Like sand through the hourglass...
What do people really think of Canada? There is this satire TV show called "talking to Americans" where a Canadian "reporter" goes around and asks Americans questions about Canada or stating facts about Canada that are quite ridiculous. For Example:
1) Canada is a land-locked country and they are wondering if they can use a few US ports for launching their Navy, do you think the US military should let them?
2) Canada recently legalized the stapler, congratulate them!
3) Did you know that the capitol building of Canada is a big ass igloo?
And they get certain prominent americans such as the governor of Arkansas to give their two cents. (watch the clip, it's very funny)
Now, of course, this show is meant to be a satire so they don't pick the intelligent answers, but, let us take another example of the American perception of Canada: Days of Our Lives.
I don't personally watch days of our lives, but my roommate has recently become addicted and she tells me that Canada has been mentioned twice lately:
1) A man gets a face transplant in Canada and comes back totally healed with no scars
2) A couple abducts their stolen baby to Canada and hides out in a warehouse where the Canadian police cannot track them down until they can sail away on a cruise ship into the night with their baby with fake Canadian passports.
First off, since when is Canada the mecca of experimental plastic surgery and how come everything sketchy seems to happen here? Oh, and, by the way, they're in Toronto, how the hell do you get on a cruise ship in Toronto? Is it sailing around the great lakes?
In conclusion, what IS the perception of Canada in the US? Friendly igloo living, sled dog riding, aboot and eh saying, rednecks?
*ED: just for the record since someone might wonder, i myself am Canadian and I live in an igloo and say eh
10 comments:
Heh. I remember that show. Rick Mercer is hysterical.
I try not to have any perception of Americans in general as they are as diverse a bunch as we are. But it's hard NOT to roll our eyes when I was asked as a teenage visiting Boston if we had indoor plumbing and if we skiied to school.
My favorite TTA clip was the one where they had Americans speak out against the current practice of setting old people out on ice floes when they are no longer productive members of society. Heh.
Oh! And the banning of the annual polar bear hunt in Toronto.
AND when they had Americans (including a poli sci professor from Princeton) congratulate Prime Minister Tim Horton on the parlimentary "Double Double". (this is funny as Tim Horton's is a coffee chain and a 'double double' is when you take their crack-like coffee with 2 creams and 2 sugars). Guess that one was an inside joke.
I think in general many Canadians view the US as a bigger, more homogeneous, more right-wing version of ourselves.
I agree with Couz's last line, in reverse. We see Canada as a small, left wing version of us, with some crazy Qubecois thrown in for good measure. Our lunatics tend the other way, and live in Idaho.
But here's what I think or have heard about Canada, off the top of my head, without looking anything up.
The other thing we think about Canada is that they have labyrinthine health care regulations, and drugs that are cheap because the prices are subsidized by gouging US consumers.
You essentially have had a one party government for 60 some years, which means you haven't had a lot of balance in your political system, since nobody but the guys in Alberta and British Columbia lean right at all.
I've heard that your military is smaller than the New York Police Department.
The government in Ontario, I think it was, considered allowing shari'a courts juridiction over civil matters, but I also think they backed down after some international outcry.
A few other things would come up too if I sat here, but how am I doing so far?
New York City PD, that is.
Nathan, your knowledge of Canada astounds me, but, we do have TWO left leaning political parties so even if you discount the righties it's a 2 party system - liberal and new democrats. The Shari'a thing was an area of much contention but I'm not sure it's fair to say that they were leaning towards it. It was an issue, however, so more points on that. Oh, and since our military took over when the Americans pulled out of Afghanistan I wouldn't say it's smaller than the NYPD.
My favorite Canada quote came from Robin Williams: "You know, Canada is like a loft apartment over a really great party."
My only personal experience with Canada is that I visited Vancouver for two days in eighth grade. It was a beautiful city. What amazed me was that the "secondary language" was French instead of Spanish (I live in Texas), so the Dr. Pepper cans had French writing on them. At age 14, I thought that was the most awesome thing ever...
medstudentitis - the Americans are still in Afganistan. :) But also, I didn't mean for any of that to sound hostile.
And the reason I know so much about Canada? I'm a Minnesotan. We're frequently confused for Canadians.
Haha that is a really funny post! The Capital of Canada is an igloo? Wow, you guys are so lucky! (/sarcasm)
It's quite funny because note how in American films, the villain will always have a British accent. Us Brits are also portrayed as being serious, boring, with a stiff upper lip and a weird sense of humor... hmmm...
Sorry Nathan, more correctly, the Canadians are taking over for the Americans in Southern Afghanistan - the Kandahar province. And, no offence taken that wasn't intended, I was truly shocked by your knowledge!!!
I am at a loss as to where to begin. I would love to visit Canada, however, my thoughts about Canada were not reflected in the video. I thought except for the medical system (I don't believe in big government) I would love Canada.
Now, here's the rub. I live in Arkansas....after that video I'm thinking that maybe I'm not smart enough to live in Canada. PS Mike Huckabee is running for President, I will not vote for him PSS All the Canadians I've met have been wonderful folks.
Now let me crawl off and do geography with the kid, there's still hope.
I like the Rick Mercer one where George Bush congratulates us on finally getting colour TV.
I was in Kentucky last year, and the people who owned the cabin we rented were so excited when they found out that we're Canadian. "Our son-in-law is Canadian!" They actually phoned him so that we could talk to him and figure out if we know each other. Very amusing.
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