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who dat? contest.
(yo stee. i know
last game:
musician g. love.
first correct answer:
left column drop your chalupa, pretty ladies.
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Well well well. Once again I stepped into a pile of something. This time I lifted my shoes and sniffed, "Oh man, it's Canadian." Yesterday I was just riffing off this Molson ad someone sent me. Little did I know it had become a HUGE thing in Canada, to the point where the guy in the ad has become a minor celebrity (like the Where's The Beef? lady, I imagine) and they play the thing before hockey games, etc. The point I made, rather off-handedly, was that I find it kinda sad that Canada feels so in the shadow of America. Naturally, I got some hate mail (which is something, in truth, I never try to actively court) accusing me of coming only from an ignorant American point of view (well, sure, but everything I said about Canadians' feelings regarding America came from Canadians in the first place) but mostly I heard from Canadians who either totally agreed with me, didn't care, or offered some thoughtful insight into Being Canadian and aboot why this ad has hit the national consciousness in the way it has. For example: Maybe a relevant comparison would be how the Welsh react to the English. I haven't been to either country, but my experiences with the Welsh certainly gives me the impression that they feel that the English are loud, obnoxious, narcissistic people who don't deserve their place in the world order when compared to the Welsh (I have friends of both descents and I don't think that the differences are all that great; funnily enough, this is the same thing that they say when they compare Americans and Canadians) The ad you cited in your entry has since become, I would say, the most popular ad in Canadian history (in case you're interested, it is known as "The Rant, and the guy that performs it has become a minor celebrity). Part of the reason that it has become so popular is that many Canadians have had to say the exact same things when visiting US. I had a great thing going on a couple of trips to Florida, when I had whole groups of Americans convinced that, in Canada, homes either had running water or electricity, and we would alternate with our neighbours (sorry about the spelling - it's right if you use the Oxford dictionary, which I was taught with, but it is wrong if you use Webster's, which is only used in the States). The fact is, unless the American you meet is specifically educated about us, as you were, they will have almost no idea about who, what or where we are. This commercial is doing a lot to generate some patriotism around here. I mean, it's not like we can go around saying that we are the most powerful nation in the world, so we have to pick the reasons to be proud from other sources. So while we undoubtedly have an omnipresent problem with our identity, it's not hard to blame us; our neighbours to the south don't really give a chance to do otherwise."
Tara then pointed me to a forum topic on her Hissyfit aboot this very thing. And let me just quote from a Canadian on that forum, "Once again, Canadians are unable to identify themselves in any way other than "we're not American". Cripes, if that's the best we can do, then we are as lame as Americans think we are. God, I hate that ad." I think that's exactly what I was trying to say. Canada bashing is, I think, pretty lame. Just easy and not very funny, so I'll stop. But not to put too fine a point on it, I actually think patriotism is fine, and if for Canadians it has to come from a pretty lame rant in a pretty lame beer ad, fine. Just know that that fact in of itself is, well, pretty funny. Elsewhere... ...Continuing the Canada theme, a reader sent me a link to this fucking hysterical site. If there is a solution to the Jan Brady syndrome we talked about yesterday, it just might be this. Yo, I'll happily lie down and submit to the Maple Leaf. I really don't care who's in charge. Especially if I can get in on some of that free health care I hear so much about. Plus, there might then be little baskets of flowers on all the lampposts like they have in parts of B.C. My neigborhood could use that shit. (Check the actual hate mail sent by Americans with no sense of humor to that site.) Finally... ...This picture has been making the rounds, but it gave me an honest laugh this morning.
But yo, look at the guy in the back. What, is he covering the family cat?
ONE YEAR AGO TODAY: I heard the phone ring and ran to pick it up, but no one was there. My friend Timmy was over though and I didn't want to look like a fool, so I talked to the dial tone for a few minutes before the stupid thing started BEEPING in my ear, effectively blowing my cover anyway, so I just sat back down and opened the People Magazine I'd been reading.
Don't call it a comeback. Larry's been here for years. Rockin my peers and puttin suckas in fear. Makin the tears rain down like a MON-soon. Listen to the bass go BOOM. Explosion, overpowerin. Over the competition, I'm towerin. Wreckin shop, when I drop these lyrics that'll make you call the cops. Don't you dare stare, you betta move. Don't ever compare. Larry to the rest that'll all get sliced and diced. Competition's payin the price. I'm gonna knock you out. Larry said knock you out. I'm gonna knock you out. Larry said knock you out... speaking of which. Hello folks. It's been a while but I'm back. I'm not going to say a word about my temporary replacement, boy, I don't ever compare, but between you and me, I have no idea who that little sissy actor is, and I know all of them! Marlon. James Garner. Swoozie Kurtz. All the big stars! Why speaking of stars, the other night Charlie Rose and Phil Donahue and Sam Waterston and I all happened to be on the west coast so we decided to meet at The Dome for a few good ol' luncheon martinis, and wouldn't you know it, there wasn't a table in sight. Can you believe it? We ended up at Barney's Beanery (?) getting soused on gin and eating pickled eggs right out of the jar. Until the bartender said, "Guys, those aren't pickled eggs." Ha! I love the west coast. But I'm glad to be back in good ol' NYC. And back on this page. Though between you and me, it ain't no USA Today, folks. Nope... "Those aren't pickled eggs!!!" Man that's rich! home back index next howl |
