Americans Were Asked To Find North Korea On A Map And We’re Not Sure If The Result Is Hilarious Or Scary
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Tensions between the USA and North Korea are almost at boiling point, and after a week full of not-so-subtle threats from both sides, a CNN-sponsored poll has found that 50% of Americans would support military action against the East Asian dictatorship. The only problem is that most of those same people can’t even find the place on a map.
Americans have long been mocked by the rest of the world for their lack of geographical knowledge, so Jimmy Kimmel decided to take international diplomacy to Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles, California. The results? It went about as well as asking a 3-year-old why the sky is blue. We’re just really glad these people aren’t in charge of firing any missiles.
Though the video, like almost everything Jimmy Kimmel does, was meant to be mostly funny, some people took it personally and defended the state of American geographical literacy (or, well, lack thereof). Watch the hilarious skit for yourself below (if you can find it), find out what people are saying about it, and add your own two cents at the end!
Jimmy Kimmel took to the streets of LA to ask random Americans a very important question
Some people just couldn’t believe what they were seeing
Others, however, decided to cut the States a break
What do you think? Tell us in the comments below!
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The worst isn't the fact that they don't know where North Korea is, the worst is that they were pointing at places like Canada, Australia or all Europe. Seriously?? I don't blame the ones that pointed somewhere around Asia, but some were completely clueless about anything outside USA boders...
Exactly! It's hard to remember all those tiny countries but seriously, how is it possible not to know India, Australia or China?HOW can they point on Canada, its their own neighbour! I am just a kid who hasn't really learned the map on purpose, but I would have found North Korea...
I agree. I know literally 0 about countries, and only a minimal amount about my own. Yet I know North Korea is in Asia.
Buy a simple desktop globe. You'll be fascinated.
Aye agreed. I have a 'general vicinity' idea of most countries at the very least. And considering Americans have gone to war in Korea you'd sorta think they'd learn where it is in school...
All those years ago, I watched every episode of M.A.S.H., Loved it SO much, I just HAD to look in my Atlas (No Google Maps then) to see why it was hot, or why it snowed, or who their neighbours were. I guess young people nowadays are more curious about stupid rich families and their cosmetic faces and bodies, than things that are really important. Maybe the questioner should have asked if they knew what 'KIm Chi' is made of. WOW! kids, Mind blowingly difficult, no?
*borders
As an Australian (who knows where Nth Korea is btw)I agree mocochang,Let's hope ,if Trump decides to nuke them (wouldn't put it past him) he picks the right place!
I hope that the little kid with a nuclear weapon will let Kim alone... or shoot in the sea as his brain can do. I hope that the military council will stop him before he falls as a nanny who stop a clueless kid before touching a warm iron...
This comment has been deleted.
This is EXACTLY what I was thinking. The guy complaining about us not knowing the states or capitals, well they're all in the same country! And yeah I totally understand not knowing exactly where North Korea is, but if you don't at least know that its's in Asia, you need to educate yourself! Jeez, some of these people pointed to Canada!!
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
These are the top ten most powerful companies in the....Americans are not as stupid as the world likes to think • PepsiCo. Safari Sundays. ... * Johnson and Johnson. AP. ... * Google. Paul Sakuma/AP. ... * IBM. Thomson Reuters. 2014 revenue: $92.8 billion. ... * General Motors. REUTERS/Rick Wilking. 2014 revenue: $155.9 billion. ... * UPS. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images. 2014 revenue: $58.2 billion. ... * Apple. REUTERS/Adrees Latif. 2014 revenue: $182.9 billion. ... * AT&T.
Lol all of those companies are global corps that made themselves what they are on the backs of underpaid people.None this has to do with NK.
I am really sorry but this is true. - I was in Virginia with exchange program and working there. And there were other exchange students like me. ( from Ukraine, Poland, Turkey, China, Moldova, Romania etc.) One of our American colleague asked all of us: ' You guys all from Europe, right? We : Ummm.. kind of but no. She : Why dont you guys speak the same language? '' I couldn't even speak after that. How can i explain all the languages and the cultures and the nations. :( I was speechless.
It's unfortunate, but the only real way to fix this is more social studies. America seems only interested in teaching STEM nowadays.
It doesn't have to be either/or. Any half decent education system manages both. And we need STEM because most people (in the US and elsewhere) have so little idea of how the technology they use every day, functions. If you don't believe me, ask someone to explain how cell phones work, or what makes bank ATMs function, or how ABS works, or even what gets an airplane off the ground... I'm not talking details of aeronautical engineering or coding, or mechanics, just general principles; people are clueless. When we rely on a smaller and smaller group of people to understand technology, first, we have to import people to keep it all functioning, because too few people here are qualified, and second, we are completely reliant on those people to do what is in our best interests without us really understanding how any checks and rules should work.
this is how you make good soldiers, good workers, who are fine with a dictaturship because you made people think that a dictaturship is right because they are in in a great danger... If it works why change? If it works it's because they (some americans) are unaware of all the world rights and rules and they are sure of the "threats" for liberties (which ones?) they have... If some redneck downvote me, be aware that i lost someone in the january seven 2015 and i will not joke about that, but i still got a brain, and islam is my really dear friend! i will fight stupidity all my life, and yours as an emergency for the world!
Maybe the government should have public schools give out National Geographic Magazines, FREE! Yes, I'm left of Bernie, public education should be free, from preschool to college.
None of this has to do witheducation.People tend to know what they need to use daily and forget the rest. So teaching it won't mean thy remb
Sorry, Chris, but a few random people selected for a humor piece does not validate the notion that all Americans are poorly educated. Try this same "test" in any other nation and you'll see as much if not more failure.
