Are you as smart as an advanced fourth grader: The ineptitude of upper-end journalists is a long-standing point of fascination for us at this incomparable site.
Case in point: On Monday, the New York Times offered an editorial about a new national civics test. Here’s how the foolishness started:
NEW YORK TIMES EDITORIAL (5/9/11): Can You Explain the War Powers Act?The Department of Education’s latest assessment of what young Americans know about civics shows that the light of democracy burns steadily in schools, if too dimly.The test was given last year to 27,000 children in the 4th, 8th and 12th grades. “Basic” knowledge for an eighth grader meant being able to identify a right protected by the First Amendment. A “proficient” 12th grader could define “melting pot” and argue whether or not the United States is one. An “advanced” fourth grader could “explain two ways countries can deal with shared problems.”The results show the needle stuck on mediocre...
Predictably, the editors went to cluck about the dumbness of America’s children. But we were struck by that highlighted passage.
Could you answer the highlighted question? Herat THE HOWLER, we couldn’t! In fact, we have little idea what that question even means. Perhaps in context, the question makes better sense. But as the editors rushed to discuss the dumbness of 9-year-old children, they didn’t seem to notice the dumbness of their own presentation.
Are you as smart as an advanced fourth grader? Here at THE HOWLER, we aren’t! That said, how dumb does upper-end “journalism” get? This morning, Roberts and Argetsinger establish a new, depressing standard at the Washington Post.
We know, we know—it’s just “The Reliable Source,” the Post’s semi-gossip column. But Reliable Source is one of the Post’s most-read, most-discussed daily features. This morning, the ladies wanted to muse about the Schwarzenegger-Shriver separation—and they apparently wanted to make their prose especially juicy.
But good God! This is the way the ladies began. Even by prevailing press standards, this is just extra dumb:
ROBERTS/ARGETSINGER (5/11/11): The Schwarzenegger-Shriver split: Till end of term do us part?So, is this how it goes in political marriages—not just “stay together until the kids grow up,” but “stay together until his career is done”?Last year, the splits of John and Elizabeth Edwards and Al and Tipper Gore—after so many years, so much endured together in the public eye—had the world asking, “Why now?” Both came not long after the men exited the political stage. And now, just four months after he wrapped up the seven years as California governor that topped off their uniquely high-profile quarter-century together, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver announced they have separated.
Darlings! Why restrict ourselves to one separation if we can cluck about three! That said, how hard did the ladies have to work to find a way to drag in those other political “splits?” According to the thigh-rubbing ladies, the Edwards and Gore splits “came not long after the men exited the political stage.” And omigod! That’s just like this newest split!
The ladies had spotted a pattern! They then clucked and mused and creamed as they considered their find.
Even by this cohort’s standards, that is just extra dumb. Al Gore left office in January 2001. The Gores’ separation was announced in June 2010—more than nine years later. When the separation was announced, Al Gore was still quite active on the scene. His “career” wasn’t close to “done.”
In our thirteen years at THE HOWLER, we have perhaps been most struck by this observation: Most people have a very hard time articulating an important fact: We are a very dumb people. (Most of us don’t seem to mind.)
That said: Are you as smart as two major Post writers? We’re going to pray that you are.
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