ATHENS – Reports this week that math and reading scores are plunging after the pandemic are disturbing – but for many that is old news, a decline in U.S. education standards having long been documented.  Mainstream and Social Media are abuzz this week with the news that American model and Instagram influencer Elizabeth Bert posted the following while she was on a photo shoot…in Greece: “Had no idea so many Greeks lived here. Wow!”

The incident reminds of American singer Kellie Pickler who was outclassed by a 4th-grader on a TV contest and infamously asked, “is Europe a country?”

Bert reportedly later claimed she was kidding, and blamed it on the buzz from the ouzo – the first one she had tried.

It is not known how many shots of the powerful Greek liqueur she downed, but the social media shots back at her were pretty strong too: “Greeks in Greece, never heard anything so mad!” “Wow Greeks living in Greece, Amazing, Greeks living in other parts of the World as well, how Amazing FFS, how does she get dressed in the morning???” “Who’d have thought there would be Greeks in Greece? Next thing you’ll be telling us there are Germans in Germany.”

Greek-Canadian comedian Angelo Tsarouchas was locked and loaded: “And the Geography Masters award goes to….what a Touvlo.”

More than 700 people posted comments – and 3,400 gave her a ‘like’, apparently just as clueless.

Some commentators put her in the class of millions of Americans who seem not to know anything about geography past the block they live on, but others noted being surprised that Greeks live in Greece…is not a ’knowledge’ matter.”

To be kind – for Greece, this still is good advertising, of the ‘all publicity is good publicity’ variety – we ask again, “how much did she drink,” since she did write: “I had ouzo for the first time ever and I have to admit it was delightful.”