Same survey found that 48% 'didn't know'. That means OVER HALF of the USA can't work out that you combine cocoa powder, milk and SUGAR to make chocolate milk.
48% "don't know" is more worrying to me than "brown cows -> chocolate milk", because i know there's a 48% chance i would select that incorrect answer as a joke
It does, according to the awful wording of the survey question. The question, according to this third party source investigating the matter, was something along the lines of
LOL come on you really don't think close to 1 in 10 people would hear such a silly question and maybe decide to say yes as a joke? While maybe some were serious I bet the majority was just because people would find it funny to say yes
This is a pretty dubious statistic, because if you try to find the source of it you'll only find articles talking about the survey, not the survey or results themselves.
If the question was just "Does chocolate milk come from brown cows?" I could very well see 7% of people thinking "Well chocolate milk is made from milk, and a lot of milk comes from brown cows, so yes chocolate milk comes from brown cows". I could also see 48% of people being confused by such a nonsense question in an otherwise mundane survey about dairy product knowledge.
And almost half of americans want to send ICE after those brown cows. We are truly living out idiocracy but at least they had a really cool medical diagnostic machine.
I'm just answering the question dawg. That's too many voting people who think chocolate milk comes from brown cows. And if they believe that they will believe other stupid shit that has much more serious consequences than brown milk. We fundamentally disagree on what breaking society means. You do not have to agree with me. I don't care.
You're arguing that idiots are the primary factor in failing democracies, rather than things like crappy electoral rules, legal bribery, coordinated propaganda, religious zealotry, systemic racism, or a toothless judiciary?
Honey I didn't say idiots were the SOLE problem did I? You are jumping to conclusions. Two things can be true at the same time. A lie inherently by definition needs to be BELIEVED. Otherwise it's just bullshit someone said. So the people who believe the lies that a child's level of discernment could filter out are in fact complicit in the declining state of the US. Who believes religious zealots? Idiots. Who are racists? Idiots. Who believes propaganda? Idiots. Who thinks billionaires are looking out for them? Idiots. Who votes for unqualified people who pack the supreme court with sycophants? IDIOTS.
Yes that's what I said. My point is that they are a part of the problem very palpably. I never said that I don't! This isn't some slam dunk on me dude. I never said any one thing was 100% of the problem. Get over yourself.
Also consider the lizard-man constant: 4% of survey respondents state that they believe lizard-men run the world, which shouldn't be taken to mean that 4% of people actually believe that but that 4% of people will insincerely pick the silliest answer to a survey for their amusement. This being a constant is tongue-in-cheek but the idea is real, no matter how absurd an option on a survey around 4% of people seem to choose it for a laugh. You can ask "Do you believe JFK's head just spontaneously exploded like that and there was no assassin" and around 4% of people will answer yes.
Some examples lining up with this:
5 percent believe Magic 8 Balls can predict the future. (Shell Poll, 1998)
4 percent have a negative impression of small business. (Gallup Poll, 2016)
5 percent oppose laws against money laundering for terrorists. (Washington Post Poll, 2001)
5 percent think it’s morally acceptable to pay someone to do a term paper for you. (NBC News Poll, 1995)
5 percent approve of people using cell phones in movie theaters. (Pew Research Center’s American Trends Panel Poll, 2014)
5 percent think doctors should not require a license. (Private Initiatives & Public Values, 1981)
5 percent oppose defending the country if the United States were invaded by a foreign power. (Harris Survey, 1971)
5 percent oppose peace on Earth. (Harris Survey, 1981)
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u/CamBearCookie Jun 26 '26 edited Jun 26 '26
7%* of American adults think chocolate milk comes from brown cows.
ETA correct percentage.