Animavore wrote:You think that's bad. A lot of Americans think the Irish live in castles and straw huts

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4MwblcGZbI[/youtube]

Do we honestly think Americans can send spacecraft a billion miles away and hit their target, but most don't know the difference between Saudi Arabia and South Africa? If 5% of Americans think that they are the same place, show me the poll. I'll eat my shoes.
I don't want to see a youtube video.

If a windmill catches fire in America, does that mean they don't see how it's ironic?
Plus, how ironic is it, really? Has anyone ever seen coal burn?

Enjoy

The_Piper wrote:Do we honestly think Americans can send spacecraft a billion miles away and hit their target, but most don't know the difference between Saudi Arabia and South Africa? If 5% of Americans think that they are the same place, show me the poll. I'll eat my shoes.
I don't want to see a youtube video.

If a windmill catches fire in America, does that mean they don't see how it's ironic?
Plus, how ironic is it, really? Has anyone ever seen coal burn?

Enjoy

I think that educated Americans have about as much general knowledge as people in the same category who live anywhere else in the world, and ordinary people who don't have education have as little general knowledge as those in the rest of the world. My comment was not directed at Americans in general but at CNN in particular. You would think that the person editing that video for inclusion in a news item would make sure that the facts were correct, or that Jeanne Moost would have commented about how the boob girl didn't know about South Africa. In the same way that I would think that any person working in the news media would understand what they were saying before they said that. I heard an English news anchor make a stupid comment the other day about Rhode Island being "a city in the state of New England" on Sky News the other day, so it's not only Americans who are stupid about the rest of the world.

The irony of a wind generator burning (because that's not a windmill but an electricity generator that is propelled by wind, see here) is lost on most people.

Animavore wrote:You think that's bad. A lot of Americans think the Irish live in castles and straw huts

And some Brits and Europeans think that Montana is the wild west with shoot outs. Or that owning a gun makes a person at risk of going postal at any moment.

Gallstones wrote:

Animavore wrote:You think that's bad. A lot of Americans think the Irish live in castles and straw huts

And some Brits and Europeans think that Montana is the wild west with shoot outs. Or that owning a gun makes a person at risk of going postal at any moment.

Ah, come on. Lots of Montana still looks like the Wild West, just with a few more home comforts these days. I never did see any shoot outs there though, not that I'm complaining.

Come to think about it, I visited two inhabited castles the last time I was in Ireland. It was a bit of blank on the straw huts though.

Gallstones wrote:

Animavore wrote:You think that's bad. A lot of Americans think the Irish live in castles and straw huts

And some Brits and Europeans think that Montana is the wild west with shoot outs. Or that owning a gun makes a person at risk of going postal at any moment.

I read Collapse by Jared Diamond so I have a good idea what Montana is like. The description you give above is more what I would think about Alabama though.

There are people who believe that we have lions and elephants in the streets in South Africa too!

I'd like to share this song with you. I came across it in a search on YoutTube this morning, it's rather lovely. This American does understand about South Africa.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LnB2fZkLAI[/youtube]

No Lions or Elephants here, but we do have moose in the street a lot hehe.
Back to the windmill, LOL. I know, wind electricity generator. We have those nearby, but us dumb Americans still call them windmills. Here's my proof http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/115622.html

So how ironic was Chernobyl? (I'm not making light of that tragedy, just sticking up for burning windmills )

I'm With Stupid wrote:What a load of bollocks! Discuss.

There are plenty of things Americans don't get. Shame, for example. But I've never understood this Americans/irony crap. Plus it makes the person who says it sound like a right tosser imo. Can someone give me some examples of Americans not getting irony?

Don't make silly generalisations.

All generalisations are wrong..

rainbow wrote:All generalisations are wrong..

Especially that one.

Gawdzilla wrote:

rainbow wrote:All generalisations are wrong..

Especially that one.

You don't get it?

rainbow wrote:

Gawdzilla wrote:

rainbow wrote:All generalisations are wrong..

Especially that one.

You don't get it?

I was completing the joke.

Gawdzilla wrote:

rainbow wrote:

Gawdzilla wrote:

rainbow wrote:All generalisations are wrong..

Especially that one.

You don't get it?

I was completing the joke.

Oh, for the Americans

rainbow wrote:

Gawdzilla wrote:

rainbow wrote:

Gawdzilla wrote:

rainbow wrote:All generalisations are wrong..

Especially that one.

You don't get it?

I was completing the joke.

Oh, for the Americans

Yep, none of them have ever heard it.

Yeah that was a really good one...

The_Piper wrote:Yeah that was a really good one...

How would you know?

For the Zambians
For the Mongolians
For the British, here is an amazing new invention
For the Irish
( I was going to do penis enlargement for the angry Irish, but thought against it )
Ok then, for the Americans


Edit...is it Mongols or Mongolians?

How ironic.

Gawdzilla wrote:How ironic.

I knew you'd like it sir.

50% of all people reading this thread have below average intelligence.