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More know Simpsons than Constitution

Doctor Q

Doctor Q

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Original poster
Staff member
Sep 19, 2002
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The study by the new McCormick Tribune Freedom Museum found that 22 percent of Americans could name all five Simpson family members, compared with just one in 1,000 people who could name all five First Amendment freedoms.
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I'm sure I'd have no trouble naming the five freedoms. Let's see, there's the freedom to force you to listen to my opinions by posting so often, the freedom to worship Apple products, the freedom to publish rumors on a web site, the freedom to attend geekfests, and the freedom to gripe about Apple products before they are even shipping. Did I get them all correct?

I forget which Constitutional Amendment covers the freedom to pay for bottled water even when tap water is better. D'oh!
 
Worst survey everrrrrr ;)

comicguy.jpg
 
It's not really that surprising. Most people know (and care) more about pop culture than they do about the history of the Country (including the category "Current US Presidents" - Taken from the SNL Celebrity Jeopardy).

Heck, I can't even name them all - I only got the first 2.

Freedom of:
Religion
Speech
Press
Assembly
Petition
 
Something about the right to be Fatter, Dumber and Greedier? This country is in a slow and sad decline. Just remember people, Rome fell.
 
Doctor Q said:
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I'm sure I'd have no trouble naming the five freedoms. Let's see, there's the freedom to force you to listen to my opinions by posting so often, the freedom to worship Apple products, the freedom to publish rumors on a web site, the freedom to attend geekfests, and the freedom to gripe about Apple products before they are even shipping. Did I get them all correct?

I forget which Constitutional Amendment covers the freedom to pay for bottled water even when tap water is better. D'oh!
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Dr. Q, I like your thinking :D :D

Dr Q 4 prez. :eek: :eek: :D
 
aricher said:
This country is in a slow and sad decline. Just remember people, Rome fell.
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People have been saying that since....the beginning of this country.

To quote Moe the Bartender: "Ya know what I blame this on the breakdown of? Society!"
 
People learn best from what they enjoy. If the focus in most history classes was more often on the learning experience (knowing that teaching and learning are real, fun things) instead of memorizing for Friday's test, the survey results might be different.

Of course, it would help if we could get class sizes below 28, too ...
 
yes

Doctor Q said:
link

I'm sure I'd have no trouble naming the five freedoms. Let's see, there's the freedom to force you to listen to my opinions by posting so often, the freedom to worship Apple products, the freedom to publish rumors on a web site, the freedom to attend geekfests, and the freedom to gripe about Apple products before they are even shipping. Did I get them all correct?

I forget which Constitutional Amendment covers the freedom to pay for bottled water even when tap water is better. D'oh!
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I love that. I go to licoln High School in Portland OR, where mat groening went. There's still carvings of preliminary sketchs of bart and lisa in the stalls. I love the attention that we get:p
 
I'm not amazed at only 1:1000 know the bits about your constitution, what amazes me is that only 22% know the Simpsons - that's just plain ingorant :D

Homer
Marge
Maggie
Lisa
Bart
Abe
Herb
Mona
Cyrus

They're the only ones I know of with the Simpson surname. Any others I've missed?
 
thedude110 said:
People learn best from what they enjoy.
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Which brings to mind my experience early this morning. I went to the school where I volunteer, to work on an iMac in a social studies classroom. Today, as it turns out, they were studying Japan. :)

I told the teacher I had just been to Japan and had been to some of the places pictured in the student's books. But instead of letting me tell the class a bit about it, she had them go back to copying down a list of facts about Shintoism from an overhead slide.

Which way would those students learn and remember more - hearing me talk about what I learned and saw in person a few months ago (including a Shinto wedding), or copying down bullet points? I think it was a waste of a good opportunity. :(
 
EDIT: I have no idea what happened. I tried quoting a post and it disappeared. I guess I'm now required to post about the topic.

I have to agree with others. I'm surprised that only 22% could name all 5 of the Simpson family. I was able to name 4 of the 5, I forgot assemble.
 
The Simpsons
1. Homer
2. Marge
3. Bart
4. Lisa
5. Maggie
6. Grandpa
7. Santa's Little Helper
8. Snowball

U.S. Consitution First Amendment
1. Freedom of Press
2. Freedom of Speech
3. Freedom of Religion
4. Right to Peaceable Assemble
5. Right to Petition the Government (if you don't like the way things are, petition for change in the government)

i know both thankfully. i'm a little vague on the last one, but it's pretty close. it's a pretty sad, when Americans don't know their First Amendment rights! :(

not to mention i was able to name 8 direct members of the Simpsons family, even though i haven't watched it in a year! thanks to Family Guy, i don't need to watch 'em anymore!
 
