OT: Kelly Pickler & a 5th Grader

[Keith A]

I know Kelly Pickler (of recent American Idol fame) played the I ain't so smart card pretty well on the show. But can she really be this uninformed? Check out this YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ANTDkfkoBaI) video of when she was on "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?"

BTW, I'm sure the French would love this :D

[Acotts]

Beauty is ephemeral...but stupid lasts forever.

[gomez308]

I really, really hope that is part of her act. If not, she might drown when it rains.

[abqhudson]

OK, I'm A Pickler fan. Dumb like a fox.

[Tobias]

Maybe she really is smarter than she appears but has a lousy memory, or some other type of learning disability. In my book they are not the same.

Lots of people with great memories are like a walking encyclopedia and are as stupid as a ……..........what’s the right comparison?

[Bruce K]

That was painful to watch the first time. I'm sure not looking at it again.

Really like a train wreck you keep hoping won't happen.

BK

[duke]

Looks like dumb as a stump.
duke

[ThasFACE]

Oh man, that is so painful to watch.

My favorite part has to be the connection she makes between Hungary and Turkey. Just classic.

[1centaur]

Here's the choice: acting genius (smart like a fox) or just plain blind to/uninterested in the world around her as she was growing up (dumb).

I have observed a lot of faces of both dumb and smart people as they considered answers. I have heard the very similar ways in which dumb people squirm/cope when they don't know something.

My choice is: good hearted.

[coopdog]

Bless her heart...

[Polyglot]

People feigning shock of Pickler's performance are simply fooling themselves about the true state of geographical knowledge in the US. I lived close to 40 years of my life abroad and have traveled to over 60 different countries. I don't believe I have ever met any American who was able to identify all the countries that I have traveled to on a blank map. Does this bother me? Not really, as none of neighbors in other countries have been able to do it either. People learn about things that have relevance in their lives. The capital of Hungary is of no relevance to over 99.9 % or all Americans. I therefore prefer that they spend their energy learning more useful information. It appears that Pickler learned enough to guarantee that she will be able to support herself and not be a burden on others.

[Louis]

I always figured that it doesn't take long for good-looking girls/women and jocks to realize that things might be just a little bit different for them.

OK you can flame me now...

[Grant McLean]

People learn about things that have relevance in their lives. The capital of Hungary is of no relevance to over 99.9 % or all Americans. I therefore prefer that they spend their energy learning more useful information. It appears that Pickler learned enough to guarantee that she will be able to support herself and not be a burden on others.


The 5th grader seemed to know the capital just fine...

How are people supposed to know what is of no "relevance" when they're just
plain ignorant? If your argument was correct, then cashiers would know how
to make correct change, instead of entering the amount into the register,
and handing back the amount displayed on the screen. Interesting people know
something about the world around them, and make a little effort to learn things
about other people, and not just the cover of people magazine...

-g

[pjm]

"France is a country?" She's a moron. She's cute as hell, and she may be a wonderful person, but she's a moron.

And she's got bad taste in music.

Is every AI reject a celebrity now?

[ThasFACE]

My choice is: good hearted.

Agreed. She strikes me as being genuinely sweet.... just maybe not so learned in the ways of the 'knowledge' and such.

[Skrawny]

wow

[swoop]

stupid is the new black but odds are that her version of stupidity is the stuff of genius. i'm willing to bet this girl has used every neuron a brain can use to set up everyone around her to take care of her, to not be threatened by her, and to absolve her of any accountability. she's even got a child eagerly answering the question so she doesn't have to think y'all.


so... if that's the case.... she's smarter than all of us because she's living in a world where all she has to do is show up and she gets everything she needs. including free face time on some tv show where they ask her silly questions.

i'll bet 50 bucks she knows her weekly sales figures and what she's paying songwriters and more about waxing, extensions and tanning than anybody should. and the truth is she's probably going to earn more in the next couple of years than i will in a lifetime.. and she'll do it without ever experiencing guilt and neurosis. she'll just be hungry a lot but at some point blow and cigarettes will mend that.


atmo.

smart girl.

