1. Comment #94528 by wundergeist on December 5, 2007 at 11:31 pm

Actually, I believe she fulfills a very important need:

She demonstrates to viewers that expecting people on television to be knowledgeable and authoritative is wrong. In this age of celebrity-driven credibility, this is an important point to make.

Thanks, Sherri, for being such a perfect example of arrogance combined with ignorance.

W

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2. Comment #94529 by Ducklike on December 5, 2007 at 11:40 pm

It's clear that her sole purpose in life is to serve as a warning to others.

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3. Comment #94533 by Russell's Teapot on December 6, 2007 at 12:02 am

I feel confident that however this woman dies, she will be a Darwin Award candidate.

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4. Comment #94535 by SilentMike on December 6, 2007 at 12:17 am

Wow!

Well cleary her purpose on this show is to make the other 3 hosts look really smart.

This is beyond ignorance. If you don't even know the most basic facts about the history of your own religion and culture you're stupid. This lady's an actress and I can't see how she manages to remember her lines. Oh wait:

http://richarddawkins.net/article,1949,Chimps-beat-humans-in-memory-test,BBC

I wonder just how many people are actually that dense.

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5. Comment #94537 by AllanW on December 6, 2007 at 12:30 am

SilentMike; I wonder just how many people are actually that dense.

You'd be surprised. Read 'Private Eye' sections 'Dumb Britain' or 'Colemanballs' for regular anecdotes. Just look at the international research on literacy. scientific understanding hell even the proportion of people who think that evolution is just plain wrong.

Frank Zappa said that the commonest element in the universe was not hydrogen but stupidity as it was even more plentiful; he could be right.

This woman is just the latest example of a really sheltered, unquestioning mind being exposed in public. Look out for Whoopi Goldbergs' attempts to keep the feelings of revulsion off her face at the stupidity on display.

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6. Comment #94545 by SilentMike on December 6, 2007 at 1:10 am

5. Comment #94537 by AllanW

I knew that stupidity was common. I just didn't know that it could be that, well, stupid.

Seriously. I've met some pretty dim lights in my lifetime and I've heard that americans are ignorant. But not to know what your own religion teaches on the "there were always christians" level... That's above and beyond the call of stupid. If there are a lot of people who are stupid at that level we're in serious trouble.

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7. Comment #94546 by Bonzai on December 6, 2007 at 1:15 am

Tell me it is just a marketing ploy. In show biz you need to stand out in some ways, being extraordinarily stupid is better than not having a personality. I just cannot believe morons like that exist.

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8. Comment #94550 by tman on December 6, 2007 at 1:23 am

I know we all like joking how stupid this is and believe me everyones jokes are great! Keep'm coming, but in all seriousness the rationalizations that say "she serves as a warning" are jokes too.

After we all catch our breaths from laughing.... This isn't really funny, but quite sad. It not sad that she is on national television or that she's so uneducated or even that her representation doesn't help christians or the black community. All these factors are diminished by the fact that she is spreading false information to the public.

It's not funny because of the viewers (thousands of them). This is irresponsible on the part of the network, because this is beyond dumb and goes uncorrected.

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9. Comment #94554 by AllanW on December 6, 2007 at 1:29 am

We could well be, mate. My favourite anecdote lately is the one from the Manchester Evening news, reprinted in 'Private Eye' (my wife uses it in her Key Skills classes in a F.E. college. Key Skills being a euphemism for basic literacy and numeracy.) wherein a bloke complains to the Lottery that his card should win a prize and is supported by the shop selling the scratch card (you had to reveal a number lower than minus eight and he revealed minus six and minus seven). He complained about being 'fobbed-off' with a stupid explanation that minus seven was not lower than minus eight.

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10. Comment #94560 by Theocrapcy on December 6, 2007 at 1:40 am

AllanW, yes I read about that too (it even got to Aus). Didn;t the gaming company decide to actually change the game because it feared people were actaully going to keep complaining???

What a world of dumbasses we're breeding.

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11. Comment #94561 by AllanW on December 6, 2007 at 1:42 am

They did withdraw the cards; in the words of their press statement because 'they were too confusing'. Go figure :0

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12. Comment #94567 by Theocrapcy on December 6, 2007 at 1:53 am

Haha, it's so funny it's sad. We put people through a minimum of 13 years of school and some don't even grasp the most basic of concepts, continue to be swayed by ignorance through each other and the media, and then they become voters - something is going wrong here.

