Snow White's dwarfs more famous than US judges: poll

Reuters ^ | 08/17/06

[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).

[Sacajaweau]

Here, my pretty girl. Heh, heh, heh.

[Sacajaweau]

I'm trying to remember how many times I saw the Supreme Court in the movies when I was a kid and all the Supreme Court dolls I had.

These polls are ridiculous. We remember what is pertinent to us and/or drummed into our heads when we are kids.

Doe, a deer, a female deer. Ray, a drop of golden sun.........I'm 60 but taught it to my kids and their kids.

[discostu]

It's not foolishness. I said one of the reasons people don't think about the government much is the lack of direct interaction with it. Direct interaction requires an active verb. We'd have a vastly different situation in this country if we had to directly pay our taxes on pay day rather than our employer calculating the government's cut and taking it from our check before we even see it. It's not an excuse, it's reality, the way the government collects taxes is explicitly designed to cut down on the direct interaction with government so we don't think about it very often, helps keeps the populace from getting annoyed.

[P-40]

I said one of the reasons people don't think about the government much is the lack of direct interaction with it.

Like I said, if people are too stupid, and there are some stupid ones out there, to see the direct interaction they have on a daily basis with government at all levels...we are in worse shape than we appear to be in. It only takes a slight amount of education to be aware of it and I don't think the educational system in this country has declined that far just yet.

[Little Ray]

The Seven Dwarfs have certainly done less damage than the 9 high priests of the SCOTUS.

[discostu]

It's not stupid, it's having other concerns in their life. When driving to work one could be thinking about how your car and the road have been affected by federal regulation, but you'd be better off thinking about traffic and avoiding any accidents. People are aware of it, but it's simply not a daily concern.

[P-40]

It's not stupid, it's having other concerns in their life.

Not taking an interest to at least a small degree in the daily affairs of the country is plain stupid. If one has no time to set aside for that purpose, they are stupid. It is as simple as that.

[discostu]

No it's called having a life. Bitch moan and insult all you want but the fact is there's absolutely nothing wrong with deciding yourself, your family and your friends deserve much much more of your time than a bunch of faceless liars in DC. The only stupid thing here is demanding the rest of the world share your obsessions.

[P-40]

No it's called having a life.

And part of that life is knowing at least a little of what goes on in your local, state, and federal government. It is part of being a responsible adult. I have no problem with people who do not take an interest, so long as they do not vote or express any opinions with regards to the operation of the local, state, or federal government. I find they are the ones that tend to gripe the most about how their life are affected by government at all levels though.

[discostu]

But you can know plenty about what goes on in governments without obsessing on it. It's not like you can do much about it one way or the other. Every two years you get to vote for a congressman, every 4 a president, and scattered over a 6 year period you get to vote on two different senators. Just how much time should someone obsess on all that? Meanwhile during the course of all that they're going to make dozens of mortgage or rent payments, eat thousands of meals, and spend tens of thousands of hours earning money to pay for all that. The clearly obviously intelligent priority of a person's life is everything but the government, and calling people stupid for that is asinine and ridiculous.

[P-40]

But you can know plenty about what goes on in governments without obsessing on it. It's not like you can do much about it one way or the other.

Obsessing about it is a whole different ballgame, and about as pointless as a ballgame except as entertainment. And if someone takes no interest in government, at any level, beyond voting for the Democrat or the Republican...it would be better if they just stayed home to watch TV. If they take an active interest in their government, regardless of who is in office, they can make changes. It takes time but it happens.

And while someone is paying those mortgages and buying those meals, they should really think a bit about where those sales and property taxes are going. That is 'in your face' government. Or think about the taxes the business where they shop pays. Or where those gas taxes go. Or why energy costs what it does. Etc.

[discostu]

Well that's what you're demanding. You want people to obsess, to always think abouthow the government has impacted what they're doing. Or they could do what 99% of the country does: pay the freaking bill and move on.

[P-40]

You want people to obsess

No, just asking that a responsible adult know at little about what their government does and how it works is not obsessing...especially considering how government affects your life, whether you care to think about it or not. And people can certainly pay the bill and move on...just so long as they do not expect the right to gripe.

[discostu]

Here's what you want: Or think about the taxes the business where they shop pays. Or where those gas taxes go. Or why energy costs what it does. Etc.

That means contemplating the government every single time they spend money. That's obsessing.

[P-40]

That's obsessing.

Not at all. When you fork over some money for something you can at least be aware of what you bought...and one thing you are buying is whatever that tax money went to. You can obsess and try and track each dollar, which would be a waste of time, or you can be a bit aware of where that money goes, which is just being a responsible citizen.

[discostu]

Yes it is. You are exactly asking for them to track every dollar, read your list again: Or think about the taxes the business where they shop pays. Or where those gas taxes go. Or why energy costs what it does. Etc. You want them to obsess, or you'll call them stupid.

[P-40]

You want them to obsess, or you'll call them stupid.

Thinking about where those taxes go does not mean that one should go out and track every dollar. It should make one aware that they are paying a lot of money in taxes and they should be wondering where that money goes, but in a more general sense. The government does not know where the money goes *exactly* so it would not make sense to expect a citizen to know either.

[discostu]

You're not paying attention to what you said. "Or where those gas taxes go." That's tracking every dollar, at least the gas tax dollars.

[P-40]

You're not paying attention to what you said.

I am. If I had meant to be as specific as demanding an accounting from the government for every single dollar collected in gas taxes, or whatever tax, I would have said so.

[discostu]

How else are they supposed to think about where those gas taxes go?