Canadian Idiot: Hollywood Sereotypes of Canadian Culture

Let’s start off the week of Canadian Culture by debunking a few Hollywood myths and stereotypes about Canada. Sit back, relax, hit play, and have a few laughs. (Laughing at ourselves is something Canadians almost stereotypically love to do!)

1. Canadian Bacon [year, director]

For the record, I really enjoy this film. It is campy and fun, and despite possessing certain Canadian stereotypes it doesn’t offend my sense of national pride. The plot is this: Some Americans get angry at some Canadians and craft a silly scheme to invade Canada… it’s like the war of 1812 but in the 1980s, with less people, more beer, bigger guns, and hockey.

2. Due South [TV, 1994-1999]

If you haven’t seen Due South, here’s what you need to know: it’s about a Mountie (Fraser) who essentially gets kicked out of Canada for saving the caribou for the evil dam-builders just a little too well, and moves down to Chicago to solve crime with an obnoxious American cop trope. Yep, it’s a Mountie buddy comedy. Take a peek at the opening scenes of the first episode and see if you can spot all the tropes and stereotypes:

3. Bon Cop, Bad Cop

This one really plays on the trope of English vs French in Canada. And it’s a pretty great buddy cop movie too… Wait, why are the buddy cop movies using Canadian stereotypes? Right, because buddy cop movies thrive on any kind of stereotype they can exploit for comedy.

4. Strange Brew

This gem is definitely strange. The film originated from SCTV sketch comedy and was pretty pioneering for its time. Here’s a brief look into the hockey-hoser-toque-wearing-beer-swilling life of Bob and Doug Mackenzie:

5. Men with Brooms

Curling… a sport only Scots, Canadians, and Norwegians in crazy pants really seem to love. It was hard to pick just one scene from this Canadian classic staring Paul Gross (who also played the Mountie Fraser in Due South) but it had to be the beavers. They’re our national animal after all, eh?

 

6. “Canadian Idiot” by Weird Al Yankovic

Self-explanatory. Just take a listen to how many Canadian stereotypes Weird Al can cram into a brief parody song:

 

7. “The Lumberjack Song” by Monty Python’s Flying Circus

Not so overt as others on the list (possibly because it’s more about cross-dressing and British humour) but the red-uniform clad Mounties are a little nod of the head.

 

8. Arrogant Worms songs- “Rocks and Trees” and “When Canada Rules the World”

Most Arrogant Worms songs talk about Canadian stereotypes. Take a listen, and laugh:

 

9. Family Guy “Canadian High School” and “Canadian Alcatraz”

Yeah, I ain’t got nothin’ to say for these…

10. X-Men “Wolverine”

Wolverine is a Canadian. How do you know? I mean he’s so grumpy and Canadians are nice, right? Well, the dead give-aways of his Canadian-identity are apparently a plaid shirt and the fact that he is a lumberjack in the mountains.

11. The Red Green Show “Zamboni” and “Beer Holder”

This classic gem of Canadian TV shows you how to create some uniquely Canadian inventions with duct tape, of course.

 

12. Rick Mercer “Talking to Americans”

See how little convincing it takes to get people from other countries (in this case, America) to believe our government buildings are made out of ice and snow?

13. SCTV Great White North “Long Underwear and Canadian Bacon” and “NHL Teams” Yeah, these guys pretty mch wrote the book on exploiting Canadian stereotypes for laughs. See number 4 on this list.

14. How I Met Your Mother – Robin “Give me the Stick”, “Robin Sparkles”, and “Canadian Barney vs American Barney” Hockey, eh’s, Mounties, and niceness oh my!

 

15. That 70’s Show “Canada”

Detained at the border by Mounties while on a beer run.

16. Corner Gas “Saskatchewan is Flat” and “Stephen Harper on Prairie Dogs vs Gophers”

All the fun stereotypes of living in small-town Sask.

 

17. Whose Line is it Anyway “Canadian Foreign Film Dub”  and “Canada Compilation”

18. The Simpsons “I’m from Canada, eh”

As one youtube commenter said “Canada’s two official languages: herp and derp”.

19. “Sh*t Canadians Say”

One of these trendy videos but for Canadians. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0EsYiNA76Q

I’ve made a YouTube playlist of these videos for the viewing enjoyment of all netizens. You can find it here:  http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDB0C22951857B3DC&feature=mh_lolz

Edmonton Heritage Festival Review

I went to the Edmonton Heritage Festival this weekend. Here are some observations on the festival:

-Before going I was speaking about the festival very excitedly to some friends, family and coworkers. I was surprised to hear from them that they have never been to this beloved Edmonton Festival even if they have lived in the city for decades. So for any of you Edmontonians out there who have yet to go, I highly encourage you to check it out next year. There really is something for everyone there from entertainment to food and crafts.

-It was hot out! Whew! At nearly 30 degrees Celsius and high humidity, you would be hard-pressed to believe that this is a city that sits at minus -20 Celsius for a good portion of the winter. Also, my sympathies to those dancers in traditional clothing from cold nations. I can’t imagine dancing in a full Norwegian outfit in that heat, but they did an amazing job nonetheless!

-The festival can be a bit overwhelming, but in an entirely good way. All of the smells (from various tantalizing cuisines), sounds and colorful clothing collided into something that left our group feeling a bit dazed, as usual. However, I think there is something to be said for this overwhelming sensation. I think the barrage of sights, sounds, and smells from all of the heritages present represents in a very visceral manner how Canadian culture is a composite of many others. From all the smells wafting together is born that unique Canadian perfume. It captures the way that our cities smell as you move through them, passing fish and chips stands, open air markets, bakeries, tea houses, coffee shops, curry joints, meats roasting on spits etc. From all of the sights and colors of clothing and people you get the colors of Canada in all of its seasons; the bright hues of summer, the rich tones of autumn, the crisp white and blue of winter, and the soft pastels of spring. And from the many sounds of music and the plethora of languages spoken, you will hear the coming together of the true Canadian voice which is so much stronger united than the sum of its parts.

-The food, of course, was delicious! I wish I could have eaten it all! I tried in no particular order: Kenyan chicken skewers, fresh young coconut juice, green onion cakes, Bangladesh’s mango on a stick, Egypt’s falafel, Irish potato cakes, German bratwurst on a bun, Welsh cakes, Bosnia-Herzegovina’s burek, and England’s sausage rolls and Cornish pasties with HP sauce. (PS if anyone from the Dutch Pavilion is reading this, I would LOVE it if you offered stroppwafels at your tent next year. Please?)

 

 

 

Also, check out the story of many new Canadians and their day in the sun at the Citizenship Ceremony at the festival:

http://www.edmontonjournal.com/life/Canadians+sworn+Heritage+Festival/7048655/story.html

Why Is It So Hard to Immigrate to Canada? Part 1

Why is it so hard to immigrate to Canada?

Possibility #1:

It is hard to leave behind a life in another country and start again in Canada where the cultures, norms, entertainment, consumer products, food, clothing, schools, jobs, laws, etc are different.
My coworker (originally for Egypt) told me that her family was excited to find that the grocery store near their home sold a kind of juice from Egypt. She said they weren’t very fond of the juice before, but they buy it and enjoy it now just because it is something familiar from back home.

And it’s not just foods and juices that you will end up missing when you come to Canada. Things that everyone takes for granted every day might not exist or be completely different in Canada. This might be hard to imagine, but it is a reality. And it might be very hard to adjust to this reality.

Possible solutions:

The internet offers plenty of forums where you can find recommendations on where to get goods from home and where the nearest cultural center might be.


Bonus! Educational Canadian food history video: