4 ms·

'Problem' and 'attacking' sound a bit defensive. The post is definitely a generalization, but I would say (as a Canadian who visits the US a few weeks out of th

'Problem' and 'attacking' sound a bit defensive. The post is definitely a generalization, but I would say (as a Canadian who visits the US a few weeks out of the year) that these are fairly accurate. I don't know if these are very popular in the US, but the CBC has a whole series called 'Rick Mercer Talks To Americans' (comme ca http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhTZ_tgMUdo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhTZ_tgMUdo) where he gets people in DC, New York, and other major cities to go on national television and petition to 'Save The Parliamentary Igloo', 'Stop the Saskatchewan Whale Hunt', etc. These people really just don't seem to: a) have any awareness of the rest of the continent they live on, above the 49th b) care what they say in public. They'll just spout anything to be on the TeeVee I'm aware it's all edited to be entertaining, but frankly it does seem fairly representative of American exceptionalist and isolationist culture.

mistermann 13y ago
You could easily send an American reporter onto the streets of Canada, or any nation for that matter, and produce the same results.
- alanctgardner2 13y ago
  It's all fine and well to say that, but there's actually the meta-problem that Americans don't really want to watch non-Americans. Despite the dismal quality of network television, and drought of content for 24 hour news stations, no US television producer has thought, "We'll go to Canada and laugh at how they don't know how to make a Philly Cheesesteak!". Seriously thought, did you watch the video? I should find the one where he says our Prime Minister is "Pierre Poutine".
  - gruseom 13y ago
    But mistermann is right; his point is the critical one, and you've responded to it by changing the subject. Another humorist who does this, in a meaner way, is Sasha Baron-Cohen. The lesson here is not how ridiculous the people being ridiculed are, but rather: Who controls the editing controls everything. (Christopher Hitchens said brilliantly about the dinner party scene in Borat that it showed not how racist Americans are, but how polite they are.) Mercer's portrayals of Americans are not portrayals of Americans at all, but of Canadians' self-congratulatory caricatures of Americans. It makes me cringe with embarrassment.
  - spamizbad 13y ago
    > It's all fine and well to say that, but there's actually the meta-problem that Americans don't really want to watch non-Americans Is a lack of exposure to Canadian television really a problem? Americans listen to quite a bit of Canadian music. And a sizable minority also watch a significant amount of British television (Downton Abbey, tons of Murder-Mystery stuff). Not to mention the huge amount of European literature we're exposed to in our education system or that we read for pleasure (Harry Potter). But that's just western culture. Looking East, you can also look at the huge impact Japanese Animation and Chinese Film has had on our culture as well. Americans will voraciously consume any media that's 1) Made available to them (Most Canadian TV fails this test) 2) In English.
    - mitchty 13y ago
      I find this amusing that every one of my friends watches the following religiously: Top Gear, Doctor Who, Downton Abbey, Peep Show, QI, amongst others. And from showing all of the rest of my non-british loving friends these shows they tend to become instant fans. So I think this meta problem is really not on the American side to be honest but the lack of availability if at all.
    - DanBC 13y ago
      It's a bit like the meme-myth "only 10% of Americans have a passport", which turns out to be nonsense.
  - greendata 13y ago
    I don't think anyone would describe US television as "dismal". Maybe you've missed The Wire, The Sopranos, and Deadwood but there are some wonderful programs being produced in the US these days. Of course, there is some serious dross among those gems. Having seen a fair amount of Canadian television, I can tell you it contains some serious dross as well. And yes, I don't think a show demonstrating foreigners lack of knowledge about US culture would be produced here. That sounds like a very boring show.
gruseom 13y ago
Ugh. I'm a Canadian who is repelled by Rick Mercer's way of feeding Canadians' blind spots and prejudices back to them. His comedy is smug. He is not a truth-teller—he shows people what they want to see. Canadian prejudice against Americans has little to do with Americans and much to do with ourselves. It's a national neurosis (at least among the educated classes) which we're mostly unaware of. It quickly becomes obvious to Americans who notice it, though. I've had many long conversations with American friends about this. Luckily for us, most Americans' feelings toward Canada are uncomplicated, friendly and warm, so they have no idea how far from reciprocated this is. It's also lucky for us that they think we're cute and don't take us seriously, because if they did they'd find a lot to be offended by. The most curious aspect of Canadian prejudice against Americans is how openly and proudly we proclaim it, as if it could be nothing but endearing. This is a consequence of its being mostly unconscious.

