Amidst all the good-natured (I trust) self-deprecating banter among the Canadians on page 2 of my thread (and angst on page 1)--"Does CANADA deserve to be whipped by US?"--I have to stop and ask my Canadian repsondents a humor/cultural question (****see below****): ============================================== [from page 2:] "[Canada's] outdated military force roughly about the same size as Argentina's military. If America looks to us for assistance, we'll have to send you the RCMP (on horseback)." AND: "We [Canada] bought four used diesel subs from the British and they leak. If it wasn't so sad it would be funny." AND: "Canada has a GDP roughly the same size as Russia's, but its defense budget is one loonie and some pocket lint. "Of course, if US jets would stop attacking the few Canadian soldiers there are, it would help." [Hear! Hear!] ============================================== Guys, guys guys! CAN I ask the many Canadian respondents on this thread a personal question? I grew up on re-runs of Jay Ward's original adult-child cartoons, "The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show." A famed satire on Cold War politics, as well as my childhood introduction to Aesop, I delighted in knowing that I didn't know the adult references until I grew up enough to grasp the multi-layered humor and could enjoy and enjoy them again and again--much as "The Simpson's" does today. It's creator, Jay Ward, was a native from my home state, Minnesota, and the entire series bore, like most American literature, an autobiographical imprint--hence the numerous references to "Frostbite Falls, Minnesota," i.e.., International Falls, Minnesota (the US' "icebox" in weather reports)--and hence the caracatures of that states' neighboring Canadians: lantern-jawed "Dudley Do-Right of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police"--all stereotyped in silent film style! The love-interest, Little Nell, as the morally and intellectually superior woman--Dudley as the responsibility charged Forest Gump of his mileu, who always does good despite his dimwitted limitations, Major Fenwick, his genial if slow English (?) gentlemanly commander...and so on! ****Question: WHAT DO CANADIANS THINK OF THIS classic cartoon portrayal?**** Love? Hate? Mixed charm...? I have an international postscript to this question. It reveals how powerful pop-culture is in forming our expectations or impressions in social and international intercourse. Some dozen years ago I hosted a Soviet born and raised Austrailian immigrant from Victoria, doing a year-long triparound the world, as Aussies often do. I met 20-something Boris, an accountant, while skiiing in Colorado and invited him to share my apartment for a few days; he came here from Canada, after skiing Banf (sp?), and Sunshine, and he was comparing skiing, snow, facilities, peoples, nations, language, diction, styles--everything! Boris explained that, first in Canada, then in the US, he'd meet people and they often snickered or chuckled on hearing his name!--I did not..."Why was this?" he asked. Seeing an opportunity to bridge a cultural gap, I explained how unknown "Boris" was as a name in North America--and that until West German tennis star "Boris becker" came along, most would know this traditional Russian name as the comic foil in a TV cartoon! I explained the comic visual source decades ago, the famous (mock?) evil "BWA-HA-HA-HA!" of Boris Badenoff's laugh, the implicit pun of his surname: "Badenough," it's satire of then current Cold War politics all while in 1990, the long Cold War was ending, and much more. He seemed to "get it," but this was, of course, a poor substitute for viewing the cartoon of which he was obviously ignorant of--and it hadn't yet been released on videotape (stuck in legal disputes among the heirs of Jay Ward's estate)! So...that's where we left it. And thus, fair Canadian's, what say you of this American iconic mischief and your cultural self-image? --Orson
Dudley Doright - never thought much about it. I will tell something about a typical Canadian impression of Americans, even though I shouldn't because I believe it to be untrue. Canada is rife with anecdotal evidence, of unsure origin, of Americans showing up in July at 90 above, with skis on their car looking for snow. The area I live in is in the middle of a pine forest. Stories of American hunter's foibles are legendary. Consequently a not uncommon impression of Americans is dumb, dumb, dumb. I guess things work both ways.
It's not just Canada, it happens in California too. (And its more than anecdotal, I've seen it with my own eyes.) I live near San Francisco, and every summer we get hordes of tourists, mostly from elsewhere in the US but including many Canadians. You can spot the tourists in every crowd because they are dressed in shorts and t-shirts and are freezing their asses off. San Franciscans are dressed in sweaters and jackets. The thing is, in San Francisco summer is a season of foggy overcast and cold winds off the ocean that can cut right through you. But the tourists are visiting *California* damn it, and California is sunny beaches and palm trees. They know it because they saw it on *TV*. So they never even *consider* putting on warmer clothes. That would spoil the fantasy. That says something interesting about tourism, I think.
It' a two way street. I`ve met Americans who come to Toronto dressed for -15 degree temperatures in the middle of July. Then again, I've met fellow Canadians in Los Angeles who've embarrassed me by the way they dressed and behaved in public. As for Dudley Doright.........I preferred Roy Rogers.
I'm getting a good chuckle from Bill's post. I'm not so proud that I can't get a laugh out of this story..... Bill, you've seen it, I've lived it. I was 18, just left boot camp (in April) and was sent to Monterey, CA for school (most beautiful place on earth, by the way). My first weekend there and my new roommate & I (he also 18, from Michigan, and I from Minnesota) were gonna hit the beach. We went to the white sand beach of Carmel, all pumped to be 1) free and 2) in California, started stripping out of our t-shirts and shoes as we ran down the hill to the beach. There were people lying all over the beach enjoying the sun. We didn't notice their bewildered stares as we ran down the hill. We hit the water and just about went into shock. The Michigan and Minnesota school systems didn't equip us with the knowledge that Pacific currents bring water to California via ALASKA!! The water was at best 52 degrees! Quickest swim I've ever had. Oh, well. Funny experience, learning experience, a memory 'til I die. It's a big country, we can't possibly know all the details.
Where I am, it's been -30% with wind and snow this last week. If I found myself in San Francisco, I'd buy a thong and be down on the beach enjoying the warm Alaska current, tanning my ample midriff. People do aclimatize. When it gets a degree or two above freezing many people quit wearing coats around here. What you think is cold is the warmest weather many tourists have seen in months.
Rick0768, Your experience seems much like mine. I was 21 when I left Minnesota for training at Monterey, CA. I arrived in March, 1987. I concurr that Monterey must be one of the most beautiful places on earth. My great uncle, who used to live in CA, and visited the Monterey Peninsula many times, warned me about the water, though, so I never tried it. I don't know about you, but whereever I am, when it gets cold, I'm among the first to put on a coat, gloves, and hat. Others--who are obviously cold themselves, standing there with no warm clothing on--insist that I should be used to the cold, since I am from Minnesota. My response is that I would rather protect myself from the cold then try to "get used to it." I think I'm applying common sense, but I suppose I could just be weak. At any rate, the climate in Minnesota is one of a few good reasons why I don't believe I'll ever settle up there once I retire from the Army. I just don't feel any cultural or political connection to the place anymore. Changed my legal residence to Texas several years ago.
On the other hand, it might be difficult to pick out the San Franciscans from the tourists who did their research and made sure to bring sweaters and jackets.
