60 Minutes/Vanity Fair Poll June Edition
Welcome to the 60 Minutes/Vanity Fair Poll for the month of June. One of the most beautiful months, June is known for happy celebrations such as graduations and weddings. It is also when school gets out for summer and kids can look forward to the long, lazy days of summer vacation. Speaking of summer, it starts on June 21, with the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year. The U.S. Open Golf Championship will be played near Washington D.C. and a new champion will be crowned on June's most meaningful day, Father's Day. To all of you who are Fathers, we wish you a most Happy Father's Day. And now, this month's poll results...
Half of Americans think that the detainees being held in the Guantanamo Bay prison could be safely held at a maximum security federal prison in the United States. Thirty five percent do not think they could be and 15 percent don't know. Prisons are tough and unpredictable places, so how would the other inmates and local citizens react if detainees were brought to federal prisons in the States? Nobody knows for sure, but Hollywood producers are probably already busy writing a story about it.
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Forty five percent of Americans think that the ever-colorful Donald Trump is as wealthy as he appears to be. Thirty eight percent think that like his hairdo, his wealth is more a hoax than real.
One half of Americans think that Islam is about as peaceful as most other religions. Thirty one percent think that it is less peaceful and 4 percent think that it is more peaceful. Since we're talking about religion, we decided not to ask any questions about politics...
Most Americans have seen or heard reports, many of which have been seen on "60 Minutes," about athletes that cheated or lied about cheating. Only 21 percent think that prosecuting athletes for cheating or lying about it is money well spent. Which means that an overwhelming majority (almost 3 out of 4) think that it is a big waste of money to go after them in court. It turns out that the court of public opinion in America has caught on to these athletes already. Their verdict cost no money, but it did cost the athletes their most valuable possession: their integrity and reputation.
A solid 58 percent of Americans correctly identified TMZ as a celebrity web site and TV show known for gossip, celebrity sightings and "scoops". Thirty four percent did not know what it was, and only a few thought TMZ was a kids' texting acronym (4 percent), a recreational drug (3 percent) or a jaw disorder (1 percent). Extra bonus points go to anyone that knew TMZ refers to the "30 Mile Zone," which is an area within a 30 mile radius near Hollywood filled with studios.
Six out of ten Americans said that it would be easier to live without air travel than live without the Internet. A third said they would rather surf the skies than surf the web. A follow-up question that might help to clarify a person's rationale for choosing one over the other would be, has using the Internet become indispensable, or has the hassle of flying become dispensable?
It appears that the vast majority of Americans are romantics at heart: 8 out of 10 say that the pain of a broken heart can have the same effect as physical pain. Nearly 9 out of 10 women agreed with the premise, and so did 3 out of 4 of the male persuasion. As Shakespeare said, "the course of true love never did run smooth" and so it appears that most people can empathize with both the joys of a full heart and the pain of a broken one.
Has any topic caused more division in America before, during or after the fact than the Civil War? Despite thousands of books and untold research, historians and Americans are still divided over what the preeminent causes of the "War Between the States were." Fifty three percent think that the war was fought over states' rights, while 37 percent thought that slavery was the overriding cause. As is the case in most hotly debated issues, the answer is neither black nor white but probably some shade of Confederate grey.
Long live Keith Richards, so say 33 percent of his fans. The rock legend who has a role in a blockbuster movie and recently collaborated on an acclaimed autobiography is on a roll. Who would have thought he would have survived the excesses of the 1960s and 70s let alone be thriving in 2011? Next up on "who will live the longest" with 21 percent is Lindsay Lohan, known more recently for appearing in the tabloids than for her charming early film roles. Finally, only 16 percent think that Charlie Sheen's tiger blood will lead him to a ripe old age.
Where is Jack Benny when you need him? Benny famously remained 39 for 40 years and came to humorously embody an old Hollywood tradition, taking liberties with your true age. Seventy three percent of Americans claim they have never lied about their age. Ten percent say they've claimed to be older (the fake college ID set) while 6 percent said they claimed to be younger (cheaper movie admission?). Eleven percent have hit the Daily Double by lying about their age both ways. As Dylan sang, "Ah, but I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now."
When it comes to buying a new popular electronic product that just came out, half of Americans don't buy it all. Of the remaining half, 13 percent buy it right away while 37 percent wait for a better and less expensive version to come out later. If half of all Americans are really buying these gadgets, it's no wonder that the Apple's of the world are savoring the "sweet smell of success," that's a lot of apples.
This poll was conducted at the CBS News interviewing facility among a random sample of 848 adults nationwide, interviewed by telephone April 28- May 1, 2011. Phone numbers were dialed from random digit dial samples of both standard land-line and cell phones. The error due to sampling for results based on the entire sample could be plus or minus three percentage points. The error for subgroups is higher. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls. Read more about this poll.