Talk:Talking to Americans

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Canada Portal
This article is within the scope of WikiProject Canada and related WikiProjects, an attempt to build a comprehensive and detailed guide to articles on Canada-related topics. If you would like to participate, visit the project member page, to join the project and/or contribute to the discussion.
Start This article has been rated as Start-Class on the quality scale.
Low This article has been rated as Low-importance on the importance scale.
Canadian TV shows
This article is part of the Canadian TV shows WikiProject (Discuss/Join).

If it seems I'm obsessed with Talking to Americsns, I may well be. I actually liked a lot of Talking to Americans, although I think Michael Moore was more effective with his piece about how Canadians are smarter than Americans. Trontonian

I was with you until the last paragraph, which seems to have dissolved into gibberish. Could you clear it up a bit? Also seems like it might be a bit POV... Graft 16:53, 5 Aug 2003 (UTC)
I had trouble working out the second sentence, which is largely Zanimum's. Is that what you're referring to? I think I understand it, but it seems questionable -- that's why I changed was to may have been or whatever. As I interpret it, the idea is the show didn't get a nomination because people thought American exposure would make it difficult to do the follow-up that an award would have forced upon Salter Street, but perhaps I have that wrong. If it's the last sentence then I'm to blame; let me know where the confusion arises. Trontonian
On second thought my last sentence is just as questionable, so I'll take it out. But Nightline, where the show got its American exposure, was cancelled, eh? Trontonian
Nightline is still on. Or was that a joke? Rmhermen 17:12, 5 Aug 2003 (UTC)
It was ignorance, Rmhermen, sheer ignorance. I'm not as up on TV as I was since I cancelled my cable. But anyway, if Nightline was its only exposure I don't imagine it's stuck in many people's memories. Trontonian
Those of us near the border saw it on broadcast Canadian TV. Rmhermen 02:41, 6 Aug 2003 (UTC)
Well, that supports Zanimum's idea. I would have liked to see an American program turn the tables -- the things Canadians believe about the States are highly interesting. Trontonian

I removed the last paragraph because I do not understand it. "Blew the joke's cover"? Why? Which cover? September 11 inappropriateness? The show was broadcast in early 2001 - when would the Gemini Award nomination have taken place?—Eloquence 12:16, Aug 26, 2003 (UTC)

The Geminis are in October or November. He said it on a talk show just a couple months ago. Would everyone like me to type out the exact quote from Rick to give the exact context and all that, when the episode is repeated? - user:zanimum
That would be helpful.—Eloquence

I heard a rumour that during the United States Presidential Campaign, Al Gore's guards where given Rick's picture and told him not to allow him near Al Gore. Can anyone confirm this? I believe it would make an excellent addition to the article. Thapthim 22:08, 29 Sep 2004 (UTC)

Contents

[edit] Is "jay-walking" the same as what Mercer does ?

Is Jay Leno's "jay-walking" the same as what Mercer does? The jaywalking article gives an example that seems like a trivial test of general knowledge, that a well educated person could fail, without looking like an idiot. Granted, some of Mercer's questions, like the "double-double", fall into this class. But others reveal a deep and fundamental flaw in American culture -- its National Introspection. America's cult of National Introspection, allows many Americans to fail to realize the obvious absurdity of petitioning Canadians to abandon the practice of abandoning the elderly on ice floes, or the impossibility of a "National igloo". -- Geo Swan 17:20, 28 August 2005 (UTC)

From the article, it appears that 'jaw-walking' is some sort of quiz, whereas the defining feature of Rick Mercer's segments is that the participants are unaware that they are taking part in anything other than a usual television interview. David Arthur 13:27, August 29, 2005 (UTC)


I'll asume neither of you have seen the show so i'll explain the difference from a point of view of a person who's seen both. Talking to americans is a show where rick mercer goes to the usa and interviews everyday people and celebrities and politicians whenever he can. he asks them questions that only canadians will think are humerous. Canadians think they're funny because have a high opinion of their intelligence over america, i know because i know many americans and i live in canada (it's not a racist comment, it's observant.)Jay walking is when jay leno would go on the streets of just LA and asks questions of basic history and current headlines. he then takes the funniest wrong answers and airs them.


"i know because i know many americans and i live in canada (it's not a racist comment, it's observant.)" Yeah, don't be racist against us Canadians... This comment goes to show that anyone can be stupid- even my fellow Canadians.
Desire Campbell 02:20, 28 June 2006 (UTC)


