MovieChat Forums > G.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013) Discussion > Do you Americans actually know ANYTHING ...

Do you Americans actually know ANYTHING about other countries?

posted 12 years ago by CynicalVision
62 replies | jump to latest

http://i.imgur.com/ySBzvHQ.jpg

It's ridiculous how we're in 2013 and this still happens in American movies. England is not the United Kingdom, it's a part of it. The United Kingdom is made up of smaller "states" like the United States. Surely it's not that difficult to understand guys. It would be like a British (or any other movie from another nation) referring to the entire United States as Ohio, or Florida.

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland = United Kingdom

England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland =/= England

Do they not teach geography or politics in American High Schools?

Don't you hate it when a signature looks like part of the post?

[–] rac19141 12 years ago

You do know you are most likely aiming this question towards people that had nothing to do with the movie.

[–] vxxxjesterxxxv 12 years ago

And do you understand that TWO people wrote this movie, not the whole of America? So lets maybe not throw an entire country under the bus due to two writers...and I guess lets not forget the director. So three people are representative of the entire nation........

[–] rac19141 12 years ago

Silly Europeans...... Always angry on these boards and Americans don't give two Flucks....

[–] adderworks 12 years ago

Heh, it is rather amusing in trolling context. The complaint about the UK/England thing is what he complains about with all the other things going on to rant about inside the movie.

[–] Kuato_and_George 11 years ago

Silly Europeans...... Always angry on these boards and Americans don't give two Flucks....

Seriously. There's some angry ass Euros on IMDB.

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[–] TwoMushrooms 12 years ago

I'm from Europe myself and I've been to the states several times, and my answer is no, they don't know much about other countries.

With that said however, how much do we know about US geography, society and history, that we feel confident enough to pose questions like yours? Without looking it up, do you know the capital of Georgia or Colorado? I didn't, learned it while I was over there. Let's go easy on eachother, shall we...

I'm having trouble with a patient of mine; he's a teenage drug addict who's being molested. By me.

[–] valdrick15 12 years ago

We Europeans don´t know, but if we put it into a movie we would check wikipedia first.

[–] danimal09752 12 years ago

Because a) wikipedia is always correct and b) obviously no British screen writer or director has EVER made a similar mistake right? Touch tightly wound aren't you....

[–] valdrick15 12 years ago

I think Wikipedia is always correct in these matters, yes.
And I am not offended, it is just that this things make me laugh.

[–] danimal09752 12 years ago

After you said you think Wikipedia is always correct, I felt no need to listen to you any further. You've obviously got a severe lack of smarts and common sense.

[–] valdrick15 12 years ago

Awesome.

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] valdrick15 12 years ago

Smart

[–] Barbecue 12 years ago

He didn't say he thinks Wikipedia is always correct, you deliberately distorted his words to create the impression he said something he didn't, and used that as an excuse to dismiss him entirely.

Wikipedia's accuracy and reliability varies greatly depending on the specific subject being researched, but when it comes to basics like geography, hard sciences and mathematics, it's quite accurate. Multiple studies have shown it is just as accurate as Brittanica and other online references with it comes to fact-based information which is non-controversial.

Common sense and reason will easily reveal why controversial and opinion-based subjects are less likely to be accurate than fact-based subjects which are trivially easy to verify through third-parties.

Dismissing an entire valuable resource because of weakness in a few controversial areas is silly. But since you don't believe Wikipedia, why not try one of the many OTHER online resources which support the exact same point? Nah, it's easier to just dismiss your opponent without bothering to actually check the facts.

[–] danimal09752 12 years ago

He flat out said and I quote "I think wikipedia is always right in this matters". I didn't distort the dude's words int he least. He said it. Look it up. And NO subject is 100 percent reliable on Wikipedia, as you do not know the people (ie, governments for example) that are posting the information, nor do you know their motives.

And I am not dismissing wikipedia. I use it often. But I sure as hell do not consider it my only source. You my friend seem eager to distort what I said. I DO double check things. The idiot I responded to flat out said he thinks wikipedia is always right. Go bark up the other tree numbnuts.

[–] valdrick15 12 years ago

The id!ot here would like to point that "that matters" meant "basic geography". Also to say that Barbecue got it 100% right. AND to repeat that it is only that I find it funny, not offensive, when I see mistakes like those in movies.

[–] Barbecue 12 years ago

"I think wikipedia is always right in this matters"

"I think wikipedia is always right"

These are different statements with different meanings.

[–] Jay_Nadiah 12 years ago

He said "in this matters". And seeing as how English isn't his first language I assumed he meant "in these matters"... Which meant he was referring to the topic at hand that being basic geography. He's right. You're wrong.

[–] Augustus_Octavian 9 years ago

Technically, he is wrong as well. Since Wikipedia is not always right. Always right implies literally no error whatsoever ever, which is basically an impossible standard that cannot be achieved.

