Are You Smarter Than and 5th Grader spells the end of society as we know it

Postmodern Fatigue wrote:

More examples: Baudrillard and the entire complex of intellectuals that deconstruct reality programming. Again, I ask: intellectually impoverished?

Answer:

The act and process of deconstructing media by qualified academics, no.

You, yes.

Deconstruction and postmodernism are not analogous. As one small example Foucault stands solidly in what is considered to be the postmodern era and had bitter wars of words with Derrida, who is one of the pillars of deconstruction.

There is no quick way to sum up both deconstruction and postmodernism. Entire academic careers of some of the most brilliant minds of this century, and perhaps of all time, are spent exploring mere crevices of these terms.

Alan Sokol's text is reactionary, reductive, absurd, insulting, and is not worthy of rebuttal. Obviously, I strongly suggest that you do not base what you know of these terms based on this. You will only come off sounding like a tremendous fool if you get in any kind of debate.

Well, I can only say that I am terribly, terribly sad that I have not garnered recognition as an intellectual from you, being the skilled rhetorician that you are.

Has no one else noticed that while Flagpole rants and raves about the intellectual cesspool America has become, he cannot even type his thread title correctly?

Cast that first stone, Flagpole.

Where have I tried to engage you in debate?

You are an idiot.

Gary Larson wrote:

Has no one else noticed that while Flagpole rants and raves about the intellectual cesspool America has become, he cannot even type his thread title correctly?

Cast that first stone, Flagpole.

Mr. Far Side, regardless of any title problems you are having, that does not negate the fact that the show is sad testament to the intelligence of most Americans. Also, I would never type something as unoriginal as "intelliectual cesspool".

Flagpole Willy wrote:

...but still, I'm hardly the smartest person I know.

Surely, you jest. But seriously, I haven't watched the show though my best friend does and he's always saying how easy they are and how stupid the people are. Any reasonably educated, intelligent American adult should have no problem getting 99% of "basic" questions right. And yes the periodic symbol for sodium counts, although that's probably at the upper limit of difficulty.

All these shows (espcially the "reality" TV ones) are a farce. Anyone with half a brain can see they are scripted.

The only true reality TV show is Cops.

TV is mostly garbage folks. Why waste your time watching it?

I see your Derrida and Baudrillard and raise you David Harvey and Frederic Jameson. Both of whom made the basic observation that postmodernism and deconstructionism amounted to a hill of beans in the face of ongoing social and economic inequalities. Much of contemporary cultural theory tends towards intellectual masturbation.

Derrida's defense of Paul de Man's politically expedient (and never recanted) Nazi essays during the German occupation of Belgium stands as a prime example of the spinelessness and fundamental lack of ethics shown by deconstruction. What, exactly, would you say that the social consequence of this "deconstruction" of reality television is? Is there any?

Or does deconstruction merely substitute lengthy, unreadable essays for effective political engagement?

CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corp.) ran a show last evening, which I thought did an amazing job of dancing between Entertainment and Intelligence.

It was a National IQ test, called Test the Nation, which featured 60 questions, in areas such as Memory, Visual Memory, Language, Math., Logic, Perception, etc., and had groups of Professionals in Studio taking part. There were Tattoo Artists, Celebritities, Fitness Instructors, Surgeons, Mayors, Talk-Jocks.

And you could take part either on-line or over the CBC.

I thought it was good fun, and a bit of brain-stretching,

combined well.

You can still read all about the test, the results, and take the test yourself.

Google up CBC - Test the Nation.

Basically this discussion, kicked down about twenty IQ points.

I couldn't take reading this thread any more than I could take watching that show again, so if the following is redundant, I apologize: THE ENTIRE SHOW IS SCRIPTED. EACH CONTESTANT HAS A ROLE TO PLAY. ALL THE KIDS ARE ACTORS. THE FACT THAT AMERICA HASN'T FIGURED THIS OUT IS DISGUSTING.

I haven't read this whole thread, but has anyone realized that by watching these shows, you are merely endorsing why they are on TV in the first place? I'd never even heard of this show until I saw this thread.

I got the question What bear is the biggest? And I'm a high school math teacher.....

kartelite wrote:

Flagpole Willy wrote:

...but still, I'm hardly the smartest person I know.

Surely, you jest. But seriously, I haven't watched the show though my best friend does and he's always saying how easy they are and how stupid the people are. Any reasonably educated, intelligent American adult should have no problem getting 99% of "basic" questions right. And yes the periodic symbol for sodium counts, although that's probably at the upper limit of difficulty.

