Dumb, but not that dumb, k?

Look, I have little difficulty in believing that we--Americans, that is--are bad at geography. So bad in fact that most of us can't even find the countries we invade on a map. But c'mon:

Ok fine, this will be my last "hey lookit this dumb
thing on saw on social media" for a while.

$44 billion could have fed a lot of people,

but sure, a forum for fascists. That'll be nice.

This came up on Twitter this morning and I--what? He hasn't bought it yet. Huh? Yeah, of course I'll delete my account when and if Elon "Everything Wrong with Everything" Musk buys it. But until then, what else am I supposed to scroll through when I wake up for absolutely no reason at three in the morning? Wait, where was I? Right. What I was saying is bullshit. Well, obviously. Rather, what I mean to say is that I am calling bullshit on the idea that ninety percent of Americans can't find Italy on a map. It's a boot. Everyone can find the boot. 

We're dumb, but we're not that dumb, ok? Yes, granted, there are people who will continue to vote for noted insurrectionist Marjory Taylor Greene despite, and in some cases because of, her assertion that Satan--as in, the literal devil--whispers into women's ears and tells them to get abortions. But I don't think that these people are necessarily unintelligent. I just think they're ignorant and disengaged. And gullible. And racist. I could go on.

I'm not a theologian or anything, but if the Devil can trick women into getting
abortions, isn't it hugely irresponsible of God to just let him get away with it? Like,
couldn't God just whisper in the other ear? Or, I don't know, Q snap the Devil away? Wait,
you don't suppose Representative Green is just spouting crazy nonsense, do you?

"Good job finding Italy! Say you strike me as a
savvy shopper, can I interest you in an Alexa?"

-some rich huckster

Anyway, I didn't click on it, but I'm wiling to bet that yes, I can pass this "World Map Quiz." And so can you. So can most people. The marketing department at Bon Voyaged have no interest in making people feel stupid. This site is a "travel entertainment" site, which, I don't know what that means, but mostly it's just links to junk on Amazon. This ad is just designed to make people scrolling through Twitter at--what'd I say? Three?--three a.m. feel like goddamn geniuses. "What? nine out of ten Americans can't find Italy? I can find Italy. I'm smart. I think I'll buy whatever this is. That's what a smart would do!"

I don't know why I take these things so personally. I mean, we've already established that targeted advertising is woefully inaccurate. But I guess I bristle at the increasingly low opinion marketers have of consumers. Oh, also I can't stand the term "consumer." It reduces people to a transaction at best, a mouth at worst, and it's gross. Capitalism is gross.

"We were going to go with "rubes" but the focus group found it insulting."

-some marketing guy