Winston Churchill didn't really exist, say teens

[Marcus Marulus]

Winston Churchill didn't really exist, say teens

By Aislinn Simpson

Last Updated: 1:53am GMT 04/02/2008

A fifth of British teenagers believe Sir Winston Churchill was a fictional character, while many think Sherlock Holmes, King Arthur and Eleanor Rigby were real, a survey shows.

The canvass of 3,000 under-twenties uncovered an extraordinary paucity of basic historical knowledge that older generations take for granted.


A fifth of teens surveyed thought Sir Winston Churchill to be fictional

Despite his celebrated military reputation, 47 per cent of respondents dismissed the 12th-century crusading English king Richard the Lionheart as fictional.

More than a quarter (27 per cent) thought Florence Nightingale, the pioneering nurse who coaxed injured soldiers back to health in the Crimean War, was a mythical figure.

In contrast, a series of fictitious characters that have featured in British films and literature over the past few centuries were awarded real-life status.

King Arthur is the mythical figure most commonly mistaken for fact - almost two thirds of teens (65 per cent) believe that he existed and led a round table of knights at Camelot.

Sherlock Holmes, the detective, was so convincingly brought to life in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novels, their film versions and television series, that 58 per cent of respondents believe that the sleuth really lived at 221B Baker Street.

Fifty-one per cent of respondents believed that Robin Hood lived in Sherwood Forest, robbing the rich to give to the poor, while 47 per cent believed Eleanor Rigby was a real person rather than a creation of The Beatles.

The study also shows a marked change in how people acquire their historical knowledge these days. More than three-quarters of those polled (77 per cent) admitted they did not read history books, and 61 per cent said that they changed channels rather than watch historical programmes on television.

Paul Moreton, the channel head of UKTV Gold, which commissioned the poll, said that while there was no excuse for demoting real historical figures such as Churchill, the elevation of mythical figures to real life showed the impact good films could have in shaping the public consciousness.

"Stories like Robin Hood are so inspiring that it's not surprising people like to believe these characters truly existed," he said.

[source]

[Carnyx]

We met with Mickey Mouse the other day; we both were amazed at the news.

[Marcus Marulus]

I read somewhere (I can't find it right now) that many people think that Conan the Barbarian is the governor of California.

[gazumpiro]

Originally Posted by Carnyx

We met with Mickey Mouse the other day; we both were amazed at the news.

Originally Posted by Marulus

I read somewhere (I can't find it right now) that many people think that Conan the Barbarian is the governor of California.

Americans are funny, though.

If you appear on TV, you speak the truth.

[3rdEye]

Originally Posted by gazumpiro

Americans are funny, though.

If you appear on TV, you speak the truth.

Unfortunately, not only Americans "think" that way.

[Savorgnan]

Originally Posted by Gnist

Unfortunately, not only Americans "think" that way.

What is the real difference between the average Northern-American and the average European nowadays?
Ah, yes, Europeans don't have the right to vote for the 2008 US presidential election (and yet they talk about it a lot).

[Marcus Marulus]

Originally Posted by Gnist

Unfortunately, not only Americans "think" that way.

Originally Posted by Savorgnan

What is the real difference between the average Northern-American and the average European nowadays?
Ah, yes, Europeans don't have the right to vote for the 2008 US presidential election (and yet they talk about it a lot).

Yes, the average moronic European man of the mass is nowadays no different from the average moronic Yank.

The difference is only maybe that an average American can vainly pride himself in the fact that he is the citizen of the most powerful (econonomically, militarily, politically, mass-"culturally", mediatically etc.) country in the world. But that is only an illusion: an average American is as powereless and defenceless in front of the powers-that-be which rule and manipulate him, as an average European is. Some intelligent Americans (and there are even such) are very well aware of that and refrain from the vain and stupid "pride" in something that is in fact not theirs and that they cannot influence in any way.

Yes, casting ballots for Hillary, Obama or McCain, a thing that is being denied to a European, is the only difference. Some difference and some big choice, indeed.

[Zeropean]

I think this doubt in oficial history and in this case historical person, is common in modern history, probably because of internet and millions of morons with their websites where you can find truth about all kinds of conspiracies. Everything can be a conspiracy in this days, from Area 57 to 9/11 and South Park. There's not much you can do about this anyway, welcome to a modern world.

[Marcus Marulus]

Originally Posted by M.R.

I think this doubt in oficial history and in this case historical person, is common in modern history, probably because of internet and millions of morons with their websites where you can find truth about all kinds of conspiracies. Everything can be a conspiracy in this days, from Area 57 to 9/11 and South Park. There's not much you can do about this anyway, welcome to a modern world.

Actually, this has nothing to do with any conspiracy theories whatsoever or with their presence on the internet, but is simply result of the saturation of the modern society with mass-media, whereby difference between real personalities and fictional character gets blurred. You see Churchill on the screen, in some historical documentary, and you see Sherlock Holmes in a TV serial. Many people fail to perceive the difference, especially the less educated and the less thinking ones.

This is not about conspiracies.

But I do believe that there is a conspiracy to dumb people down, so as to make them obedient slaves of the capitalistic system, some kind of zombies.

[Marcus Marulus]

Originally Posted by Carnyx

We met with Mickey Mouse the other day; we both were amazed at the news.

Well done, Goofy!

[Pro Hibernia]

I always thought he was made up to scare us little kids into bed. "GET TA' SLEEP NOO AFORE AT CHURCHILL'S CHASIN' YE WA' AT CIGAR DANGERIOUSLY CLOSE TAE YER ARSE CHEEKS!, JUS' ASK AT HITLER!".