we’ve all seen it. she’s everywhere.
The question was pretty simple.
Recent polls have shown a fifth of Americans can’t locate the U.S. on a world map. Why do you think this is?
The answer, erm, not so much.
"I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because, um, some people out there in our nation don’t have maps and, uh, I believe that our, uh, education like such as, uh, South Africa and, uh, the Iraq and everywhere like such as, and I believe that they should, uh, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S., uh, should help South Africa and should help Iraq and the Asian countries, so we will be able to build up our future."
oh, poor poor Lauren Caitlin Upton. There were so many options for an answer. a one-sentence answer about how the US education system sucks (and i allowed to say balls on urbanmoms?) Or she could have mentioned how our teachers need to do a better job teaching geography (i remember having to take a map test in elementary school – i had to fill in countries and capitals and states and rivers on a blank map of the world…have they stopped doing this in schools?). Instead of going the simple route, Miss South Carolina decided to make no sense whatsoever and tried to tie her answer to Iraq…what on earth does US geography have to do with the war in Iraq??!! I smell a coach who told her to talk about Iraq or Afghanistan. but South Africa?
Upton appeared on the Today show to try to explain herself and to take a stab at a question do-over. (as if that’s going to help her now…) "Everything did come at me at once. I was overwhelmed and I made a mistake. Everybody makes a mistake. I’m human,"she said. "I seriously think I only heard about one or two words of the actual question."
When asked to re-answer the question, Miss South Carolina said:
"Personally, my friends and I, we know exactly where the United States is on a map. I don’t know anyone else who doesn’t. If the statistics are correct, I believe there should be more emphasis on geography in our education so people will learn how to read maps better."
I think in the end, though, her response seemed to answer the question perfectly. The simple answer to this question is that there is something lacking in our children’s education. and Lauren Upton certainly proved that.
(She, however, doesn’t seem to mind. She came in 4th place and her video got over 2 million youtube hits. She’s getting her 15 minutes. Go The Iraq and, um, South Africa!)
I don’t feel bad for her one bit! It’s sad and funny at the same time.
I saw her on the Today show and ironically, I think she looked even dumber after that… her response was so obviously manufactured. She is young and there was a lot of pressure on her during the pageant, but I almost liked her first answer better – her response/ or inability to answer the question, pretty much answered the question!
Oh, I felt soo bad for her! Because, embarrassed as I am to admit this, I could so see this happening to me! Not because I’m stupid, but because I would get so nervous that I wouldn’t even know what I was saying. Poor girl!
yeah – i see your point! 🙂
the only thing that matters, really, is that she said “the iraq” – funniest. thing. ever.
I know…where is America in relation to the REST OF THE WORLD. That is exactly my point. This is about America. But not American geography. We’re talking about where America is relative to the rest of the world…right? I bet a million dollars that she and most other Americans could identify every state and even most state capitals on a map but America outside of its own boundaries and relative to the rest of the world…that is where they fall short. See my point?
She must have the same media advisor as Bush…her logic of linking Iraq to the American inability to locate their country on a map is as coherent as Bush’s linking the war in Iraq to 9/11.
yeah – but the question was about americans not being able to find the US on a map…i agree that americans are american-centric…but this is about AMERICA
Oh, and I can’t believe you’d say “balls”. What a dirty dirty mind you have. 😉
Oooo… That’s a good answer, Jen — you could totally be Miss CANADA! Especially with that height of yours!
I personally would have been HAPPY if there’d been less geography in school. HATED IT! But, yeah, Miss South Carolina will NEVER live that heinous answer down!
My answer would have been less about the U.S. education system and more about the lack of interest by the U.S. in the rest of the world or how they fit in it. When I lived in Boston I worked for a family with graduate degrees. Neither parent had been out of the U.S. (one had not been outside of New England) and had no idea why they should or would. When talking about it their response was “why would we when we have everything we need here?”. I would say “it is less about what you need and more about personal growth, different cultures and experiencing history”. No interest at all. I lived about a 9 hour drive (Toronto to Boston) and they thought it snowed year round, we lived in huts and skied everywhere, and spoke French!
Anyway, my feeling is that it is not a priority for the powers-that-be in the U.S. and likely in their best interest to keep their citizens insular and ignorant to the rest of the world and how they fit within it.
Oh…btw, “balls” is fine by me 😉