Jimmy Kimmel Asked A Stupidly Simple Geography Question, And These People Still Managed To Fail
Americans have a reputation abroad for being somewhat insular, and that is putting it kindly. Perhaps it’s a lack of curiosity, education or just being told over and over that the USA is ‘exceptional,’ but for some reason there is just a startling lack of knowledge about the world as a whole, and nothing better illustrates that than Jimmy Kimmel asking people to name a country on the world map.
Now it’s not a specific country Kimmel was asking these L.A locals to identify. They weren’t being asked to pick out Sao Tome e Principe on the map. They were asked to identify any country, anywhere, take your pick out of all 193 of them. Some had to be reminded that Africa is a continent, while others couldn’t even find the United States. One guy thought that Alaska was Greenland. It’s literally your own country dude!
Luckily, one young boy was there to save the day and remind us that there are still people out there with the desire and ability to connect with the world around them. He showed up the adults by rattling off the names and locations of a variety of nations.
So what? You may think, it’s just geography. For many people however this is no laughing matter. As the U.S exerts its military and political influence on the world, citizens in whose name it purports to act have no clue about what and where things are going on. It’s pretty scary actually. Scroll down below to check it out for yourself, and explore! Be curious! Discover the beauty of the world we live in!
Jimmy Kimmel asked one simple question to people on the streets of L.A
But it turned out to be way more difficult than expected
Watch the hilarious video below
Here’s how people reacted
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"Watch the hilarious video below" - um, no. "Hilarious" is not the word to use to describe this horrific display of ignorance. :-O
My thoughts exactly. Since when has "hilarious" become synonymous with "sad" or "tragic"? (Although, I do admit my geography is not the best either)
Load More Replies...Sorry Daria, my replies are glitching; I didn’t mean to reply to you, but rather Nadine
Years ago, I knew a very beautiful dietician. One weekend she was downtown clubbing and Oprah was in town (as part of a lawsuit she was facing after some uninformed comments she'd made about Mad Cow Disease). Anyway, they wanted to do a piece about how stupid the "big hair girls" of Texas were. So they were catching pretty girls and asking them simple questions. This girl I knew gave intelligent answers, and they made it clear to her that this WASN'T what they wanted. So she immediately gave them what they wanted. She gave ditzy airhead answers to amuse some imaginary audience, hoping to see herself on TV. I have her hell about that afterward, but she didn't especially care. It had all been a lark. And apparently her own ditzy answers hadn't been stupid enough, because they didn't use her answers. Other people managed to outdo her. It was made into a competition, where the only stupidest answers survived. Keep that in mind, as you see these "regular people are so stupid."
Nomadus Aureus I genuinely don't know any British people who think the things you are claiming. Perhaps you need to broaden the range of people you are talking to.
In all honesty, after I repeatedly had to explain the difference between EU and Europe to various Brits, explain what an indigenous minority is, explain that Eastern Europe does not equal Poland, that the largest half of Russia is located in Asia and so on and so forth, I can absolutely believe this video.
@The Cappy: Why am I not shocked by this? People would go with the flow just to be on TV or something! Somehow this is even sadder! :(
I’m 13 and even I know the simple continents/countries. That’s not even much to boast about. The cringe in this is unbelievable
I can't help but wonder if they questioned 100 people and only showed the dumbest ones, plus the smart kid. Surely most could at least find the US, Canada and Mexico. But hey, if you want to make your whole country look stupid just for laughs, this is how you do it.
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Well... on the other hand, if you would ask Europeans about the location of the 51 (?) states of the US. I wonder how many will have those correct. I know I wouldn't get much further than Florida and Texas.
Nobody asked them about the italian regions or french Departements or the german Bundesländer...
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@Adhortator: What I meant was: European countries are in size more or less comparable to a US state, so if "we" (the Europeans) expect the Americans to know the location of Norway, Romania and Portugal, it would be fair that we are able to point out the location of Michigan, Ohio and Nebraska in reverse.
