February 16, 2004

That Sweet Smell

I haven't commented on the Conan in Quebec bruhaha till now and have just commented on Paul's great posts on the subject. But I had to point this gem of hypocrisy I found on The Corner:

..... One newspaper called the Conan sketch featuring Triump the Insult Comic Dog "hateful" and "racist." A slightly less overwrought member of Parliament said "We can all make jokes about each other but you don't start telling people in Quebec they have to speak another language. . . .

Why not? French-Canadians, or whatever it is they're calling themselves these days, have been doing it for years! It isn't the other Provinces that have "sign police", and it wasn't my idea, when living in British Columbia, to have the French language shoved down my throat.

Maroons. (though I'm thinking worse words)

Update: I've just seen the Conan bit on FNC, and boy, since we're being told "all Canadians" were offended, the audience certainly didn't act like they were offended. Gibson is now talking to Glen Foster, a Canadian comedian, who is explaining Canada, Quebec, and how the rest of Canada is forced to learn French.

I know the press in Canada is at about the same speed as the BBC and will try to make it seem all of Canada is mortally offended on behalf of French Canadians, but I don't buy it for a second.

Oh, and my in-house Canadian reaction (my parents): gleeful [g]

Posted by Ithildin at February 16, 2004 12:54 PM | PROCURE FINE OLD WORLD ABSINTHE

Ah yes, all Canadian provinces are equal but Quebec is more equal than the others. The mind continues to boggle at just how stupid this is: the province's Anglophobia continues to drive its dwindling English-speaking population out. The language police--the Instituit de la Langue Francaise (ILF)--really are nothing short of fascist. How can anyone NOT make fun of a situtaion so both pathetic and ridiculous?

Can I add how much I admire and like Anglophone Quebeckers? I hung out with a few during six weeks at McGill my first summer in law school, and those people are tenacious as hell.

Posted by: Dave J at February 16, 2004 1:08 PM

I remember when I found out that there were kids in Quebec who never learned English, and were under no pressure to do so. This was about the same time I was being strong armed by school admins over taking French. I was told I'd never get anywhere in Canada if I didn't learn it. And this was in B.C.! Considering that Chinese or Hindi was a hundred times more likely to be spoken on the West Coast, the push for French was even more ridiculous! Certainly neither of those languages was ever taught.

Posted by: Ith at February 16, 2004 1:30 PM

Too many people have lost their sense of humor. Personally, I think the stuff was hilarious. Translate equivalent redneck pranks in West Virginia and it's still hilarious.

Life is too short to take offense at a spoof.

Posted by: jen at February 16, 2004 1:39 PM

" I was told I'd never get anywhere in Canada if I didn't learn it..."

It's just that attitude that drives *cough* some people *cough* to leave the country. See, they were right, much to their own detriment.

Posted by: Dave J at February 16, 2004 2:09 PM

Dave, yeah it was things like that that made me decide to stay American. I had 5 years (I think) after I turned 18 to move back home. Something I did joyfully! Don't get me wrong, I still have a great fondness for Canada, and all my aunts, uncles, cousins live there, but I've never regretted my choice.

Posted by: Ith at February 16, 2004 2:20 PM

Thanks for the links and the kind words, Denise. :-)

Posted by: Paul Jané at February 16, 2004 3:32 PM