Regarding sodium, I'm not sure that's a 5th grade or below question, because if I remember correctly, I first studied the periodic chart in 7th grade, BUT, as an adult contestant on that show I would say that is one of the EASIEST questions. Don't most adults know that NaCl is sodium chloride (table salt)? Then on top of that, you always hear about "too much sodium in your diet", and people have been cutting down on table salt in their diets for years. Oh well, I don't have to understand why people don't know much about the world around them. I'm just glad I'm not one of them.

distance guy wrote:

I haven't read this whole thread, but has anyone realized that by watching these shows, you are merely endorsing why they are on TV in the first place? I'd never even heard of this show until I saw this thread.

A little pop culture now and then never hurt anybody. If any television show stops pulling an audience, then it will be off the air. The idea behind this show isn't a bad one, as even dumb people have money to spend here in the United States. My guess is that this show isn't going to be on the air too long. They take too long between questions, the questions are too easy and the contestants are too stupid. I'm very close to not watching it anymore -- not because I want it to go off the air (though it would be fine with me if it did) but because it will simply cease to be entertaining. The ONLY thing that has kept me watching it so far is that it is a bit shocking. Well, I can't be shocked by the stupidity of people too long. Once it's no longer shocking (and we're talking maybe one more show here) then that will be it for me as a viewer.

WOW FPW IS SMARTER THEN A FIFTH GRADER. THIS IS SHOCKING NEWS. THE REASONS IT IS NOT GETTING HARDER BROTHER IS BECAUSE THEY ARE ASKING FIFTH GRADE QUESTIONS. FIFTH GRADE IS THE LEVEL OF QUESTION THEY WILL ASK ON THE SHOW, SO NO THEY WON'T BE HIGH SCHOOL QUESTIONS. I CAN'T BELIEVE YOUR BRAIN CAN'T COMPREHEND THAT.

FPW KEEP MEMORIZING YOUR CRACKER JACK FACTS AS I'M SURE THIS IS HELPS ALOT IN YOUR LIFE KNOWING YOU ARE SMARTER THEN A GIFTED 4TH GRADER AND A POSSIBLY GIFTED 1ST GRADER.

WOW SMARTER THEN A 5 GRADER? wrote:

WOW FPW IS SMARTER THEN A FIFTH GRADER. THIS IS SHOCKING NEWS. THE REASONS IT IS NOT GETTING HARDER BROTHER IS BECAUSE THEY ARE ASKING FIFTH GRADE QUESTIONS. FIFTH GRADE IS THE LEVEL OF QUESTION THEY WILL ASK ON THE SHOW, SO NO THEY WON'T BE HIGH SCHOOL QUESTIONS. I CAN'T BELIEVE YOUR BRAIN CAN'T COMPREHEND THAT.

FPW KEEP MEMORIZING YOUR CRACKER JACK FACTS AS I'M SURE THIS IS HELPS ALOT IN YOUR LIFE KNOWING YOU ARE SMARTER THEN A GIFTED 4TH GRADER AND A POSSIBLY GIFTED 1ST GRADER.

Well dude, you are wrong. They aren't asking harder questions because the contestant can start with 1st grade questions, and then by the time they move up to third grade questions they are ready to quit. If the contestants were a little better, the questions would get a LITTLE more challenging, but it's pretty clear that 5th grade-level questions would not sink me.

You though miss my whole point for starting this thread. It is of course not a way to brag that I'm smarter than a 5th grader -- how would that be bragging? I have a graduate degree brother! I certainly should know things a 5th grader would know. The whole point of the thread is that it's sad to see the ADULT contestants who cannot answer these very basic questions, and EVEN knowing that they don't pick the smartest applicants, it's sad to know that one of the reasons for the success of the show is that many adults feel challenged by the questions and get a rush when they know an answer that one of the contestants doesn't. I don't fall into this category as I know ALL the answers. I've been watching it for shock value only -- perhaps a flaw in my personality, but hey, I never said I was perfect. The ladies always have, and I don't correct them because who am I do derail their fantasies, but between you and me, I'm definitely not perfect.

[quote]Postmodernism is gibberish wrote:

I see your Derrida and Baudrillard and raise you David Harvey and Frederic Jameson. Both of whom made the basic observation that postmodernism and deconstructionism amounted to a hill of beans in the face of ongoing social and economic inequalities.[quote]

I am not sure how a discussion of social and economic equalities was brought into this. My only point was that both Derrida and Baudrillard not only watched television (among many others) but watched particular programming that was/is considered to be intellectually bankrupt. Yet, even if you side against them for political reasons, or find their scholarship inadequate, you must admit that they themselves are not idiots. That is all.

I do not myself fully defend Derrida. Against him, I find Foucault to be correct, not only in his analysis of Descartes' Meditations but also his political activist life, which was exemplified by his efforts in the GIP. I believe these efforts in the least problemitize any statement made to the effect of Foucault's belief in individual agency, and "postmodernism" in general.

I do not believe that all academic activity should be legitimated by its likely social consequence, especially the social consequences that are likely to meet your criteria.