Canadian TV Sucks and Why Anyone Should Care

After being thoroughly disappointed by awesome potential of The Border I decided to check out some other current Canadian TV shows and they all seem to have had the entertainment sucked right out of them by Political Correctness. I was watching another CBC show called Little Mosque on the Prairie and it blew. It was scene after scene of wise, tolerant Muslims putting up with blundering bigoted white people stupidly misinterpreting everything they do and suspecting them of terrorism. You can practically feel the Minister of Multiculturalism and Citizenship nudging you in the ribbs going; "see, see, they're not terrorists, stop being such a racist".

This heavy handed brand of programming is patronizing, dangerous and in no way productive. In my opinion, one of the best movies for the empowerment of women was Aliens. In the multi-million dollar Sci-Fi classic Aliens the character Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) takes command of a squad of Marines because she is the best qualified to do so in that situation. There is no long, dramatic discussion about it, there is no cliché redneck who opposes the idea out of bigotry and later realizes the fault of his position when the woman/minority ends up saving him. People look to the culture to guide them and this was the way it ought to be. On a similar note, the most empowering moments for Sikhs was in the Sopranos when one of the mechanics in the garage was a turban-wearing Sikh and no one mentions it, they just talk to him about the car. Folks will never react well to these patronizing, overly sensitive, contrived portrayals of life - if you want to send a normalizing message about Muslims in Canada just portray them as normal people.

As long as Canadian TV continues to suck civil, honest discussion of issues on the CBC will be hampered, the CBC (controlled by the Canadian government) will have a lower ability to impact on society and Canadians will continue to turn to the US to be entertained.

On a more positive note Irish TV still seems pretty decent - check out this clip from The Panel. I love their attempt at American accents.

What do you do with a Generation of Young Men without Fathers who have grown up Idolizing Womanizing Criminals?

Have them watch Ax Men....

The History Channel put on a new show where they just follow some guys in Oregon around during the logging season and it may be the most positive thing going on in American culture right now. This is a picture of rough, honest men in lean times working in a rough yet rewarding profession with no margin for bullshit. And the views are just down right beautiful - this show takes place in the towering, still wild Cascade Mountains and with men who still fight for their wages and are prepared to fight for anything else dear to them. These men embody the American spirit which has sulked away from much of our cities and suburbs.

So why do I think a show embracing this type of masculinity is so great? Keep in mind, American manlyness (which has been in decline for many years) has positive virtues, virtues which I believe greatly benefit this country - crime and dishonesty are unmanly, running out on your wife and kids is unmanly, being economically unproductive is unmanly, allowing the government to take away an inch of your freedom is unmanly, being a 30 year old man living in your mother's basement is decidedly unmanly (the so-called "child-man").

The best cost-free move our government could make right now would be to put 1 episode of this show on in ever 8th grade civics class - what womanizing rap star could hold a light to these men?


If you can, check out an episode. (And if you are a man, just try to tell me you didn't want to be a lumberjack afterward. )

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Dg-eiDT5EeM&feature=related