Is the country getting dumber?

[Playbill]

I have just watched a short part of 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire' on itv. It was bad enough when an 'it assistant' was unsure if Zulus were from the southern hemisphere. But when a school headmaster calls for help to find out in what part of the country the Mendip hills are, you begin to understand why kids are so dumb these days. The fact that the headmaster was from Devon did not seem to help him! Glad I normally only watch itv during the Grand Prix season.

[figure]

A country cannot get dumb, only its inhabitants.

[stokemaveric]

you only have to look at SOME of the kids schools churn out when they are 16 dont you?some cant even read or write properly as for the headmaster who didnt know where the mendips were i should imagine he will be a laughing stock when he returns to his school,his geography teacher should offer some extra tuition.....

[Playbill]

The question was posed as considering the country and the inhabitants as one entity.

[spacechimp]

How did they even get through the fastest finger first?

[daffy654]

So where are the Mendip Hills then? Its not a question I could have answered but then i'm not a school headteacher.

[Goodsoulette]

In Somerset. Cheddar Gorge sort of area, from Weston through to about Frome. I only know that because I live in Somerset, I wouldn't say it was a bit of essential knowledge in running a school, hardly makes the guy an absolute fool.

[peb9]

no wot they say- its only easy wen you no the answer!!

[bundleone]

Nobody can possibly know everything,

[cazzz1975]

I agree with goodsoulette...

[THECORBYLOON]

I think I'd struggle to mind on ma own name in the same situation.

[Playbill]

Goodsoulette (and everyone else who cannot appreciate my point), if a man has risen to be head of a school without knowing something this basic - and this local - what hope is there for his pupils.

[LOX]

Is this post in the wrong section, Should it be under 'Media & Tv or is it me that's dumb?

[Goodsoulette]

So, as headmaster you should know the location of ever minor set of hills or geographical feature within the UK? Passing on the knowledge of where the Mendips are, is not the job of a your average headmaster. I don't really think it is that basic, the only reason people have really heard of them is because it is where Cheddar Gorge is, so unless you have a keen interest in hill walking, caving or roman tin mines they aren't really of great interest.

[Ice.Maiden]

Awww...even a simple question about your own area might flummox you if you were on National TV, knowing that thousands of people were watching.

[*Princess*]

I wouldn't know those answers, but ask me anything on my home town, psychology or entertainment and I'd probably have a better chance of getting it right!

[hussy]

i wish i was as clever as you playbill

[SeaJayPea]

I'm with you Playbill. Sorry to the rest of you, but bear in mind that you're not being asked just where the Mendip Hills are, you're being given four options, one of which is right. I didn't see the show, but for goodness sake!

[Oneeyedvic]

Don't know where the Mendip Hills are (until now - thanks Goodsoulette).

Whilst I agree with your sentiments, the examples you give are incorrect. To ask a teacher (head or otherwise) to know geography just because they are a teacher is just plain silly. As to him being local (and Devon to Somerset could be over 100 miles away), how long has he lived in Devon?

I watch Eggheads on BBC2 occasionally and can quite often get answers that one of the Eggheads don't - that doesn't make me any more intelligent than them - just that my knowledge is different.

Some people would consider a question on EastEnders easy - it would completely flummox me, as would most music questions set in the last 10 years - but that is because I have no interest in either.

A question is only easy if you know the answer.

[jake-the-peg]

That's the thing about Millionaire the contestants are selected at random, because of the way it's run.

No vetting they could get anyone.

Thing is not everyone can think straight under pressure like that.

If I took you up on a parachute jump and asked you general knowledge questions in the plane how well do you think you'd do?

It's not always intelligence as much as the ability to perform under pressure