Friday math movie: Miss USA 2011 - Should math be taught in schools?
By Murray Bourne, 02 Sep 2011
Here are some strong arguments about whether we should teach math in schools. It's hilarious - or very disturbing - depending on your point of view!
Some of the great lines in this video are:
- I do not believe in math and I don't think we should encourage it
- Math is a theory and it's not at all that the Bible tells us
- We don't know what the square root of 16 is - nobody knows
Yes, it is a parody - and a rather biting one at that.
See the 9 Comments below.
5 Sep 2011 at 11:47 pm [Comment permalink]
This has got to be a joke... it can't be real
6 Sep 2011 at 3:11 pm [Comment permalink]
I am from Ethiopia east Africa. In our country Mathematics graduates have no any job except teaching. For this matter most of the mathematics professionals have no interest to teach it or learn. but now i am learning Applied Mathematics MSC program at Addis Ababa University. I want to do my paper in the up coming year on ‘Mathematics and Job opportunity’ . so, can u help me by sharing from other countries experience. thank u very much!
7 Sep 2011 at 4:38 am [Comment permalink]
wait a minute...! This is not real. It's a great joke but I'm not sure what it was that you were targeting here. The fact of the low standards in Science and Mathematics in the US... (which is real and very sad!) or were you mocking beautiful women flagging them as stupid..... Many of the very young real candidates to Miss USA have proved themselves not only to be beautiful but also very smart. Disproving stereotypes some countries still hold against women, being themselves the evidence of the strengths and infinite potential of all women in the world. would be good to clarify! I think I'm smart and beautiful!
7 Sep 2011 at 10:56 am [Comment permalink]
@Babbles: I'm sure you are smart and beautiful, as are each of the women featured in the video (it's not mine, BTW - I just embedded it here).
Sadly, a lot of math anxiety and negative attitudes about math are learned from role models (parents, teachers, media stars). By mocking such negative attitudes, the film makers are trying to send a positive message about math.
Well, that's one way to look at it and as I said in the intro, "It’s hilarious – or very disturbing – depending on your point of view!"
11 Sep 2011 at 7:38 pm [Comment permalink]
Oh the stupidity! It's getting into my brain! Get it out! Get it out!!!! (Waves arms crazily around my head.)
I hope for the sake of humanity that this is just an edited video.
12 Sep 2011 at 12:39 pm [Comment permalink]
lol,
I even can't believe it.
funniest thing is, I saw someone telling "times" while crossing her hands..yeah she must have really hated multiplication.
30 Sep 2011 at 10:09 am [Comment permalink]
Yeah, you must be a Mathematician (nerd) if you can't tell none of these girls are beauty pagent material. Don't get me wrong they're all beautiful and I would enjoy each of their company on an intimately personal level 🙂 but let me clear the table this is a joke.
1 Oct 2011 at 3:05 am [Comment permalink]
I'm absolutely stunned that there are people who believe this nonsense. How incredibly incredibly dense.
Math is extremely important and extremely valuable. Girls, get a life.
4 Aug 2012 at 9:47 am [Comment permalink]
I can't believe this. Math is the most beautiful subject ever (next to science :D) and it is extremely useful. How could that one Miss USA say that "math is just a theory"? It is NOT a theory. It explains the way mother nature works! I am very sure that is not a theory. And everyone knows the ?16. It's 4.