Know What?
When I first read about this new Zogby poll, More Americans Know Snow White's Dwarfs Than Supreme Court Judges, Homer Simpson Than Homer's Odyssey, and Harry Potter Than Tony Blair, which focused on pop culture, I was distressed at the lack of knowledge exhibited about history or current events.
Don Davis put it in proper perspective, however, in BAD NEWS, GOOD NEWS IN LATEST POLL OF AMERICANS’ KNOWLEDGE. A few highlights from his Satirical Political Report:
THE BAD NEWS: Three-quarters of Americans can correctly identify two of Snow White’s Seven Dwarfs, while only a quarter can name two Supreme Court justices.
THE GOOD NEWS: Three-quarters of Americans know that Bush’s two Supreme Court appointments are about as interested in protecting the Bill of Rights as the Seven Dwarfs.
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THE BAD NEWS: Just over 60 per cent of respondents are able to name Bart as Homer’s son on the television show The Simpsons, while only 20.5 per cent were able to name one of the ancient Greek poet Homer’s epic poems, The Iliad and The Odyssey.
THE GOOD NEWS: 75 percent of Americans properly identified the President and the Vice-President as The Idiot and The Odd-itty, and admired Homer Simpson’s infamous “DOH!” as a sign of someone willing to acknowledge a mistake.
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THE BAD NEWS: Respondents are far more familiar with the Three Stooges - Larry, Curly and Moe - than the three branches of the US Government - judicial, executive and legislative.
THE GOOD NEWS: An overwhelming majority believe that Larry, Curly and Moe could do a better job than the GOP of running the three branches of Government.
THE BAD NEWS: Twice as many people (23 per cent) were able to identify the most recent winner of the television talent show American Idol, Taylor Hicks, as were able to name the Supreme Court Justice confirmed in January 2006, Samuel Alito (11 per cent).
THE GOOD NEWS: 88 per cent of respondents correctly said that only Taylor Hicks had a “soul.”
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