this post was submitted on 07 Jul 2025
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Mildly Interesting

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[–] acockworkorange@mander.xyz 1 points 2 days ago

5% of Americans own a car but not a drivers licence.

[–] wampus@lemmy.ca 12 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (4 children)

........ Honestly, this isn't too surprising with how saturated the media is with minority groups. Almost every show I see on various streaming products ends up having heavy LGBTQ+ plots rammed in, trans characters showin up, always a multicultural combo of characters and fewer and fewer generic CIS white people. When the media is constantly blasting you with minorities and minority issues, in a highly biased way, it's totally not surprising at all that people would start thinking they're a way bigger slice of the population.

Like someone once pointed out that there were more airplane pilots in North America than trans people. So imagine if every TV show you watched, suddenly had an airplane pilot show up and talk about airplanes a bunch, had whole episodes dedicated to his occupational trauma, regardless of what the main plot of the show may be. That would be more representative of the general public, than having trans people in every fucking show going on about trans trauma.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 13 points 6 days ago (1 children)

its called corporate virtue signalling, or rainbow capitalism, alot of people complained how it ruins shows, and i do agree, its a distraction from poor writing and plots.

[–] JasSmith@sh.itjust.works 9 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

It's also used as a deflection of criticism. "Oh you don't like my show? Racist! Homophobe! Transphobe!" These accusations used to work quite effectively but they were so overused that people have kind of become numb to them now.

[–] wampus@lemmy.ca 3 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Yeah -- agreed. I tried watching "The Magicians" because it was highly recommended. No CIS white male characters in the show really. They had a white bisexual guy who spent a lot of time sleeping with gay dudes. Wasn't much of an issue / commented on for the first few seasons, and it was 'ok' viewing, if sorta stupid. But then in season 3 and 4 they were super heavy handed in breaking the fourth wall and saying cis white guys who identified with just that one bisexual white guy character were being racist/sexist for not looking at other characters, in part because that character gets killed off in season 4.

Why they thought that their cis white guy audience was going to identify with a bi-sexual neuro-divergent sort, one who'd spent like an entire (time loopy) life time with his gay lover, I'm not sure. But the heavy handed 4th wall breaking to talk-down to that audience demographic did end up making me not bother with seasons 5.

[–] JasSmith@sh.itjust.works 5 points 6 days ago (1 children)

It seems you weren't the only one who didn't like that. The show was cancelled after season 5. We see this again and again. The Rings of Power. Sex Education. She-Hulk. Willow. Velma. Doctor Who. Ms. Marvel. Batwoman. The Wheel of Time. Writers who don't respect the source material, or think movies and shows are a soapbox instead of a medium for entertainment and creativity.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 1 points 6 days ago

ISAIP basically became a virtue signalling show in the recent seasons, it was so cringe, let alone the actors are all wierd now too rob and kaitlyn.

[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 2 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

seems like a terrible shows, if it only revolves around bisexual/ straight porn fetish tropes, and now about "magicians". Old trek knew how to make it subtle and not ruin the plot(though they were well aware of overly sensitive audience in the 90s,) they did in a way it dint affect the plot, arcs. nutrek is all that, kurtzman ruined it.

[–] JasSmith@sh.itjust.works 9 points 6 days ago

I agree. Undoubtedly someone is going to get very mad with your opinion and intentionally miss the point. Representation is fine. Shoehorning a specific minority into every plot line then beating the viewer over the head with the most juvenile and hamfisted messaging imaginable isn't helping anyone. It just makes for bad content. We have many examples of women and minorities in movies and shows written well for decades. It's only quite recently that writers appear to value representation and ideological messaging over the story, and I think for that they deserve criticism.

[–] ikidd@lemmy.world 2 points 6 days ago

Every show and movie has become a preachy soapbox. It's fucking tiring and you just want to turn it off because you suddenly get slapped in the face with irrelevant "causes" instead of just zoning out and being entertained. The suspension of disbelief gets exhausted at yet another 110lb hottie thrashing a 6'-4 steroid monster that could backhand her across the room in real life.

[–] villainy@lemmy.world 1 points 6 days ago

You're right! They should bring back Wings!

[–] andyburke@fedia.io 5 points 6 days ago

Everyone here talking about the minority groups when I think the real story is people thinking 1/5 Americans are making $1M/yr.

What are these people smoking? I need some.

[–] sircac@lemmy.world 1 points 6 days ago

I think this bias happens a bit anywhere where there is a limited range to opinion about, may be the interesting part is where is the tilt point, with the corresponding error estimation...

[–] Telodzrum@lemmy.world 175 points 1 week ago (7 children)

WTH, Americans think that 30% of the country lives in NYC?

[–] MBech@feddit.dk 145 points 1 week ago (7 children)

They think 21% are transgender too.... A lot of propaganda has gone through these people.

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[–] brian@lemmy.ca 59 points 1 week ago (7 children)

By the looks of it, it's 30% to NYC, 30% to Texas, and 30% to California. So 10% for literally everywhere else in the US. That's gotta be close, right?

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[–] j4k3@lemmy.world 102 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (5 children)

Feels like they polled an elementary school in Philadelphia

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[–] Gloomy@mander.xyz 81 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (3 children)

Only 3% Atheists... And all of them are here on Lemmy.

[–] DrCake@lemmy.world 60 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I know Americans love Jesus a whole lot but really only 4%. That just seems crazy low

[–] walden@sub.wetshaving.social 88 points 1 week ago (9 children)

I think it's because people are still uncomfortable answering "atheist" on questionnaires and polls. It's easier to say "no religious affiliation", and most people are probably agnostic instead of atheist anyway.

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[–] Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 57 points 1 week ago (14 children)

These estimates are bananas, this only shows the systematic stupidification of Americans is highly successful.

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[–] fluckx@lemmy.world 45 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (17 children)

Americans believe 20% of the people have an income of over 1 million dollars and ~~20%~~ 30%of Americans live in NYC. Am I reading this chart wrong?

?????

NYC has a population of what? 10 million people? So they think there's only 30 million people living in the states?

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