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13. Comment #94571 by Theocrapcy on December 6, 2007 at 2:01 am

btw, shit that lady on the View is stupid. But I don't think any of the rest of them are exemplary minds. What I've seen of the show, seems it draws on (and perpetuates) discussions based on populism and modern mythology. Aka `ratings gold`.

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14. Comment #94575 by AllanW on December 6, 2007 at 2:11 am

Exactly my point 'ratings gold'. They have no interest in being educational, informative, challenging, thought-provoking. It's just a lowest common denominator mentality; popular is the goal. The best combat against this is to deny the oxygen of popularity. Same reason I could not vote for D'Souza in the bad faith awards; it will just sell more of his books.

I do quite like the suggestion on some of the science blogs that they pitch an idea to the producers of the View that they take this ignorant woman to a Natural Science museum and film it. Sadly it would be misconstrued I fear but it's nice to hope :)

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15. Comment #94580 by Corylus on December 6, 2007 at 2:16 am

I find myself torn between feeling sorry for her (how awful to be deemed the thickest on daytime TV) angry for her (where were her teachers?) and absolutely astonished at her lack of shame.

If I have made that flat earth faux pas, I would no longer be on TV. I would have changed my identity, had plastic surgery and be hiding out somewhere in South America.

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16. Comment #94582 by irate_atheist on December 6, 2007 at 2:28 am

15. Comment #94580 by Corylus -

If I have made that flat earth faux pas, I would no longer be on TV. I would have changed my identity, had plastic surgery and be hiding out somewhere in South America.

Perhaps she doesn't want to travel too far. After all, she might fall off the edge.

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17. Comment #94587 by Incredulous on December 6, 2007 at 2:56 am

We don't need no education. Especially when you can be paid a lotta money for spouting so much ignorant, arrogant, poorly understood, nonsense.

So depressing! What's worrying is the number of people who turn on and tune in to her, literally condoning this expression of educational and intellectual failure.

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18. Comment #94601 by Philip1978 on December 6, 2007 at 3:30 am

Has anyone got Sherri's email? Or is she too thick to use the internet? (Philip, behave!)

I want to send her this

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7124969.stm


(Nicked from Quetz's magnificent site, I hope thats ok oh mighty one?)

67 MILLION YEARS OLD SHERRI, NO CHRISTIANS ABOUT THEN DARLING


Oh and by the way

http://www.southbaymobilization.org/newsroom/earth/USFromSpaceWithStars1024.jpg

THATS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!

(Or possibly this

http://www.ithadtobeyou.net/carpe/turtle.gif)

I know I am a complete and utter Tea drinking lunatic whose outlook on life is far more weird than most of you can muster but this is just diabolical!

Oh dear look, I Ad hominemed! BAD ME! :)


Philip

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19. Comment #94602 by stephenray on December 6, 2007 at 3:30 am

I have never heard even the most bizarro christians claiming that nothing predates christians. Their whole religion is predicated on the fact that Judaism predated christianity. You know, Abraham, Moses, Daniel, Job, Solomon, David - several hundred years at least before Christ popped up and said "Whoa! Well done guys but - uh - you got it all wrong. Let me explain..."

Not only does this woman - who I never heard of before - not know anything worth knowing, she doesn't even know anything about her own religion.

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20. Comment #94606 by Quetzalcoatl on December 6, 2007 at 3:40 am

At the risk of being mean, ignorance like this is truly depressing.

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21. Comment #94608 by Will in Aus on December 6, 2007 at 3:46 am

stu·pid
1.lacking ordinary quickness and keenness of mind; dull.
2.characterized by or proceeding from mental dullness; foolish; senseless: a stupid question.
3.tediously dull, esp. due to lack of meaning or sense; inane; pointless: a stupid party.
4.annoying or irritating; troublesome: Turn off that stupid radio.
5.in a state of stupor; stupefied: stupid from fatigue.
6.Slang. excellent; terrific.

Source: www.dictionary.com

All except 5 & 6 apply.

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22. Comment #94609 by USA_Limey on December 6, 2007 at 3:49 am

Whoopi Goldberg is pretty smart; the problem is she intentionally dumbs herself down in this forum because she is too steeped in left wing group politics.

She simply can't bring herself to look her fellow black presenter in the face and say, "no that's wrong. You need to read a book".

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23. Comment #94612 by notsobad on December 6, 2007 at 3:58 am

People are fucking dumb. I also thought everybody knew at least basic history when I was younger and only met my family and friends regularly.

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24. Comment #94617 by CJ22 on December 6, 2007 at 4:10 am

She's just a Sherri trifle.

