Just happened on this video last night. It is from Saturday Night Live back in the period when I really regularly watched it and found it funny, although the special guest was Jerry Seinfeld. Despite not being a particularly big fan of Seinfeld, I went ahead and watched it.
This sketch was funny. It showed the decline of American education back then - I'm guessing this was in the first half of the 1990's - in humorous terms. Indeed, it is rather funny, poking fun in particular at the general ignorance which most Americans have towards the rest of the world. That is not to say that all Americans are ignorant like this, but it definitely feels like there is more ignorance of the rest of the world here within these American borders than exists elsewhere, at least among advanced nations.
So this is funny and not so funny simultaneously. After all, it is funny (and a little sad) because there is a bit of truth to it. It was exaggerated at the time, but maybe not as exaggerated as many would like to believe. The sad truth of the matter is that Americans have "earned" a reputation the world over for being rather shockingly ignorant of the rest of the world, both in terms of geography and culture, as well as political realities. Not to put too fine of a point to it, but that also contributes to us having elected the "leaders" which we have put into office, as well.
Take a look:
World War II 101 - SNL
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