BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – Residents of Alabama are perceived as being the ugliest people in the United States, and among the dumbest, according to a poll conducted on behalf of Business Insider.

The business news website asked Survey Monkey to take a poll originally conducted to determine how Europeans felt about one another’s countries, and try the same thing in the U.S.

Those of us at AL.com, however, beg to differ. Check out 21 Alabamians who are hotter than the weather (gallery).

The now-controversial poll asked people to pick a state other than their own to answer questions including:

-- “Which state has the weirdest accent?” (Alabama ranked No. 3, behind Massachusetts and Louisiana.)

-- “Which state has the worst food?” (Alabama and a handful of other states came in behind Alaska and Mississippi.)

--“Which state is your least favorite?” (Texas won by a wide margin. It also ranked first for “Which state would you like to see kicked out of America?")

Updated at 4 p.m. to add a link to the 21 hottest Alabamians.