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25. Comment #94620 by Bueller_007 on December 6, 2007 at 4:21 am

I'm torn. Who was the more idiotic The View host?

1) Flat-earth Sherri who--with the statement that "nothing predates Christians"--seems to be blissfully ignorant even of the existence of the Old Testament.

2) 9/11 conspiracy theorist Rosie O'Donnell.


Close call, but I'm going to have to go with Sherri on this one.

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26. Comment #94628 by MaxWeiss on December 6, 2007 at 5:29 am

I wouldn't normally mind ignorance like this. After all, whether or not the world is flat or round or whether or not history happened one way or another really doesn't have an impact on how this woman lives her life or her ability to get around in a self-sufficient manner.

But the problem is that she votes and has influence on others and has a say in how everybody else's life is run. She can vote for things in the school curriculum and for who the next president will be. That poses serious problems.

I really wish there was some kind of critical thinking test and basic general knowledge test that medium and high level political candidates had to pass, because so many of them are very good at politics and socializing but lack in every other area. And while the two things are enough to get elected, they aren't enough to do the job--but that's just not the top priority if they can keep getting themselves elected. Obviously most of them are probably sincerely trying to do the best job they can, but so many of them really aren't fit for it.

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27. Comment #94650 by glittergulch on December 6, 2007 at 6:46 am

She never thought about the greeks coming before the christians. But I'll tell you what she DID think about: How to FEED her CHILD!

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28. Comment #94653 by AllanW on December 6, 2007 at 6:55 am

Re; #94650

Ah! So the argument here is that she is an economic slave. She has to take this work and appear ignorant as there is no other alternative to her children starving? Does she have children? Even if she does is that a good argument?

Other Comments by AllanW

29. Comment #94654 by SilentMike on December 6, 2007 at 7:04 am

25. Comment #94620 by Bueller_007

Cospiracy theorists aren't (necessarily) stupid. They're just plain crazy. Or, if you want, you could use less offensive terms and call them irrational/uninformed.

Other Comments by SilentMike

30. Comment #94657 by glittergulch on December 6, 2007 at 7:16 am

Allan W: I was just spoofing her rationale for not knowing if the earth was round or flat. She said she didn't ever think about it but she DID think about how she was going to feed her kid. Because, you know, you can't do both. It was sanctimonious self-congratulatory martyrdom.

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31. Comment #94660 by AllanW on December 6, 2007 at 7:22 am

Re; #94657

Ok, thanks :) I understand now; her reply means that we should accept that her ignorance is entirely as a result of her situation of economic destitution.

Does this sort of comment normally pass unnoticed in the press over there? Or are most people who read it merely nodding that it confirms her status as 'dim as a post'?

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32. Comment #94665 by epeeist on December 6, 2007 at 7:55 am

Comment #94657 by glittergulch

She said she didn't ever think about it but she DID think about how she was going to feed her kid. Because, you know, you can't do both.

But I thought women could multi-task much better than men?

[fx]Creeps away and hides under desk[/fx]

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33. Comment #94669 by Barbara on December 6, 2007 at 8:07 am

I'm embarrassed to admit I'm American. :-(



AD HOMINEM ALERT!



Sherri Shepherd is as dumb as a box of rocks!

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34. Comment #94671 by Tyler Durden on December 6, 2007 at 8:22 am

Has anyone got Sherri's email?

Philip,
you can email Barbara Walters here: http://abc.go.com/theview/hosts/walters.html

She's the co-owner and co-executive producer of The View. (Be nice :)

Other Comments by Tyler Durden

35. Comment #94672 by Philip1978 on December 6, 2007 at 8:23 am

Barbara,
Don't be embarrassed to admit to being American, it just so happens that in a mahooosive country like that there are bound to be some Sherri-like beings and also crap TV! I am enormously proud to be English yet my country has spawned Chavs! (Google if you need to!) I guess I am a true optimist! :)

I Ad Hominemed earlier, am I being a bad influence again?

Philip

Other Comments by Philip1978

36. Comment #94673 by Philip1978 on December 6, 2007 at 8:25 am

Cheers Tyler
Me nice? What a concept, it will be a struggle, but needs must I suppose!


Philip :)

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37. Comment #94680 by Barbara on December 6, 2007 at 8:54 am

Philip1978 wrote:

I Ad Hominemed earlier, am I being a bad influence again?

Nah! I would have ad hom'd her anyway. ;-)

I'll never claim to be the sharpest tool in the shed but WOW she is dumb.

