Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?

Oh my effing god, not everyone remembers the Periodic Table!

-TM

And this show now gives me another reason to stop watching TV....

One issue I have with this show particularly is that the school system has changed a lot since most of us were in 5th grade. I'm sure they've learned very different things than we have.

I don't think this is a very good show on tv, but it works on it's premise for a few reasons.

The kids they have on the show aren't just average students, they're most likely "gifted" whatever that means these days.
The wording of the questions are a bit strange and also not what most people learn before 5th grade. I don't doubt they are taking these questions from what they teach accelerated students of whatever grade it is.
By the time people are out in the real world, they have pushed these little facts (which are primarily useless) from elementary school so far into the back of their head that they forget.
Lastly, I'm sure they choose the contestants carefully...

Regardless, when I watched the show I didn't get any questions wrong, they were pretty easy.

I just saw a few minutes of this show and it was fucking painful. This woman was jumping up and down because she won $300,000. All she needed to do was say that Australia is the only continent that's also a country and she would've made $500,000 with a chance for a million, but that proved too difficult for her so she stuck at $300,000.

Do they give these people tests beforehand, like Jeopardy! does? Only with the reverse results?

Tony Hawk didn't know what an herbivore was.

I sincerely felt bad for his kids.

These are the sort of shows that make Americans look like a bunch of retarded assholes. I swear to God American television in general is slowly turning this country into a giant cesspool of idiots.....

Next stop.... Canada or Amsterdam? Hmmm....

the kids are actors. and though they arn't fed the answers on tv, they are given study guides with all the answers on it prior to the show.

Seriously, how do you go through life not knowing that France is a country? Do you have to wear special shoes and a helmet, or what?

Shit, the adults are probably actors, too.

I'll stick with Jeopardy.

I've heard of Turkey...

God. If only it were that tough. There are an aweful lot of dumb people walking around.

Source?

I'm not saying the show doesn't look horribly scripted, but I'm wondering if you're speculating or know this for a fact.