeniably has no problem at all shipping over some of the muck we have here and selling it for a premium in countries all around the world.
Umm, we more or less reached a consensus that there are idiots everywhere. :)

Again my point was don't throw stones if you live in a glass house.
Well, I live in the US, and was born here, and so are a lot of the posters who are saying the same things. I believe Mr. Snack lives in the US as well; his sojourns to the Squornshellous planets are only temporary. :razzing:

--janak

[NeoAxim]

[quote]Again my point was don't throw stones if you live in a glass house.
Well, I live in the US, and was born here, and so are a lot of the posters who are saying the same things. I believe Mr. Snack lives in the US as well; his sojourns to the Squornshellous planets are only temporary. :razzing:

--janak

Exactly Janak difference is you don't see many blanket statements from Americans that the French are morons. Not to say we aren't thinking it, we just tend to be very "PC" in these forums and try to refrain from offending others from around the globe.

What I said was fact, the rest of the world gobbles up much of our admittedly "low brow" entertainment at every chance they get.
So it doesn't make much sense to characterize Americans as stupid because of what is out there. If there wasn't demand there wouldn't be much supply.

And I am well aware you are from the US, which apparently means you can disparage your own country online no questions asked.
I am Italian does that mean I can insult Italy whenever I want?

Again, glass houses. The only thing worse then someone throwing stones at yours is when you help them throw stones at your own.

[Kati Compton]

OK - I think there's been enough arguing here.

Thread locked.