MovieChat Forums > Talking to Americans (2001) Discussion > As a Canadian...

As a Canadian...

posted 19 years ago by liquidfalcon
28 replies | jump to latest

I can quite humbly say that asking many Canadians similar questions about say Mexico would Garner similar results.. heck they are pretty ignorant about America also...

I mean the fact is Canadian may have a good import/export trade with Americans, but we don't splurt out things that most Americans will want to know about. We don't really release many amazing Canadian movies or TV shows that get widespread release in America... Heck the most my American friends seem to know about Canadian television is Just For Laughs if you are lucky. But still if they aren't exposed to it then how are they supposed to know.

Also we don't routinley take advantage of our political/army's status to make big political news, and we don't have a prime minister that looks like a monkey (although trust me, a lot of Americans would recognize Jean Chretien).

And yeah Canada tends to be a humble and discrete country that doesn't really have much of an everyday impact on Americans - and thus its kind of silly to expect them to know about us... We are a pretty small country also (population wise) so we don't make quite as big of an impact on the world.

So yeah you could make a Mexican TV show called 'Talking to Canadians', or a European TV show called 'Talking to North Americans' and you would get the same result.

That said the show is still pretty funny :) It just bugs me because a lot of Canadian's use (or at least used to use) the show as a reason to act superior to American's... but really I doubt half the people I run into in a day know who Pat Roberts or Lyndon Johnson.

Ah well thats my two cents... and even tho it was quite a pointless and meaningless rant, you read it all the way to this part so at least it wasn't a waste of time.

[–] sth128 19 years ago

Ever notice how all the "victims" are white? This show is so offensive on so many levels and I'm Canadian... This is worse than Jay Walking... At least they are sort of laughing at themselves... Ask some Canadians to name all the great lakes and see how they do...

And why are they still airing this? Jean isn't even the PM anymore... Keep airing just shows that we have nothing to do other than to make fun of others... Pfttt...

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] chrisdoyle197 19 years ago

How is he arrogant? He's just having some fun...and personally, I think that they should do more interviews. It will never get old. jeez, lighten up

[–] halumsden8 19 years ago

As a Canadian I am deeply offended that more of this type of humour is not shown on TV. People will say the strangest things with a mike and camera stuck in there face. Hey, everybody have a laugh. Were so use to laughing at ourselves than other people we forget to laugh at them.
The one about Canada getting its first woody was very funny. Imagine somebody congratulating you on your first woody. Too much!!!

[–] 19 years ago

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[–] chrisdoyle197 18 years ago

I'm tired of people mis-interpreting this show. Americans weren't meant to know the obscure bits about Canada...it was just funny because every Canadian knows about them, but the guy on the screen has no idea! Have you ever seen Jay Leno's "Jay-walking"...attack that before you attack this, if anything. Jay-walking's the exact same thing, except its sole purpose is to make the people look like total idiots.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] skye_faery 18 years ago

in response to the first post:
while it's true canadians are probably ignorant on a lot of things, we're not *that* ignorant. have you seen the show? i'm pretty sure we're smart enough to realize the crazy things they're saying aren't true. canadians are generally a lot smarter when it comes to other nations, because we don't focus on ourselves.

[–] Lavolanges 18 years ago

Which is the reason that the average person from BC knows as much about Newfoundland and Labrador as the average Newfounlander knows about the Queen Charlotte Islands -- squat.

I'll admit that some of the stuff is hilarious but the hilarity comes from people not wanting to admit on camera that they have no idea what Mercer is talking about. Just goes to show what a drug tv is, people are willing to look like idiots for the opportunity of seeing themselves in a 10 second clip.

[–] RedsFan1023 18 years ago

The show consistently draws a lot of viewers to the CBC. Loved it when it first aired. :-)

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] EvilToady 18 years ago

I'm a little sick of all these 'Canadians are generally smarter' or 'American aren't the smartest bunch' comments. I've met plently of stupid Canadians and plenty of stupid Americans. All nations have their high points and low points. I've met several Canadians that were too blinded by their own arrogance and hatred to even bother getting to know me once they found out I'm American.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] 18 years ago

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[–] hannibal009 18 years ago

Some of the questions asked were just hilarious jokes about Canadian pop culture that Americans cant be expected to know. The Peter Mansbridge although hilarious is not common knowledge outside Canada. The one thing about this show that no one seems to have pointed out is that it did show some people not answering cause they knew it was a joke granted it was a very small portion of the show but it was there. Also the 24 hour clock, the US treasury not allowing the use of "dollar" (so many other countries use the dollar come on). Anyways this show is hilarious and people should watch it.

[–] libragirl104 18 years ago

yeah, it is an awesome show (altho I am canadian, :p) Some of them I admit Canadians probably wouldn't know about Americans if they were asked similar questions, but I mean it's all in good fun, and everybody should know that Canada's parliament building isn't a giant igloo.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] StarlightSweetie 18 years ago

^^I, myself, as a English Quebecer (who is proud to be Canadian) thought that Connan O'Brian's Triumph the comic insult Dog goes to Quebec hilarious. I couldn't stop laughing.

