Making fun of Canadians

This is a mildly amusing article from the Star. But it misses the real point -- Canada is the subject of humour because everyone knows there isn't an anti-Canadian bias in the United States.

No one says "I won't have my daughter date a Canadian".

Making fun of Canadians isn't a serious act -- it's like making fun of Scots.

Humour at the expense of, say, Mexicans feeds into an existing bigotry -- that's no risk with Canadians.

Token Canadian humour gets smarter on U.S. TV

http://mobile.thestar.com/mobile/NEWS/article/724627

November 12, 2009

Raju Mudhar       

`Duh, I'm from Canada and they think I'm slow, eh."

Ever since the kid in Bart's remedial class uttered that line in an early Simpsons episode many years ago, it echoes in my head whenever there's a joke aimed at us by a big U.S. show. Perhaps it's a sign of our Canadian meekness that I can't muster indignation.

Of course, what I'll dub "token Canadian humour" has a pretty long and funny history. It's currently enjoying a bit of a heyday, as tonight's 30 Rock features the arrival of a new cast member on the fictional TGS show, a Canadian. In only a few moments onscreen, he's already shown Canadian traits, like politeness, as he was the only person who shook bedbug-infected boss Jack Donaghy's hand. Previews from tonight's episode show the characters trying to beat the Canadian accent out of the new guy.

The other exceptional gold mine of Canadian humour is CBS's How I Met Your Mother, which features Vancouver-born Cobie Smulders portraying Robin Scherbatsky, a Canadian New York-based anchor. Recently, she faced being deported for a chair-smashing hockey fight at the Hoser Hut, the Canuck bar she frequents, precipitating a crisis as she contemplates becoming an American citizen.

The show was a litany of Canadian jokes, with references to curling, Toronto, Tim Hortons and our money. This past week, they followed up with a special guest appearance by Alan Thicke.

South Park's "Blame Canada" and the fart-happy Terrance and Phillip have been poking fun our way for years. The Office made a road trip to Winnipeg last year. There are way more Simpsons references (anyone else want to go to the National Grammar Rodeo at the Sheraton Hotel in Canada?), and mentions by Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, who knows that the mere mention of Canada will inspire response from fans in this country.

"Those syrup-suckers won't let us practise at their Olympic venues," Colbert said recently. "This is the most unsportsmanlike conduct by Canadians since it was discovered Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Roy Halladay is a moose."

...
Obviously a lot of these jokes also allow Americans to shine a light on their own cultural foibles. We're the friendly other that can be seen as a twisted mirror: America Jr. as Homer put it once. Or as Steve Martin's fugitive guest character once exhorted Liz on 30 Rock: "Come with me to Canada. Toronto is just like New York, but without all the stuff."
James Morton
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