[Tobias]

smart girl.I agree.
She is smart in some ways and has demonstrated it.
Ignorance is lack of education, not necessarily lack of intelligence. Opportunity has much to do with it.
Besides, people can't choose their intelligence so why should anyone look down on her for that?

[duke]

I think you are giving her way too much credit. She is just another pretty face created by the entertainment machine. She will be used until she is no longer useful and then will be discarded. Hopefully she will have saved some money because at that intelligence level it is going to be very hard to earn a decent living in the real world.
duke

[swoop]

britney spears makes $740,000.00 a month. what's genius about her is that she spends every cent y'all. it's not easy y'all.

[paczki]

I agree with Swoop. This is how Jessica Simpson became a household word. I'm sure her agent told her to dumb it up. Think about it, we're discussing this on a bike chat room!

[ti_boi]

I didn't bring it up......but this is further evidence of the general decline of the western world.....In fact when people can become celebrities....fascinating and rich...because they release a sex tape...act like imbeciles in front of millions.... -- and then proceed to 'entertain' the world with their mediocre talent...we need to turn off the tv/computer...pick up a paint brush, instrument, book....or go ride our bikes...Ignore is an option.

[Tobias]

IMO the act-stupid culture practiced by many young people (mostly girls) to some degree is a ploy to hide lack of education and/or intelligence.

A recent news report on the subject showed that many girls (common school girls and not superstars) wear stupidity as a badge of honor; not unlike young male gang members’ incarceration. It makes them cool and accepted by others like them.

As society changes this type of behavior is unavoidable, and we should expect a lot more.

[Louis]

IMO the act-stupid culture practiced by many young people (mostly girls) to some degree is a ploy to hide lack of education and/or intelligence

Maybe I'm too stupid to know this, but what's the difference between stupidity and lack of intelligence? How can flaunting stupidity protect you from being exposed as someone with low intelligence?

To paraphrase Sandy,

Stupid Louis

[ti_boi]

Maybe I'm too stupid to know this, but what's the difference between stupidity and lack of intelligence? How can flaunting stupidity protect you from being exposed as someone with low intelligence?

To paraphrase Sandy,

Stupid Louis

:) Louis.....the really stupid ones will act the part and when it comes time to take college exams....bomb those as well....so in essence their act will bear fruit. It's another matter entirely to put up the facade and ace the exams...then it is on to Stanford and the culture changes!

I plan to rent Freaks and Geeks this winter to gain insight into current teen culture....all I know is that when I was a youth--i found nothing more enticing than an intelligent woman....still do!!

Looks like Kellie's problems might be a result of bad parenting.

"...her mother, Cynthia Malone, who abandoned Kellie when she was two-years-old. Apparently, her mother is now trying to re-enter Kellie’s life.."

Source: http://bluestarchronicles.com/2007/11/09/kellie-picklers-moving-performance-at-the-country-music-awards/

"...American Idol contestant and North Carolina native, Kellie Pickler, has a father who is serving a 45 month prison term for felony assault on a law enforcement officer. Carl Pickler wrote a letter to the Stanley News & Press thanking the residents of Stanley County for their continued support of Kellie...."

Source:http://www.idontlikeyouinthatway.com/2006/03/kellie-pickler-is-daddys-girl.html

[1centaur]

I agree with Swoop. This is how Jessica Simpson became a household word. I'm sure her agent told her to dumb it up. Think about it, we're discussing this on a bike chat room!

Actually, I think the story about acting dumb to make money was an act of spin control. She became famous because she IS dumb and her agent tried to portray her as otherwise after the fact. Since she became famous she has had many opportunities to prove me wrong and failed every time. Dumb folks can "dumb it up" to hide their stupidity; I think we've seen that many times.

