Thick People on TV

Ugh is he still in it?

I think they put it on. I mean, even I know what 3 x 7 is!

Oh Panj, you do make me laugh! though shame on you for watching it in the first place! I can't stand her, and yes I really do believe that she is that thick!

Franki - the guy is a d1ck!

I never learned my times tables properly. I left one school before it was taught and joined another after they'd done it, so I never had the formal lessons, and although I could read from the age of 3 I somehow never learned my times tables. I still have to think it through every time I need to know what 3 times 7 is, or 6 times 4 or whatever. I just freeze up and panic.

I don't think I'm stupid, I managed to get an A* in my Maths GCSE by doing well in the calculator sections and understanding the concepts. I just can't do mental arithmetic. Especially on the spot.

I know some people really are 'that thick', but I think we'd all say stupid things if every aspect of our lives was on camera and scrutinised.

Sorry, I don't mean to be a wet blanket, I do laugh sometimes at things people in the public eye say. But usually it's just sad that people are missing something they should have got in their basic education IYSWIM.

Somehow with Amy Childs i very much doubt this was an isolated incident and there is far more she claims not to know than just her times table.

I think they are thick, hence why they're having to do trashy reality TV!

And the answer is?

It has to be put on, surely? I'd be seriously shocked if people were really lacking that much in the old brain department.

I don't know this either. It doesn't mean I'm thick, I just have no knowledge of that particular subject. (Call it ignorance if you like), I never had an interest in Geography, so unless someone told me which sea/ocean it was, why would I know?

Math, however... I could recite the 7 times tables backwards if you wanted me to.

Honestly? You think this is something you should have been taught formally? You never looked at a map? Or a globe? Or, in the case of someone who lives near the sea, asked Mum and Dad WHAT THAT SEA WAS CALLED? You don't think it should be fairly routine for people to know that we are separated from France by the English Channel, that most of our homegrown oil comes from the North Sea, that the USA lies across the Atlantic?

#callsitignorance

As I said, I've never had an interest in it, so why would I have asked my parents? I've also only ever been out of the country twice, so it's not as though I've flown over it etc.

There's no need to get vented up about it.

I'm not sure that FTLOMB is getting 'vented', simply calling the ignorance that you offered up!

I agree with Footlong Alice, some things you "ought" to just know, whether you have an interest in them or not. I hate politics but I know who our prime minister is. I hate history but I know when the world wars started. It's not a case of being taught, it's having a general idea. I'm sh1t at explaining myself so sorry if your not getting my jist.

I don't think everyone should know everything about everything but not knowing what sea you live next to is almost like not knowing what country you are in. Maybe thick is the wrong word, and you are right in saying it's ignorant.

I know this answer too!

*Has an A in Geography* ?

As Cricks said, you offered it.

No, I know what you mean. And that's why I called it ignorance. I'm the first to admit that I'm ignorant about a lot of things.

My point was that not knowing something specific doesn't make you thick. My IQ is higher than average, but I don't know ANYTHING about Geography. In my defense though, I need to know mathematics because it's what I do in my day job, I need to know who the PM is because his decisions influence my life, the World Wars are also important because they gave us our independence. Not saying Geography is of any less importance, but knowing where I sit on a globe, doesn't really affect me in the same way other things do. Does that make sense?

Maybe this is where we differ. If I don't know something, i have to find out the answer. There have been plenty of occasions on here where threads have been started about subjects I am not aux fait with, so I just have a quick read up on it to find out at least the basics. I'd rather have a basic understanding what people are talking about than just shrug and ignore it because i think it doesn't affect me.

I know what you are saying but I would rather have a general idea about the world we live in so I don't sound like a doofus not being able to contribute to a conversation about something.

There's a difference between not being able to describe how the boundaries of Israel have shifted since the Green Line was mapped and not knowing which ocean laps the shores of Cornwall.

That was another part of the conversation (the Playboy twins) "is it a sea or an ocean? is an ocean really shallow and the sea is really deep? do you guys have an ocean?"

Even 52 year old Denise Welch didn't know which was the nearest ocean to the UK.

Alice, are you a Potter fan? Please don't tell me you can name wizardy houses and games before you can name the English Channel*....

*Note, this is NOT a TV channel.

My geography lessons centred around population density and GDP and weather patterns over hills, not which counties are where and political boundaries. O do understand the basic concepts of British geography, but that was not covered in school lessons.

But there is a huge difference between 'thick' and 'uninformed'. Thick people lack the ability to reason a problem to solution, uninformed people just don't know. I am smart (i.e. not thick, high IQ with the ability to reason) but completely uninformed about z-list reality TV 'personalities' - who the *** is Amy Childs?! (or more importanltly - who cares?!)

I didn't see the programme you refer to (thank goodness!), but did see her on Celebrity Juice a little while back. Was gobsmacked by how stupid she came across! I mean, REALLY stupid.

Nope, haven't seen the films or read the books. I prefer classic novelists.

And, I know you're only joking, but there's no need to insult my intelligence. I might not be able to tell you WHERE the English Channel is specifically, but I do know it isn't on TV.