[–] ShepherdMoons 11 years ago

Oops.
While I agree on the original topic, Americans don't know or give a *beep* about anything else except the US; Wikipedia is often incorrect.
It's edited by those same Americans, as well as other grade schoolers who flunked or not. Thus, Wikipedia is off limits in European University papers.

BTW, we actually DO get US (and other International) history and society lessons since the Grade school in most European countries. I don't think the US pupils get much about anything outside the US.

(With Americans, I mean US Americans, obviously)

[–] plumlogan 12 years ago

You're point is acknowledged, it just doesn't matter. If you're looking for that kind of accuracy in a film like this you're either trying to get upset or your a slow learner.

[–] valdrick15 12 years ago

Neither. I just find it funny, it makes me laugh, I don´t get upset. And yes, I would expect a movie with a budget of millions to know the difference between the UK and England.

[–] Hobblefoot 11 years ago

You mean like how the guy that made Love Actually didn't check to see what place in America might be considered Babeland and just assumed Wisconsin? Flies both ways, man. Europeans seem to be constantly faulting Americans for lacking knowoedge they themselves lack.

[–] Reaper11787 11 years ago

Atlanta and Denver. And I'm from France

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[–] RParmly-3 10 years ago

With that said however, how much do we know about US geography, society and history, that we feel confident enough to pose questions like yours? Without looking it up, do you know the capital of Georgia or Colorado? I didn't, learned it while I was over there. Let's go easy on eachother, shall we...

This.

There was something going around Facebook last fall where a bunch of Americans were given a blank map of Australia and told to fill in the blanks, and the results were utterly hilarious.

But it's worth noting that when Australians were given a blank map of the U.S. and asked to do the same, they didn't fare any better.

Fichtre! Voila qu'on me tue mes morts.

[–] Augustus_Octavian 9 years ago

Er... The US is a lot more important than Australia. I am from neither countries.

[–] hepan100 10 years ago

who cares, both colorado and georgia are redneck sh!tholes...

[–] Dustbowler 9 years ago

You've obviously never been to either.

Who says violence is not the answer?

[–] the_bamboo_spear 9 years ago

lol Colorado is all Liberal and Georgia is all Black

[–] tipsy-taylor 12 years ago

ignorance is bliss and this post sucks

[–] Doctor_Nico 12 years ago

Oh come on ! Are you really gonna judge all of USA because of a mistake in an American B movie ?

I'm French, we have many clichés about the USA, just like they have on us, almost every american movie taking place in Paris is hilarious for us, even when it's supposed to be serious as it doesn't look like real life France. At all. And I still haven't seen "The Smurfs 2" xD

So let's not judge all Americans by this, you're making a cliché out and worst of it, you're doint exactly what you're complaining. Do you know anything about USA ? Apart from what you saw in movies ?

Do you really think ALL Americans are stupid dumbass who can't name a single other country and show it on a map ? Of course, such people exist (just like people eating chease next to the Eiffel tower probably exist in Paris xD), but it's not everybody !

So don't make a fool of yourself, especially when you made a totally valid point before ! England is NOT the UK, and that bothers me as well as I am a big fan of British culture ! :)

Have a nice day ;)

[–] Mandy999 12 years ago

Nicely put. Sadly, it's human nature to stereotype.

[–] Zee_Ryeback 12 years ago

Are you telling me the Eiffel Tower doesn't exist?

FEED ME MORE! FEED ME MORE! FEED ME MORE!

[–] lithotomy 11 years ago

It does exist. You've all just been pronouncing it wrong for a century.

[–] Steve_2 12 years ago

It's a synecdoche; people use a part of a the object to refer to the whole, like back during the cold war people would say "Russia" to refer to the USSR in informal conversation.

Now as far as not knowing about the world: the U.S. team just won the NatGeo geography bee. Although the three kids who won are all of Indian/South Asian descent, which is very ... well, LOL. Asha, Gopi and Neelam - true 'Murican heroes!

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/08/01/world-geography-b ee-winners/2607809/

[–] Mandy999 12 years ago

There's no such thing as a standard American so the kids' descent is irrelevant. They're Americans and they won the geography bee. They could be purple for all it matters.

[–] will-694 12 years ago

Careful there, you're in danger of educating someone.

[–] drink2percent 12 years ago

The Hollywood movie makers know all about Europe, its why they made a movie with this crap. This movie was not made by all of America, I would have cut 50 minutes out of this 110 minute movie. This was a horribly made movie by any countries intellect. Hasty put together conclusions. Half-ass thought out ideas. This movie is so bad, i'm thinking the North Koreans made it.

[–] rp69 12 years ago

This American really doesn't care.

[–] ShepherdMoons 11 years ago

Of course he doesn't. That's the default stance of anyone with just a bit of arrogance in his upbringing.