Trey Smith
The other day I was flipping through the channels on the TV and stopped for a few minutes on a game show (Family Feud). The question for the final round was easy as pie: Other than America, name a country that begins with the letter "A"? To win the round, a family only needed to get the top four countries correct. I figured this was a no-brainer as most 3rd graders would know the answers.
Defying credulity, in 6 answers, the contestants only got the third ranked answer -- Argentina -- correct! One person guessed Albania which is, in fact, a country that begins with the letter A. Two people merely shrugged their shoulders. One woman answered Asia (which is a continent) and another fellow answered Amsterdam (which is a city).
Not one of them said Australia, which was ranked #1. No one guessed Austria, which is ranked #2, and not a one of them said Afghanistan, which was ranked #4.
Afterward, I was talking to my sister-in-law -- a usually bright woman. I asked her the same question and, after a lot of hemming and hawing, she came up with Africa (sigh...that too is a continent).
No wonder America is falling behind educationally!
very good. i remember an English comedy show yeeeeears ago had a sketch parodying this kind of event.
ReplyDeletethe final question for the big prize was:
"name a vegetable beginning with the letter 'B'"
after a very long pause the contestant proudly shouted out:
"botato"