I have to admit to being someone who loves the Australia and New Zealand, so this story from HuffPo caught my attention:
Presumably upset by President Barack Obama's reelection, a Georgia teen, like many other disgruntled Americans, took to Twitter to express her frustrations. She could never have imagined, however, the sort of backlash she would get for her tweet.
As the Herald Sun notes, on Wednesday afternoon, 18-year-old Kristen Neel tweeted this comment to her followers:
(Screenshot courtesy of the Herald Sun)
Within hours, an onslaught of criticism erupted as many Australians pointed out that the leader of their country, Julia Gillard, is an atheist and a woman.
Ian Cuthbertson, TV editor at The Australian, and author Mark Pesce, were among those who responded to Neel's message.
(ABC in Australia is the Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
According to Australia's Herald Sun, Neel's tweet quickly became a viral sensation, receiving more than 1,400 retweets from "bemused Aussies" and others.
But while many criticized the Georgia teen for getting her facts muddled, some Twitter users leapt to her defense, "saying she had been the victim of trolls," Australia's Fraser Coast Chronicle writes.
Still, less than a day after her tweet was posted, Neel disabled her account.
In the aftermath of the Twitter frenzy, many have pointed out that Neel is not alone in her ignorance of the land Down Under or in her desire to move there following Obama's reelection.
In a post entitled "Kristen Neel not alone in not having a clue about Australia," the Chronicle's Mark Furler wrote that "many Americans know about as much about Australia as they do Austria."
"I remember once being asked where I was from by a waitress in a food outlet in the US," Furler writes. "After telling her Australia, she replied, 'How far is that drive?'"
"Given the level of coverage of Australian politics on US TV news, you can forgive Kristen Neel for her tweet," he continued.
Nonetheless, plenty of people in the Twitterverse have also said they would move Down Under if Obama won the election. Buzzfeed has a list of them here.
Ms. Neel's ignorance is amazing and is pretty much contradicted by this story from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation about the Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard called
Trolls, nothing! Kristen Neel is a bimbo (or a right drongo) as are all the other people who want to move to Australia, Canada, Europe, and just about everywhere else which isn't Afghanistan or Pakistan, where people tote guns and live in a theocracy.
And while we're at it, Peter Garrett, former lead singer of Midnight Oil is also an MP (member of parliament). Garrett is very lefty. Here they are singing "Beds Are Burning", which is a political song about giving native Australian lands back to the Pintupi, who were among the very last people to come in from the desert. These 'last contact' people began moving from the Gibson Desert to settlements and missions in the 1930s:
As one Australian put it, the US should fund public education so there isn't another twitter tragedy in four years time.
Also, Neel, you galah, you wouldn't like Oz! Stop playing silly buggers with the dumb comments.
Presumably upset by President Barack Obama's reelection, a Georgia teen, like many other disgruntled Americans, took to Twitter to express her frustrations. She could never have imagined, however, the sort of backlash she would get for her tweet.
As the Herald Sun notes, on Wednesday afternoon, 18-year-old Kristen Neel tweeted this comment to her followers:
(Screenshot courtesy of the Herald Sun)
Within hours, an onslaught of criticism erupted as many Australians pointed out that the leader of their country, Julia Gillard, is an atheist and a woman.
Ian Cuthbertson, TV editor at The Australian, and author Mark Pesce, were among those who responded to Neel's message.
@KristenNeel_ Our prime minister is a woman, an atheist who lives with a man she hasn't married. I don't think you'd like it here.
.@KristenNeel_ 1) Australia does not have a president. 2) Our prime minister is an atheist. 3) Yes, she really is.
.@KristenNeel_ our "president" is a prime minister, is a woman, and is an atheist. I think you meant Antarctica. Move there.
@KristenNeel_ Not one word of that sentence is true. I'm not even angry, I'm impressed.
 | ||
| Australia's PM, Julia Gillard, who is a woman and an atheist |
According to Australia's Herald Sun, Neel's tweet quickly became a viral sensation, receiving more than 1,400 retweets from "bemused Aussies" and others.
But while many criticized the Georgia teen for getting her facts muddled, some Twitter users leapt to her defense, "saying she had been the victim of trolls," Australia's Fraser Coast Chronicle writes.
Still, less than a day after her tweet was posted, Neel disabled her account.
Disappointed to find that @KristenNeel_ has removed her account. Here is her classic #election2012 tweet for posterity: pic.twitter.com/7DSMPu9s
In the aftermath of the Twitter frenzy, many have pointed out that Neel is not alone in her ignorance of the land Down Under or in her desire to move there following Obama's reelection.
In a post entitled "Kristen Neel not alone in not having a clue about Australia," the Chronicle's Mark Furler wrote that "many Americans know about as much about Australia as they do Austria."
"I remember once being asked where I was from by a waitress in a food outlet in the US," Furler writes. "After telling her Australia, she replied, 'How far is that drive?'"
"Given the level of coverage of Australian politics on US TV news, you can forgive Kristen Neel for her tweet," he continued.
Nonetheless, plenty of people in the Twitterverse have also said they would move Down Under if Obama won the election. Buzzfeed has a list of them here.
Ms. Neel's ignorance is amazing and is pretty much contradicted by this story from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation about the Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard called
Gillard won't play religion card
Another amusing story about Ms. Neel from the Sydney Morning Herald.Trolls, nothing! Kristen Neel is a bimbo (or a right drongo) as are all the other people who want to move to Australia, Canada, Europe, and just about everywhere else which isn't Afghanistan or Pakistan, where people tote guns and live in a theocracy.
And while we're at it, Peter Garrett, former lead singer of Midnight Oil is also an MP (member of parliament). Garrett is very lefty. Here they are singing "Beds Are Burning", which is a political song about giving native Australian lands back to the Pintupi, who were among the very last people to come in from the desert. These 'last contact' people began moving from the Gibson Desert to settlements and missions in the 1930s:
As one Australian put it, the US should fund public education so there isn't another twitter tragedy in four years time.
Also, Neel, you galah, you wouldn't like Oz! Stop playing silly buggers with the dumb comments.
I am deeply embarrassed by the ignorance of some of our citizens - not just students - in geography.
ReplyDeleteToo many of our people know waaaaaaaaaaaay too little about other countries. The educational failure is palpable.
I have to wonder if this young woman was home schooled by tea party religious nuts.