That is just so scary - how can these people vote in a president who promises to build a wall between their country and another country when they dont even know where their own is.
How do you know who they voted for- if at all? Though I do aggree it's scary that these people legally have the right to vote, own a gun and drive.
Load More Replies...@Sandij D I don't live in the USA and don't vote there, but I can tell you one thing for certain- I'd never vote for a person like Hillary. Which leaves two options- Trump or not voting at all. It's curious that of all america the final two candidates were so dismal. What went wrong?
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Hoow do u kno who they voted for? uhhm, bcoz he's president. So yah, as a whole Americans, whether they voted Hilary or what not, still ultimately and basically voted for him
how..?!/ really..?! of course they voted right! they wanted somebody as ignorant and stupid as themselves!
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Hopefully you're not from the U.S, if so then you should know that California is a blue state and tends to vote democrat. Besides, Hillary has already proven she will do illegal things when not holding the presidential seat. So she was a far worse choice. Trump may not be charismatic, but he wants better things for our country while everyone else seems to want to be treated like a flower.
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The ones who want open borders are the ones who don't even know where the borders are.
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how do you know they aren't the "brilliant" hillary clinton voters?
I think they used a map in which the USA is NOT at the center on purpose. Most maps used in us public schools are American centric, which clearly throws these idiots off when their country is not at the center of the globe. Terrible. Spoken as an American who went to public school, btw, and I can definitely name more than one country on that map lol
That's what I noticed too, it truly teaches a lesson. Sadly, where I live, we're taught that the USA believes to be above anyone else. This kind of post only reassures this belief, which is sad (and stereotyped I suppose)
Load More Replies...Makes me think of the World Series. Why does a national championship have a name like that?
...North America is also shown bigger than it actually is on U.S school maps.So many times, whenever I say "Australia is a big place" ,I've had Americans say "Texas is really big though"...Yeah Australia is about the same size as Nth America ,not Texas lol https://www.buzzfeed.com/simoncrerar/mind-boggling-australian-maps?utm_term=.rrmwAOoWqm#.fbQx6rlG37
Because you can't accurately represent a round object on a flat map, things north and south are out of proportion, so when map makers produce maps for a specific region they tend to center on the area in question so it will be the most accurate for that geographical area.
And if you gave intelligent answers, they wouldn't have used you, because it would have rebutted the "people are stupid" narrative.
True. However there should not be a SINGLE person who can't name a single country on the map. Even they were to name their own country, at least they would have one right. But to not be able to identify even your own country is just terrible.
There are also going to be people who refused to have a go because they knew they were unlikely to know the answers. Bias doesn't go just one way in things like this.
I thought the same thing. Every map I've ever seen has the North/South American continents on the left, this one had it on the right. Clearly meant to throw people off, but jeez folks, take a minute to look at the damn map and you should be able to at least pick out a few countries. I don't expect everyone to know Belgium from the Netherlands (unless you live in one of them), but at least point to the right general area of the correct continent. Poor public schooling is no excuse. The internet exists, log out of Facebook and open Google Earth once in a while.
That's not an excuse. The map is the same. Do they need a special map to locate other countries?
In my state, there is no geography class except to learn about your own state in elementary school. When I was in high school, I somehow came to realize that I thought Africa was Russia. We were in the midst of the Cold War, for crying out loud, but I didn't even know where Russia was. I didn't know that I didn't know until that point. Then I bought myself a globe and taught myself geography.
Every country in the world makes maps that are specifically their country-centric. its the nature of humanity to put yourself in the middle. Consider what view point you have right now, everything is around you from your viewpoint. I do agree, however, change that view point and people become lost. Has the map been turned upside down with Australia at the top and Canada at the bottom, I am not sure many of those people could have identified continents let alone countries.
eeehh no...I studied with the regular map, usa and rusia are enormous...here in Argentina (yeah part of America continent too) primary and high school every year with geography class...I think is both: not education and no interest in the rest of the world...you dont need to know every thing about everybody, but know where you are in the world...i think is very very important...
we are mostly using maps with Europe in the centre (in central Europe) and first thing I noticed was that this map is "weird" for me, but anyway, I thought that people know like shapes of continets or something, or at least find USA on the map, when you are from USA, I mean, it is pretty big. But still, I hope that they put there just most intresting people for TV :D
Since the first maps were made in Europe, they are always Europe centred.