I've seen both show's as I am Canadian (from Vancouver, BC). Yes, sir, you are being offesnsive, yes your claim is baseless, and yes it is inapproriate. Many Canadians like Americans, like the US, even though most vastly disagree with the political views of many (if not most) Americans (namely the Red states). Some Canadians do think their better, some hate the states, but the majority view the US (whether they admit or not) as a sort of sibling (with a different personality type); someone who you feel a conneciton with, even though you sometimes (or often) disagree.
You should watch the 1 hour television special, talking to Americans: It was a show that sometimes makes inside jokes only Canadians will understand; however, most of the statements in that special were in fact planly obvious facts that should be known by everyone on this contenient. Yes, I'm sure many people were playing along. Yes, I'm sure lots of people got the answers right and were cut out. Yes, I'm sure people called Rick out and it was not shown in the special, but you know what?
-A presidential candidate should know who the Canadian Prime Minister is.
-A presidential candiate should immedatley recognize Toronto is not the Canadian capital.
-Every professor at Harvard should know that Saskatchewan is landlocked.
-You should not be able to find more than one person in the same place (at the same time) that seriouslly thinks Canada does not have access to the ocean.
-And there shouldn't be even one poltical science student at Berkley that thinks that Canada's Prime Minister is Chinese (then go on about how progessive Canada is and how America should do the same).
This doesn't mean Americans are all stupid, *every* Canadian knows there are massive numbers of educated Americans. Though is it not a little curious as to why Rick Mercer was able to catch that profesor, or George Bush, or the Govenor of Iowa (in a different statement I didn't list above)? Catching them making or agreeing with these statements? Is that not noteworthy? Do you think you would find even one professor at Oxford that would forget that Ireland has access to the ocean?
And once again, don't go thinking Canadians hate Americans, despite what some people might say. We do like the US, however, more in the sibling sense (as I mentioned above). Don't get your nose out of joint and insult an entire country, just because you see something from it you don't like.
09:24, 25 February 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Question (not serious).

Is this segment a statement to the ethnocentricity of Americans, or to the general irrelevance of anything Canadian?

It's about the people in the U.S. a) knowing next to nothing about one of their largest trading partners, and b) still being willing to express strong opinions about it. David Arthur 16:25, 9 March 2006 (UTC)
Yeah, I get it. I was making a joke.
Should point out that most of the outside world doesn't know much about Canada. We're not in the news that much and our culture, at least in the media is not portrayed that much differently from the Americans. Most youths I meet, in France and UK (for instance), assume that we have much the same values and ideals as Americans (even the stereotypical traits like xenophobia and right-wingism). Not saying that Canadians are superior to the Americans, just that we're not exactly the same, and anyone who spends a few weeks up here (outside a huge city) would pick up on the subtle differences that make us Canadian :-) Tomstdenis 01:04, 9 March 2007 (UTC)
Kind of nitpicking here, but thought I'd say: even in a big city you'd find subtle differences that make us Canadian. Just because one is from a large city doesn't mean we're suddenly American clones. ;D Otherwise, I concur on your point. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 72.141.29.59 (talk) 03:00, 14 March 2007 (UTC).
Fair enough. Though when I was in Toronto it was really hard to see the Canadian spirit around, mostly because the people I interacted with on a daily basis were new immigrants. Not knocking them, just saying, they're not Canadian. For example, Canadians say sorry when they're bumped into, we hold the doors open for people (a lot more than Americans seem to), we're not hyper competitive in all we do (re: college sports, kids spelling bees) but love hockey to the extreme, although religion is strong in Canada, it doesn't seem to drive our policies quite as much as say the Americans or middle east countries.
Before I get flamed, this isn't to say Americans aren't nice, honest, hardworking folk [etc]. But if you bumped into a typical american, they're not likely to say "sorry" to you, or if you make fun of high school football, you're likely to get a lot of people upset at you, etc. It's those little things that really separate us and it stems from our values and upbringing really.
The segment on the show is kinda misleading. Though they use hyperbole to the extreme, most Canadians don't know much about our own history. If I asked who was the 13th prime minister of Canada, I doubt anyone could tell me (heck, I don't even know). etc. So this idea that Americans don't know anything about Canada and Canadians are oh-so-much more smart is just bollocks. I think the point of the show though is that many Americans don't know anything about Canada. It's one of those "I don't need it, I don't want to know about it" scenarios. That the show goes off the deepend to entrap victims is purely for comedic effect.Tomstdenis 14:24, 14 March 2007 (UTC)
Just so you know, I find it a little offensive that you would perpetuate sterotypes of the "typical American". I'd be willing to assume you haven't met a high enough proportion of the roughly 300,000,000 residents of the US to make that kind of statement.

[edit] This show on video

  • Does anybody know if there's a place that has this on video such as Amazon or the CBC? --Riley 01:07, 10 May 2006 (UTC)
  • It's on Youtube. It's technically illegal, but it exists.--Planetary 05:46, 3 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Why is this article tagged?

I don't understand the idea behind the 'this article does not cite its sources', how hard can it be? It's all from a TV show that is available on DVD. If a book can count as a source, why not a DVD? If anyone wanted to verify statements in this article there's only one place to get your sources, and that's the TV show. I say we should get rid of the tag, anyone agree?

I agree completely, unless the tag references something else.
Also, please sign your comments, XD. Jaimeastorga2000 06:34, 17 August 2007 (UTC)