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38. Comment #94682 by CruciFiction on December 6, 2007 at 8:55 am

Keith Olbermann did a segment on this latest out of Shepherd:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=UN82Y9BwpVs

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39. Comment #94703 by konquererz on December 6, 2007 at 9:52 am

Sherri is good for this world. She provides the benefit of showing people what supreme belief in religious texts makes people, idiots. She shows them their own face when they see that, get embarrassed and a seed is planted that perhaps their beliefs sound like that. Some people cannot be touched, but some can.

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40. Comment #94710 by flobear on December 6, 2007 at 10:07 am

Everyone admit it. You enjoyed watching that, didn't you? For all of our despair about humanity and ignorance, I bet not a single one of you wouldn't watch half a dozen clips of this woman making a complete fool of herself.

Barbara, this is not a weakness, but a strength of America! Where else can a complete idiot make tons of money by simply BEING an idiot? Also, don't forget the network execs who are raking it in. Don't be ashamed! Who knows, maybe one day you'll find an idiot and exploit him/her as well.

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41. Comment #94718 by happyatheist on December 6, 2007 at 10:32 am

"I'm embarrassed to admit I'm American. :-("

Barbara...I find myself saying that a lot lately. LOL! Sherri has to be borderline retarded. First "I don't know if the world is flat or not" and now this drivel. She shouldn't be raising kids at all. How she's on the telly at all is a great mystery to me. And I'd bet any amount of money that Sherri knows whether McDonald's predates Burger King or not.

Other Comments by happyatheist

42. Comment #94731 by Cycik on December 6, 2007 at 11:07 am

To flobear:

"Who knows, maybe one day you'll find an idiot and exploit him/her as well."

But some of us never considered a career in the clergy.

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43. Comment #94735 by eirik on December 6, 2007 at 11:27 am

Oh my. Alright, I see that this Sherri lady might be good for ratings, but I'm immensely disappointed in her co-hostesses for not giving her a solid verbal beating. Whoopi: "Not on paper!" WTF?!?

Other Comments by eirik

44. Comment #94739 by liberalartist on December 6, 2007 at 11:37 am

maybe she was homeschooled. According to Wikipedia around 2 million kids are home schooled in America, mostly for religious purposes. Scary.

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45. Comment #94744 by Jenin on December 6, 2007 at 12:06 pm

Is this a joke? How can anyone be so stupid?

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46. Comment #94746 by NormanDoering on December 6, 2007 at 12:13 pm

liberalartist wondered:

...maybe she was homeschooled. According to Wikipedia around 2 million kids are home schooled in America, mostly for religious purposes. Scary.

That's a good question. She shouldn't have gotten out of high school with that level of knowledge.

Her own wikipage doesn't say:

Raised in a Jehovah's Witness family, Shepherd later chose to become a born-again Christian ... worked a day job as a legal secretary while doing stand-up comedy at night.

Other Comments by NormanDoering

47. Comment #94749 by home8896 on December 6, 2007 at 12:29 pm

I've heard from public school educated people that they truly believe nothing came before Christianity and that Christianity is a science (that definition of "science" must be very interesting) and the Bible is the definitive science authority. One in particular had been brought up with this, and her husband was a pastor. Trying to tell her otherwise was like talking to a brick wall. No matter what the schools teach, adults are teaching their kids to ignore it in favor of what these parents and the church leaders tell them. I could merely gape at her every time she let loose with such odd misinformation.

Other Comments by home8896

48. Comment #94750 by discipline on December 6, 2007 at 12:44 pm

maybe she was homeschooled. According to Wikipedia around 2 million kids are home schooled in America, mostly for religious purposes. Scary.

Bingo. That's the likely explanation. The Europeans on this forum don't seem to appreciate how prevalent the Christian homeschooling trend is in the US. It's a huge movement, well-funded and growing, especially here in the southern states (aka the "Bible Belt"). Homeschoolers don't have to abide by public school standards, and you can be sure that they don't teach evolution.

Here's an example of some Christian homeschooling biology textbooks:

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=533403&netp_id=376380&event=EBRN&item_code=WW&view=details

And more:

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/easy_find?N=1030473&Ne=10000

Is it any wonder that 60% of Americans are creationists? Be afraid, be very afraid.

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49. Comment #94754 by MelM on December 6, 2007 at 1:02 pm

Makes me wonder about what she thinks of the "Earth going around the Sun" idea.

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50. Comment #94759 by AllanW on December 6, 2007 at 1:07 pm

I know it's cruel to mock the afflicted but one bloggers post tickled me;

She is now High Priestess of the Temple of the Burning Stupid :)

Other Comments by AllanW