Gosh I can't believe this. I'm speechless too.
That is just ignorance. They forgot that their ancestors came from europe. You should asked them a question, for example, that whether they know where Ukraine is on the map (greetings from poland)
Latinamerika'da bana da aynı soru soruyorlar. 'Koreliler japonca yada Çince konuşur dimi?' diye.
This is ridiculous. I guess I should let the people who pointed at Asia pass, but seriously... some others are pointing at North America. South America. Australia. However, this video was just for entertainment, and I'm interested in how many people actually knew where North Korea is.
The worst isn't the fact that they don't know where North Korea is, the worst is that they were pointing at places like Canada, Australia or all Europe. Seriously?? I don't blame the ones that pointed somewhere around Asia, but some were completely clueless about anything outside USA boders...
Exactly! It's hard to remember all those tiny countries but seriously, how is it possible not to know India, Australia or China?HOW can they point on Canada, its their own neighbour! I am just a kid who hasn't really learned the map on purpose, but I would have found North Korea...
I agree. I know literally 0 about countries, and only a minimal amount about my own. Yet I know North Korea is in Asia.
Buy a simple desktop globe. You'll be fascinated.
Aye agreed. I have a 'general vicinity' idea of most countries at the very least. And considering Americans have gone to war in Korea you'd sorta think they'd learn where it is in school...
All those years ago, I watched every episode of M.A.S.H., Loved it SO much, I just HAD to look in my Atlas (No Google Maps then) to see why it was hot, or why it snowed, or who their neighbours were. I guess young people nowadays are more curious about stupid rich families and their cosmetic faces and bodies, than things that are really important. Maybe the questioner should have asked if they knew what 'KIm Chi' is made of. WOW! kids, Mind blowingly difficult, no?
*borders
As an Australian (who knows where Nth Korea is btw)I agree mocochang,Let's hope ,if Trump decides to nuke them (wouldn't put it past him) he picks the right place!
I hope that the little kid with a nuclear weapon will let Kim alone... or shoot in the sea as his brain can do. I hope that the military council will stop him before he falls as a nanny who stop a clueless kid before touching a warm iron...
This comment has been deleted.
This is EXACTLY what I was thinking. The guy complaining about us not knowing the states or capitals, well they're all in the same country! And yeah I totally understand not knowing exactly where North Korea is, but if you don't at least know that its's in Asia, you need to educate yourself! Jeez, some of these people pointed to Canada!!
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
These are the top ten most powerful companies in the....Americans are not as stupid as the world likes to think • PepsiCo. Safari Sundays. ... * Johnson and Johnson. AP. ... * Google. Paul Sakuma/AP. ... * IBM. Thomson Reuters. 2014 revenue: $92.8 billion. ... * General Motors. REUTERS/Rick Wilking. 2014 revenue: $155.9 billion. ... * UPS. Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images. 2014 revenue: $58.2 billion. ... * Apple. REUTERS/Adrees Latif. 2014 revenue: $182.9 billion. ... * AT&T.
Lol all of those companies are global corps that made themselves what they are on the backs of underpaid people.None this has to do with NK.
I am really sorry but this is true. - I was in Virginia with exchange program and working there. And there were other exchange students like me. ( from Ukraine, Poland, Turkey, China, Moldova, Romania etc.) One of our American colleague asked all of us: ' You guys all from Europe, right? We : Ummm.. kind of but no. She : Why dont you guys speak the same language? '' I couldn't even speak after that. How can i explain all the languages and the cultures and the nations. :( I was speechless.
It's unfortunate, but the only real way to fix this is more social studies. America seems only interested in teaching STEM nowadays.
It doesn't have to be either/or. Any half decent education system manages both. And we need STEM because most people (in the US and elsewhere) have so little idea of how the technology they use every day, functions. If you don't believe me, ask someone to explain how cell phones work, or what makes bank ATMs function, or how ABS works, or even what gets an airplane off the ground... I'm not talking details of aeronautical engineering or coding, or mechanics, just general principles; people are clueless. When we rely on a smaller and smaller group of people to understand technology, first, we have to import people to keep it all functioning, because too few people here are qualified, and second, we are completely reliant on those people to do what is in our best interests without us really understanding how any checks and rules should work.
this is how you make good soldiers, good workers, who are fine with a dictaturship because you made people think that a dictaturship is right because they are in in a great danger... If it works why change? If it works it's because they (some americans) are unaware of all the world rights and rules and they are sure of the "threats" for liberties (which ones?) they have... If some redneck downvote me, be aware that i lost someone in the january seven 2015 and i will not joke about that, but i still got a brain, and islam is my really dear friend! i will fight stupidity all my life, and yours as an emergency for the world!
Maybe the government should have public schools give out National Geographic Magazines, FREE! Yes, I'm left of Bernie, public education should be free, from preschool to college.
None of this has to do witheducation.People tend to know what they need to use daily and forget the rest. So teaching it won't mean thy remb
Sorry, Chris, but a few random people selected for a humor piece does not validate the notion that all Americans are poorly educated. Try this same "test" in any other nation and you'll see as much if not more failure.
Gosh I can't believe this. I'm speechless too.
That is just ignorance. They forgot that their ancestors came from europe. You should asked them a question, for example, that whether they know where Ukraine is on the map (greetings from poland)
Latinamerika'da bana da aynı soru soruyorlar. 'Koreliler japonca yada Çince konuşur dimi?' diye.
This is ridiculous. I guess I should let the people who pointed at Asia pass, but seriously... some others are pointing at North America. South America. Australia. However, this video was just for entertainment, and I'm interested in how many people actually knew where North Korea is.