I forgot Petition.

Remembered all the Simpsons, but I watch it all the time. Kinda take the Constitution for granted I guess, but nowadays... (nevermind, let's not send this to the Political Forum too soon).
 
Doctor Q said:
Which brings to mind my experience early this morning. I went to the school where I volunteer, to work on an iMac in a social studies classroom. Today, as it turns out, they were studying Japan. :)

I told the teacher I had just been to Japan and had been to some of the places pictured in the student's books. But instead of letting me tell the class a bit about it, she had them go back to copying down a list of facts about Shintoism from an overhead slide.

Which way would those students learn and remember more - hearing me talk about what I learned and saw in person a few months ago (including a Shinto wedding), or copying down bullet points? I think it was a waste of a good opportunity. :(
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That is really shoddy teaching, and shows a rigid mindset for getting the job done and picking up a wage, rather than inspiring the kids to learn. When I look back to my schooling, the lessons where I learnt the most and the subjects I have carried over an interest for in my adult life are those where the teacher was inspiring and made the effort to make the learning enjoyable. Do you think that this was only this teacher's attitude, or is this common across the school system?
 
Kernow said:
That is really shoddy teaching, and shows a rigid mindset for getting the job done and picking up a wage, rather than inspiring the kids to learn. When I look back to my schooling, the lessons where I learnt the most and the subjects I have carried over an interest for in my adult life are those where the teacher was inspiring and made the effort to make the learning enjoyable. Do you think that this was only this teacher's attitude, or is this common across the school system?
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Shoddy teaching, but district encouraged teaching. Putting bullet points on the overhead is a good way to get kids ready for a test and to encourage them to study for a test. In fact, I bet this teacher's test averages are top notch. Of course, that doesn't mean the kids are learning anything other than how to take a test ...

Having a real human being relate real stories and inspire real learning would: 1. Not help the students test well and 2. Undercut the teacher's authority. God forbid.

Not that I'm cynical or burnt out or thread hijacking. But the kids missed a chance to learn from doctor q!
 
dornoforpyros said:
well in all fairness the simpsons do have more integrity than the constitution :p
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BOOO!
Actually this is a fine example of a survey that proves nothing... it's sole purpose for it's existence a mystery to me. Is it to make us get off our duff? Be concerned about edu here? Is it a media idea meant to shock us?
Here's the scoop: I'm FIFTY years old now, and have over my lifetime seen these every year or so, and every year for the last 40 or so the SAME percentage of Americans know this or that about US History or current events as compared to popular culture. I mean, it's CALLED popular culture for a reason. And when was the last time anyone said to you "Hey, I was JUST thinking about that Article in the Contsitution, you know the one...."

What a waste of time polls and surveys can be.

thedude110 said:
Shoddy teaching, but district encouraged teaching. Putting bullet points on the overhead is a good way to get kids ready for a test and to encourage them to study for a test. In fact, I bet this teacher's test averages are top notch. Of course, that doesn't mean the kids are learning anything other than how to take a test ...

Having a real human being relate real stories and inspire real learning would: 1. Not help the students test well and 2. Undercut the teacher's authority. God forbid.

Not that I'm cynical or burnt out or thread hijacking. But the kids missed a chance to learn from doctor q!
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I'm in EDU, and I can catagorically say your quote is bull-crap.
 
whatever. people pay attention to what they like. and what they can relate to. its life. deal with it.
 
I'm a law student, and I can quote the first amendment from memory, but I just never think of the "assembly" and "petition" requirements separately.

This is also a meaningless and arbitrary poll. Who decided those were appropriate questions to answer the question of whether people know the constitution or the simpsons better?

And like others, I'm distressed only 22% can name all 5 simpsons.
 
QCassidy352 said:
This is also a meaningless and arbitrary poll. Who decided those were appropriate questions to answer the question of whether people know the constitution or the simpsons better?
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I agree. It's like the "We can put a man on the moon but can't cure the common cold" statement. Or the common complaint that baseball players make ridiculously more money than schoolteachers. It's a comparison between two things that are not relevant to each other.
 
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