mistermann 13y ago

You could easily send an American reporter onto the streets of Canada, or any nation for that matter, and produce the same results.

alanctgardner2 13y ago
It's all fine and well to say that, but there's actually the meta-problem that Americans don't really want to watch non-Americans. Despite the dismal quality of network television, and drought of content for 24 hour news stations, no US television producer has thought, "We'll go to Canada and laugh at how they don't know how to make a Philly Cheesesteak!". Seriously thought, did you watch the video? I should find the one where he says our Prime Minister is "Pierre Poutine".
- gruseom 13y ago
  But mistermann is right; his point is the critical one, and you've responded to it by changing the subject. Another humorist who does this, in a meaner way, is Sasha Baron-Cohen. The lesson here is not how ridiculous the people being ridiculed are, but rather: Who controls the editing controls everything. (Christopher Hitchens said brilliantly about the dinner party scene in Borat that it showed not how racist Americans are, but how polite they are.) Mercer's portrayals of Americans are not portrayals of Americans at all, but of Canadians' self-congratulatory caricatures of Americans. It makes me cringe with embarrassment.
- spamizbad 13y ago
  > It's all fine and well to say that, but there's actually the meta-problem that Americans don't really want to watch non-Americans Is a lack of exposure to Canadian television really a problem? Americans listen to quite a bit of Canadian music. And a sizable minority also watch a significant amount of British television (Downton Abbey, tons of Murder-Mystery stuff). Not to mention the huge amount of European literature we're exposed to in our education system or that we read for pleasure (Harry Potter). But that's just western culture. Looking East, you can also look at the huge impact Japanese Animation and Chinese Film has had on our culture as well. Americans will voraciously consume any media that's 1) Made available to them (Most Canadian TV fails this test) 2) In English.
  - mitchty 13y ago
    I find this amusing that every one of my friends watches the following religiously: Top Gear, Doctor Who, Downton Abbey, Peep Show, QI, amongst others. And from showing all of the rest of my non-british loving friends these shows they tend to become instant fans. So I think this meta problem is really not on the American side to be honest but the lack of availability if at all.
  - DanBC 13y ago
    It's a bit like the meme-myth "only 10% of Americans have a passport", which turns out to be nonsense.
- greendata 13y ago
  I don't think anyone would describe US television as "dismal". Maybe you've missed The Wire, The Sopranos, and Deadwood but there are some wonderful programs being produced in the US these days. Of course, there is some serious dross among those gems. Having seen a fair amount of Canadian television, I can tell you it contains some serious dross as well. And yes, I don't think a show demonstrating foreigners lack of knowledge about US culture would be produced here. That sounds like a very boring show.

gruseom 13y ago

Ugh. I'm a Canadian who is repelled by Rick Mercer's way of feeding Canadians' blind spots and prejudices back to them. His comedy is smug. He is not a truth-teller—he shows people what they want to see. Canadian prejudice against Americans has little to do with Americans and much to do with ourselves. It's a national neurosis (at least among the educated classes) which we're mostly unaware of. It quickly becomes obvious to Americans who notice it, though. I've had many long conversations with American friends about this. Luckily for us, most Americans' feelings toward Canada are uncomplicated, friendly and warm, so they have no idea how far from reciprocated this is. It's also lucky for us that they think we're cute and don't take us seriously, because if they did they'd find a lot to be offended by. The most curious aspect of Canadian prejudice against Americans is how openly and proudly we proclaim it, as if it could be nothing but endearing. This is a consequence of its being mostly unconscious.