Figuring in among the many gauges of intelligence on this year’s SAT is one that raised a controversy for reasons beyond the usual critique that the infamous test for college candidates favors certain populations with access to a particular kind of knowledge and training. This time, the kerfuffle was about an essay question some students encountered last weekend about … reality television. Apocalypse watchers take note. –KA

The New York Times:

This is one of those moments when I wish I actually watched TV,” one test-taker wrote on Saturday on the Web site College Confidential, under the user name “littlepenguin.”

“I ended up talking about Jacob Riis and how any form of media cannot capture reality objectively,” he wrote, invoking the 19th-century social reformer. “I kinda want to cry right now.”

Less than a minute later, a fellow test-taker identified as “krndandaman” responded: “I don’t watch tv at all so it was hard for me. I have no interest in reality tv shows…”

The commenter ended the post with the symbol for a frowning face.

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