Actually, asian maps show Asia in the center, european maps show Europe in the center, and american maps show America in the center. To each their own - litterally !
Um isn't the center a bit to the west from Africa- where the equator and greenwich meridian intersect? It would be really odd to see a map with North and South America in the center.
Plenty of older maps had South at the top of the map and North at the bottom. We are on a ball flying through space, depends on how you choose to look.
"Watch the hilarious video below" - um, no. "Hilarious" is not the word to use to describe this horrific display of ignorance. :-O
My thoughts exactly. Since when has "hilarious" become synonymous with "sad" or "tragic"? (Although, I do admit my geography is not the best either)
Load More Replies...Sorry Daria, my replies are glitching; I didn’t mean to reply to you, but rather Nadine
Years ago, I knew a very beautiful dietician. One weekend she was downtown clubbing and Oprah was in town (as part of a lawsuit she was facing after some uninformed comments she'd made about Mad Cow Disease). Anyway, they wanted to do a piece about how stupid the "big hair girls" of Texas were. So they were catching pretty girls and asking them simple questions. This girl I knew gave intelligent answers, and they made it clear to her that this WASN'T what they wanted. So she immediately gave them what they wanted. She gave ditzy airhead answers to amuse some imaginary audience, hoping to see herself on TV. I have her hell about that afterward, but she didn't especially care. It had all been a lark. And apparently her own ditzy answers hadn't been stupid enough, because they didn't use her answers. Other people managed to outdo her. It was made into a competition, where the only stupidest answers survived. Keep that in mind, as you see these "regular people are so stupid."
Nomadus Aureus I genuinely don't know any British people who think the things you are claiming. Perhaps you need to broaden the range of people you are talking to.
In all honesty, after I repeatedly had to explain the difference between EU and Europe to various Brits, explain what an indigenous minority is, explain that Eastern Europe does not equal Poland, that the largest half of Russia is located in Asia and so on and so forth, I can absolutely believe this video.
@The Cappy: Why am I not shocked by this? People would go with the flow just to be on TV or something! Somehow this is even sadder! :(
I’m 13 and even I know the simple continents/countries. That’s not even much to boast about. The cringe in this is unbelievable
I can't help but wonder if they questioned 100 people and only showed the dumbest ones, plus the smart kid. Surely most could at least find the US, Canada and Mexico. But hey, if you want to make your whole country look stupid just for laughs, this is how you do it.
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Well... on the other hand, if you would ask Europeans about the location of the 51 (?) states of the US. I wonder how many will have those correct. I know I wouldn't get much further than Florida and Texas.
Nobody asked them about the italian regions or french Departements or the german Bundesländer...
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
@Adhortator: What I meant was: European countries are in size more or less comparable to a US state, so if "we" (the Europeans) expect the Americans to know the location of Norway, Romania and Portugal, it would be fair that we are able to point out the location of Michigan, Ohio and Nebraska in reverse.
That is just so scary - how can these people vote in a president who promises to build a wall between their country and another country when they dont even know where their own is.
How do you know who they voted for- if at all? Though I do aggree it's scary that these people legally have the right to vote, own a gun and drive.
Load More Replies...@Sandij D I don't live in the USA and don't vote there, but I can tell you one thing for certain- I'd never vote for a person like Hillary. Which leaves two options- Trump or not voting at all. It's curious that of all america the final two candidates were so dismal. What went wrong?
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Hoow do u kno who they voted for? uhhm, bcoz he's president. So yah, as a whole Americans, whether they voted Hilary or what not, still ultimately and basically voted for him
how..?!/ really..?! of course they voted right! they wanted somebody as ignorant and stupid as themselves!
