Posted on 08/17/2006 8:13:09 AM PDT by presidio9
Three quarters of Americans can correctly identify two of Snow White's seven dwarfs while only a quarter can name two Supreme Court Justices, according to a poll on pop culture released on Monday.
According to the poll by Zogby International, commissioned by the makers of a new online game on pop culture called "Gold Rush," 57 percent of Americans could identify J.K. Rowling's fictional boy wizard as Harry Potter, while only 50 percent could name the British prime minister, Tony Blair.
The pollsters spoke to 1,213 people across the United States. The results had a margin of error of 2.9 percentage points.
Just over 60 percent of respondents were able to name Bart as Homer's son on the television show "The Simpsons," while only 20.5 percent were able to name one of the ancient Greek poet Homer's epic poems, "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey."
Asked what planet Superman was from, 60 percent named the fictional planet Krypton, while only 37 percent knew that Mercury is the planet closest to the sun.
Respondents were far more familiar with the Three Stooges -- Larry, Curly and Moe -- than the three branches of the U.S. government -- judicial, executive and legislative. Seventy-four percent identified the former, 42 percent the latter.
Twice as many people (23 percent) 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 percent).
And these people vote.
85%+ of the population are morons.
No, the old man. Starts with an H, I think. Dang it! Now I have to go do some research. Just like pres to make me go out and think!
O'Connor. Off the top of my head there's also Scalia, Breyer, Souter, Kennedy, Ginsberg, Thomas, Roberts, and is Stevens still there?
Well, the dwarves don't die or retire, necessitating a congressional hearing on a differently-named replacement every few years.
If civics classes were reintroduced into public education I'm sure this would change.
Judges don't really get mentioned that often other than the Cheif Justice. Meanwhile the Dwarfs are a big part of pop culture. Also the Dwarfs have been around a lot longer, 3 generations of people have been raised on that era of Disney movie, then various other entertainments that reference it (I know the names of the dwarfs because of an old George Carlin routine where he figured out what drugs each was on). Pop culture has a lot of driving momentum to keep it in the public conscious as much as possible, because that's how the owners make money, nobody makes any money keeping SCOTUS in the public conscious.
I mean Myers, I think. The one W nominated and Dems ate for lunch.
I think Stevens is the one they're betting W can get one more replacement for before 2008.
Public education can barely teach kids to read. You think they could impart civics with any success?
Even if they could, the civics curriculum the NEA would put together would be PC drivel.
Nobody is saying that everyone should have memorized every name, but even paying casual attention to the news should develop some familiarity with at least a few of the Justices. Especially after we just had two recent replacements. Failure to pay attention indicates lack of information, which ought to preclude an individual from voting. By definition, you are incapable of making informed decisions if you are not informed.
I would hazard a guess that the Dwarves are smarter than most US judges, too.
I just call 'em "The 535 Stooges";)
Sleepy
Well, this is a silly poll. They're asking about apples and oranges. People grew up hearing about Snow White and her little dwarves. Harry Potter has how many movies out now? Pollsters are trying to compare something that is out there in front of people, day after day, to something else they only hear about on the news, if then.
Plus, Snow White and Harry Potter are fictional and static, Supreme Court Justices and Prime Ministers are fluid, thank God.
Maybe if the justices and political figures were bedtime stories and blockbuster movies more people would know about them.
But again the 7 Dwarfs have not yet taken away our liberties.
President Bush had seated 2 justices but the 7 Dwarves have not changed for nearly 70 years.
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