Brent LeRoy: Now, no more dirty talk. Hand me that big tool so I can mount this. (Corner Gas)

[–] hobo_joe44 18 years ago

“wonder if some of the people on here saying what a true reflection this show is on American culture are the same bunch who where crying foul when Connan O'Brian took a few shots at Canadians a few years ago?”

Those were some French Canadians because that comedy dog is French and was calling French people stupid and stuff in English so they couldn’t understand him.

[–] Forever_Hardcore 17 years ago

I realize they won't understand the pop culture references. What amazes me is that when Rick talks about Wholly Rhino hunts they don't bat an eye.

[–] me_is_canadian 17 years ago

comon people...well yes there is plenty of stuff im sure canadians dont know about americans...lets be honest...legalizing staplers? 24 hour clocks? abandoning the elderly on ice flows? getting our first mcdonalds? canadian mining rights to mt rushmore? if that doesnt all prove ignorance...idk what does

[–] drgoodword 17 years ago

I can quite humbly say that asking many Canadians similar questions about say Mexico would Garner similar results.. heck they are pretty ignorant about America also...

You missed the point.

Mercer wasn't making fun of American factual ignorance. He was making fun of the uniquely American tendency to boldy express an opinion on a topic about which they know absolutely nothing. If you ask typical Canadians similar questions, most will say "I don't know"..."I don't really know enough about that"...or something similarly cautious and humble.

Of course, the other thing being made fun of is the average American's notorious lack of what Hemingway called a "built-in B.S. detector." Some questions were obviously baloney, whether or not you were familiar with the geography being referenced. No first-world nation would put their elderly on ice floes. But the average American, after decades of mass-consuming the National Enquirer and, more recently, Fox News, is immediately ready to believe such horrors happen just north of their border.

That's why America is the easiest nation in the world to propagandize. Kuwaiti baby incubator killers, anyone?...

[–] adamsmo 17 years ago

You missed the point. Well, no, you get the point, I guess - but the point itself was misguided.

And no, there is probably barely any difference between the answers you would get from American or Canadians. To say what you said is just flat-out ignorant in and of itself. You DO realize that they did not show what could have been a plentiful amount of people correcting them? You don't even know.

I *am* an American, I don't consider myself much more knowledgable than the average here, but I'm betting there were few actual answers like these. He was at places with thousands of tourists a day, yet so little was shown in regards to material. That alone speaks volumes.

I found it amusing, but it was so dishonest and exploitative. I feel sorry for the people who were interviewed.

[–] p_kariya_09 17 years ago

I think the the real point has been missed completely. The Russian occupation of Saskatchewan has gone on far too long. And what about the potential threat to the mall in West Edmonton?

[–] paperbutterfly22 17 years ago

How are we supposed to drive out the Russians from Saskatchewan when we're too busy about seal hunting? We don't have a navy because we don't have access to the ocean nor do we have jet planes because our planes still run by propellers! We'd totally lose.

I admit, I laughed a little too much at the sheer stupidity that was portrayed. Sure not all Americans are stupid. Sure not all Canadians are smart. There's a mixture of both on each side. However how silly of the smartly educated governor to believe that Canada is still on a 20 hour clock. Really now.

My favorite American answer was, "That's not right. We should be aware of the world around us." That says so much more than it needs to. Hahaha.

[–] teddy_34 17 years ago

Of course its expolitative...but thats the point! I mean, yes, there are no doubt smart Amaricans and dumb ones, but this show was a shot on a country that seems to think its so much more amazing...we have the population of NYC...yet our dollar is soon worth the same as yours, and yet theres people on You Tube flipping saying that America gives Canada sooooo much in financial aide, first I heard of this...Its making fun of the fact that alot of Americans know NOTHING about Canada...he asked Bush himself what he thought of a comment fro Poutine...HES THE FREAKING PREZ AND HE DOESNT KNOW THE NAME OF THE PRIME MINISITER IN A COUNTRY HES GONNA HAVE HUGE TALKS WITH??? Answer that...and cmon, we have no access to ocean, really now, the people who answered this deserved to look stupid...and he wasnty asking dumb rednecks, he asked people these questions at Universities, so yeah, no dount alot said no comment, but the fact that these semi-imporartant people answered these questions sometimes with alot of hubrus prooves at least one thing...you're full of #%!@!

[–] TheManWithTwoRedShoes 16 years ago

Lack of geography skills are evidence of idiocy, but aneurysm-inducing spelling and grammar are not?

[–] kelownachris 12 years ago

Actually you're wrong, I went to school and learned about the world, not just my country, Canada. I could name all 50 American states, and if I try hard enough I could name ALL the the capitals of these states. Also, being a Canadian, I know lots about the American war of independence, the failed Indian wars, the Spanish-American war, and most of the presidents. No, this is just a good example of how Americans arrogantly find it important to lern about themselves, screw the rest of the world. Now a show about the Mexicans might be more difficult, but the are not my immediate neighbours, so why should I know anyhing about Mexico.

*most favourite quote said by Amercans, "I can't believe no one speaks American around here"

Nuff Said!