[paczki]

Actually, I think the story about acting dumb to make money was an act of spin control. She became famous because she IS dumb and her agent tried to portray her as otherwise after the fact. Since she became famous she has had many opportunities to prove me wrong and failed every time. Dumb folks can "dumb it up" to hide their stupidity; I think we've seen that many times.

I meant that Kelly Pickler's agent probably recognized that this would be useful to Kelly, given that it was so successful for Jessica Simpson. That's what I would suggest to Kelly if I was her agent. And it doesn't mean that she's smart, just that she knows when it's in her interest to act like a blond ditz.

[Samster]

i simply refuse to participate in this discussion. (read this with a southern twang.)

[Tobias]

Maybe I'm too stupid to know this, but what's the difference between stupidity and lack of intelligence? How can flaunting stupidity protect you from being exposed as someone with low intelligence?

To paraphrase Sandy,

Stupid Louisti boi said it well – one can be an act and the other for real. When they say something stupid no one knows if it’s for real or not. They hide behind the uncertainty.

Beyond that, human behavior and intelligence is hard to define not to mention measure. Intelligence can take so many forms I’m not sure how we’d even define it. Young kids (lots of boys) do very stupid things for many reasons like being predisposed to taking unwarranted risks, to show off because they crave attention, etc…. Their poor judgment and subsequent actions don’t mean to me that they lack intelligence, though they may appear quite stupid on the surface. Are all kids that act stupid really stupid?

Anyway, I try to separate intelligence from ignorance (i.e. – lack of knowledge, information, or awareness). I’d guess there are close to a billion kids worldwide that don’t know the capital of Hungary or know what calamari is. IMO it’s easier to make a case for Kellie being ignorant than lacking intelligence, although both may be correct.

[1centaur]

IMO it’s easier to make a case for Kellie being ignorant than lacking intelligence, although both may be correct.

Technically true, having seen her in action, but the ability to plead ignorance fades as you age and are exposed to greater stimuli. TV alone vastly broadens what it's possible to absorb quickly even as a sheltered child, but having a successful recording and concert career means traveling and meeting tons of people and getting a feeling for the big wide world beyond Albemarle. If your neurons are capable of making connections efficiently you'll soak up a lot of stuff, create linkages, see patterns...generally it will be impossible to stay ignorant. If those connections don't occur, if the stimuli bounce off your head, then you'll be in your early 20s and think that Europe is a country (exactly what do the public schools in North Carolina teach people - I'll bet a list of continents is part of the education) but you won't be sure about France and a rushed pronunciation of "Hungary" won't ring any bells.

She has a lot going for her that she can thank the gene pool for: looks, talent, and disposition. She does have a sense that the dumb blonde thing will pay off for her and she emphasizes it for effect. I think she would be successful on a sitcom if that paid better than singing. Lacking IQ points has never been much of an obstacle to success in show business, but that lack is evident in this case. Doesn't matter though - I like her and root for her success, and very much hope the system does not treat her badly in the end.

[Tobias]

Lacking IQ points has never been much of an obstacle to success in show business, but that lack is evident in this case. Doesn't matter though - I like her and root for her success, and very much hope the system does not treat her badly in the end.I like her too and wish her well. My compassion for people is not dependent on their IQ.

It's interesting that you mention IQ and success in show business. A while back a study confirmed that the smartest people are not always the most successful (measuring success by how rich one becomes). As I recall other factors like personality, people skills, and looks were deem to make as much or more of a difference than pure reasoning capacity. It could also be that very smart people don't try to become rich because they know it won't buy them happiness.

[1centaur]

A while back a study confirmed that the smartest people are not always the most successful (measuring success by how rich one becomes).

Someone once told me CEOs average fairly mediocre SAT scores. The phrase I often tell my son is "talent + effort = success." Works in cycling and in life. In business, effort includes a focus on people skills, which people with high IQs can get away without through their academic careers, only to realize perhaps in their 20s and 30s how deficient they are in what will make them a success in something other than a meritocracy.