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February 13, 2004
Conan The Bigot
I was all ready to write a lovely blog entry about my trip last weekend, when I read this news article.
Now I can appreciate a good jab at being Canadian. I also like to think that I don't get offended easily by ignorant remarks, but this just made my blood boil. I don't think going into another country and insulting, no ridiculing, their largest minority group is funny. I can't imagine any American talk show going on the street of America and making fun of blacks or Hispanics. But for some reason, French Canadian is seen as less of a culture, and more of a way of life chosen purely to annoy the rest of the country.
No, I'm not French Canadian myself, but I was born in Québec, and am proud that I was raised to be bilingual. I am proud of a Canada was built on two very different cultures, and I hope the delicate balance we currently have can be strengthened. I hope younger generations work to help heal the century-old wounds, not reopen them by indulging in tripe like this.
I don't know what to be more offended by, Conan's obviously poor taste, or the Canadian audience who cheered him on.
Comments
The article does make him sound like an ass. I'll reserve further comment until I see the show...which I'll probably never do because I've never seen a Conan show and don't really understand why he's "good" for Toronto.
Posted by: ian at February 13, 2004 9:57 AM
My opinions of Conan are just as offensive as his Ameri-moronic 'comedy'. I could go on about it and call hime names and group him with stereo-types but then I'd be just the same, wouldn't I? Besides, I think most people are thinking the same things so I don't need to state what everyone already knows. Unless someone requests it.
Rew
Posted by: Rew at February 13, 2004 11:17 AM
'I don't know what to be more offended by, Conan's obviously poor taste, or the Canadian audience who cheered him on.'
Well, fellow French Canadians, I am by both. HE is also part of one of where I live's biggest minorities, I can go out and do that and I'll get sued and beaten up in 5 minutes. However, I'm not very impressed by the Canadians who wanted that idiot to come up here. They say they don't like Americans, stay with it! The first person that walks by and offers to bring glory to the country, even if it's fricking Usama Bin Laden, they will instantly love, so I'm not very happy with some Torontonians out there.
In summary, Conan O'Brian is a, shall we say, 'un cerveau de rebut total.'
(*)
Posted by: (*) at February 13, 2004 5:07 PM
Maybe I shouldn't migrate to this country after all...
Posted by: Guillaume at February 13, 2004 7:51 PM
Did that silly little rubber dog say anything that the kind folks of Quebec don't say about the English in their TV shows?
No, no he didn't.
Posted by: mark at February 14, 2004 7:27 AM
Sorry Mark, I don't buy the "but they insulted us first" argument. Racial intolerance has no place on Canadian TV, ESPECIALLY from a show paid by Canadian tax dollars. I don't care who it's directed at.
Posted by: Chris at February 14, 2004 12:58 PM
Quebecers are a different race?
Posted by: ryan at February 15, 2004 8:24 PM
Ok, cultural intolerance, then.
FYI: Webster's defines race as: a class or kind of people unified by community of interests, habits, or characteristics .
I would say French Canadians fit this definition.
Posted by: Chris at February 15, 2004 8:47 PM
It's hard to argue with Webster's. But I will. By that definition, the following are races:
- gays
- stamp collectors
- dyslexics
- Americans
Therefore, calling GWB a "moron" was also racist.
The plastic puppet's remarks were idiotic, but saying they're racist is over the top.
Posted by: ryan at February 16, 2004 8:07 AM
>Therefore, calling GWB a "moron" was also racist.
Only if I said all Americans were morons, or called GWB a term considered to be degregating, or offensive to their culture (in this case, I would consider the term "quebequeer" to be both offensive to Quebeckers and gays, since it uses both terms in a derogotory sense).
But if you want to get hung up on "racial intolerance", let's use the term "cultural intolerance". Does that really change anything?
But hey, they weren't my tax dollars funding that dog. If you're ok with paying it $1M to say those things, I guess you have the right to defend it.
Posted by: Chris at February 16, 2004 8:29 AM
I say it was worth every penny. How many Americans saw that show and subsequently decided to visit Canada? Surely billions!
It's not like Toronto hospitals could have used that $1M.
Posted by: ryan at February 16, 2004 1:51 PM