Simpsons 'trump' First Amendment

[mmap]

Yup, yup

There have been copious amounts of posts in this forum (political section in particular) where American members complain about Europeans thinking that they are all idiots (americans, not the specific members).

Well maybe some do think so but this is why:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4761294.stm

This was at the front page of the BBC news site most of the day and well... after reading news like this day after day can you really blaim us??

Now, I am not claiming that Americans are stupid, all I'm saying is that this should give you an idea as to why some might think so

 

[Firecat]

Maybe I don't know much about polls. But can a survey of 1,000 people really be accurate in determining what the other 250+ million americans think/believe/know?

 

[mmap]

Unfortunately I do know about polls (my job, although I've specialised on other forms of research) and yes, a sample size of a thousand is enough as long as it's random...

Having said that, it by no means validates this survey as a fact. I'd like to see hte whole questionnaire and know the method etc.

 

[zenkidori]

Surveys are constantly used in the US to backup certain agendas, what one poll says about an issue, another will say the opposite the next day. Polls in the US are not to be relied upon. It matters a great deal where the people being polled are too, I can pick many areas that would give that result, or the complete opposite depending on where I picked and yes, it could be "random" as well. It's not hard to "randomly" take 1000 names from a phonebook for a location and make a poll. or Choose a few areas that are relativly the same. Think "Jay Walking" from the Tonight Show.

Besides all that, I'm sure you could find the same results in every other country out there. Pop icons are broadcast out daily, you're bombarded with them constantly, whereas you only learn about other stuff in school. When's the last time you saw a commercial about the first amendment? The only way to escape this phenomenon is to live in a country where there is no pop culture and your history is constantly taught to you over and over and over again.

The same shit would happen any place in europe or Canada.

 

[gtrietsc]

Besides all that, I'm sure you could find the same results in every other country out there. Pop icons are broadcast out daily, you're bombarded with them constantly, whereas you only learn about other stuff in school. When's the last time you saw a commercial about the first amendment? The only way to escape this phenomenon is to live in a country where there is no pop culture and your history is constantly taught to you over and over and over again.

The same shit would happen any place in europe or Canada.

What he said.

 

[mmap]

Well, the sad part is even I knew the friggin rights and I've never so much as stepped a foot into your lovely country...

And a nice statistical fact. In countries where there are clear seasonal weather differences you are more likely to drown if you eat ice-cream than if you don't. Just to show you that statistics (and indeed polls) can, and do, lie.

 

[hokiethang]

I agree with you fully. If you were to take that random sample in Montana, and then take the same random sample in the DC area, you would get vastly different answers. 1000 isn't a really convincing number either, i'd be more inclined to be shocked by it if it were a sample of 10000 or 100000 nationwide.

When's the last time you saw a commercial about the first amendment?

Actually i've seen one. Up here around Washington DC, some of the commercial time is aimed at political agendas instead of the normal agenda of separating you from your money. It wasn't a direct commercial about the first amendment, but it was pretty close.