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Hopefully you're not from the U.S, if so then you should know that California is a blue state and tends to vote democrat. Besides, Hillary has already proven she will do illegal things when not holding the presidential seat. So she was a far worse choice. Trump may not be charismatic, but he wants better things for our country while everyone else seems to want to be treated like a flower.
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
The ones who want open borders are the ones who don't even know where the borders are.
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how do you know they aren't the "brilliant" hillary clinton voters?
I think they used a map in which the USA is NOT at the center on purpose. Most maps used in us public schools are American centric, which clearly throws these idiots off when their country is not at the center of the globe. Terrible. Spoken as an American who went to public school, btw, and I can definitely name more than one country on that map lol
That's what I noticed too, it truly teaches a lesson. Sadly, where I live, we're taught that the USA believes to be above anyone else. This kind of post only reassures this belief, which is sad (and stereotyped I suppose)
Load More Replies...Makes me think of the World Series. Why does a national championship have a name like that?
...North America is also shown bigger than it actually is on U.S school maps.So many times, whenever I say "Australia is a big place" ,I've had Americans say "Texas is really big though"...Yeah Australia is about the same size as Nth America ,not Texas lol https://www.buzzfeed.com/simoncrerar/mind-boggling-australian-maps?utm_term=.rrmwAOoWqm#.fbQx6rlG37
Because you can't accurately represent a round object on a flat map, things north and south are out of proportion, so when map makers produce maps for a specific region they tend to center on the area in question so it will be the most accurate for that geographical area.
And if you gave intelligent answers, they wouldn't have used you, because it would have rebutted the "people are stupid" narrative.
True. However there should not be a SINGLE person who can't name a single country on the map. Even they were to name their own country, at least they would have one right. But to not be able to identify even your own country is just terrible.
There are also going to be people who refused to have a go because they knew they were unlikely to know the answers. Bias doesn't go just one way in things like this.
I thought the same thing. Every map I've ever seen has the North/South American continents on the left, this one had it on the right. Clearly meant to throw people off, but jeez folks, take a minute to look at the damn map and you should be able to at least pick out a few countries. I don't expect everyone to know Belgium from the Netherlands (unless you live in one of them), but at least point to the right general area of the correct continent. Poor public schooling is no excuse. The internet exists, log out of Facebook and open Google Earth once in a while.
That's not an excuse. The map is the same. Do they need a special map to locate other countries?
In my state, there is no geography class except to learn about your own state in elementary school. When I was in high school, I somehow came to realize that I thought Africa was Russia. We were in the midst of the Cold War, for crying out loud, but I didn't even know where Russia was. I didn't know that I didn't know until that point. Then I bought myself a globe and taught myself geography.
Every country in the world makes maps that are specifically their country-centric. its the nature of humanity to put yourself in the middle. Consider what view point you have right now, everything is around you from your viewpoint. I do agree, however, change that view point and people become lost. Has the map been turned upside down with Australia at the top and Canada at the bottom, I am not sure many of those people could have identified continents let alone countries.
eeehh no...I studied with the regular map, usa and rusia are enormous...here in Argentina (yeah part of America continent too) primary and high school every year with geography class...I think is both: not education and no interest in the rest of the world...you dont need to know every thing about everybody, but know where you are in the world...i think is very very important...
we are mostly using maps with Europe in the centre (in central Europe) and first thing I noticed was that this map is "weird" for me, but anyway, I thought that people know like shapes of continets or something, or at least find USA on the map, when you are from USA, I mean, it is pretty big. But still, I hope that they put there just most intresting people for TV :D
Since the first maps were made in Europe, they are always Europe centred.
Actually, asian maps show Asia in the center, european maps show Europe in the center, and american maps show America in the center. To each their own - litterally !
Um isn't the center a bit to the west from Africa- where the equator and greenwich meridian intersect? It would be really odd to see a map with North and South America in the center.
Plenty of older maps had South at the top of the map and North at the bottom. We are on a ball flying through space, depends on how you choose to look.
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