By Bryony Vander Wilp
Joe isn’t so Canadian anymore. Many Canadians were disappointed when Jeff Douglas, who played the now famous proud Canuck on a Molson Canadian commercial, was found heading to Hollywood.
The commercial, in which Joe raves about what it means to be Canadian, sparked a burst of patriotic fervor among the public. We are not American, we are different and we are great!
Now Joe is going south. Disappointing? Yes. Surprising? No.
Canadian culture is hard to define and more often than not, it comes out as a stream of negatives
Canadians are not rude. Canadians are not always wearing winter boots.
We were proud when Joe stood up and said it’s great to be Canadian but the feeling stopped there.
Art functions as a reflection of a country’s culture. Art is a country representation of itself to itself.
The commercial may not be high art but it certainly represented Canadians, so does Joe’s departure to the States.
Of the thousands of Canadians who practically memorized Joe’s speech, how many can name five Canadian films they’ve seen? List the last five Canadian books they’ve read? Plays they’ve attended?
When it comes to supporting the culture of which we are so proud most Canadians are almost all talk.
Our mainstream entertainment is predominately American. The music industry is an exception.
Canadian musical artists have thrived internationally. Celine Dion, Alanis Morrissette and Shania Twain are worldwide stars thanks to a small requirement set by the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommun-
ications Commission called Canadian content laws, affectionately known as Cancon.
Under this provision, radio stations are required toallocate at least 35 per cent of the broadcast day and week to Canadian music. As a result, singers like Shania Twain gained the exposure they needed to succeed. And leave the country, like Joe.
Supporting the arts is still viewed as a guilty pleasure if not an outright waste of money.
There seems to be an idea that since we have American products to entertain us, there is no point in creating and consuming our own.
People make fun of Canadian entertainment more than they watch it. So, even if we live in Canada, artistically we’ve moved to the States.
Joe should change his speech.
Hey, I’m not a not a patron of the arts or a fan of Riverdale. I don’t rent Canadian movies or read Canadian books. And I don’t watch Atom Egoyan, Denys Arcand or Jennifer Dale though I’m sure they’re really really good. I have a government that cuts funding to the arts. I quote American television shows at work and I’m not sure how to pronounce the last name of that guy who wrote the English Patient. I proudly wave my flag when the Olympics are on or it’s Canada Day. I believe in shopping south of the border. And that The Simpsons is a truly funny TV show unlike Jonovision. An American directed this commercial, not a Canadian. And Made in Canada will probably be turned into a more popular program by Aaron Spelling. Canada is the second largest landmass, the first to consume American products and artistically the most embarrassing part of North America! My name in Joe and I’m going to McDonalds! Thank you.