Gullible Americans

Discussion in 'Off Topic Area' started by MarioBro, Mar 6, 2005.

  1. MarioBro

    MarioBro Banned Banned

    Funny video of a Canadian who likes to see what the Americans actually know about Canada...and it usually is not much. If I can find more of his videos I will post links.

    http://wimp.com/gullible
     
    Last edited: Mar 7, 2005
  2. MarioBro

    MarioBro Banned Banned

    Heres a few more...some of these just kill me, hhehe...

    http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/servlet/KRRedirect?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.stephenville.org%2Fgore.mpg

    http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/servlet/KRRedirect?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.stephenville.org%2Fprovinces.mpg

    http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/servlet/KRRedirect?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.stephenville.org%2Frushmore.mpg

    http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/servlet/KRRedirect?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.stephenville.org%2Farkansas.mpg

    http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/servlet/KRRedirect?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.stephenville.org%2Fbush.mpg

    http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/servlet/KRRedirect?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.stephenville.org%2Fwoody.mpg

    Here is the description from the page these came from (http://www.knowledgerush.com/kr/jsp/db/facts.jsp?title=Rick+Mercer's+Talking+To+Americans):

    Rick Mercer's Talking To Americans

    "Talking To Americans" was a regular feature presented by Rick Mercer on the Canadian political satire show This Hour Has 22 Minutes. It was later spun off into a one-hour special that aired on April 1, 2001 at 9 PM on CBC Television.


    It consisted in interviewing Americans on the street and supposedly duping them into agreeing with ridiculous statements about Canada. The intent was to satirize American ignorance of its neighbour. Examples included Americans persuaded to congratulate Canada on legalizing insulin or adopting the twenty-four-hour day; to exhort the Canadian government to install an air conditioner to preserve the National Igloo; or to agree that the U.S. should bomb Saskatchewan or send ground troops into Gilles Duceppe. In fact, some of the Americans interviewed seemed just to be playing along, although professors at distinguished American universities seemed always to be taken in by absurdities like the Saskatchewan seal hunt.

    The most famous segment featured Mr. Mercer in 2000 asking then-presidential candidate George W. Bush – who had previously stated that "you can't stump me on world leaders" – for his reaction to an endorsement by Canadian Prime Minister "Jean Poutine". Bush responded diplomatically and said he looked forward to working together with his future counterpart to the north. However, the prime minister's name (back then) was Jean Chrétien; poutine is a French-Canadian fast food dish of french fries and cheese curd, and also was potentially inspired by recent jokes about Russian president Vladimir Putin who has a similar name. Also, Chrétien had not endorsed any candidate at the time and, in any event, it does not behoove the head of a neighboring country's government to take such a stand regarding U.S. presidential races. Bush's opponent, Vice President Al Gore, also fell victim to Mercer, when he was asked about the Canadian capital Toronto (it is actually Ottawa).
     
    Last edited: Mar 6, 2005
  3. Sandus

    Sandus Moved Himself On

    Americans learned most of what they know about Canada from the South Park movie.
     
  4. KickChick

    KickChick Valued Member

    Tell me .... do Canadians (or "Candians" :) ) know any more about Americans and their history than we should about Canadians and your history?
     
  5. Scarlet Mist

    Scarlet Mist Banned Banned

    Probably. America's influence is far and wide. Cable is everywhere. We had DSS at home (it was bootleg, and it works no more), and you'd surprise to see what watching American tv does for you knowledge of American history. Go figure.
     
  6. MarioBro

    MarioBro Banned Banned

    Probably so...as SM mentions, from CNN to most cable channels, movies, etc. it is all American. I am not saying it is a bad thing, just found it amusing.

    What is funny about it is that people would believe that our clock was 20 hours as opposed to 24, that we actually have an igloo parliament somewhere (that we are trying to protect by building a dome over it), that we are eskimo and south of the U.S., that we recently legalized dog ownership, just to name a few.

    I also hear stories almost every time someone I know goes to the U.S., of crazy questions or comments many Americans will make about Canada. It is kinda scary sometimes actually :eek:.

    Oh, and...ummm....would you believe that 'Candian' is a short way of saying 'Canadian' here in Canada? I Bet you would...:D (kidding...spelling error corrected).
     
  7. Sandus

    Sandus Moved Himself On

    There's a large number of Americans that don't know anything about their OWN country either. I don't recommend watching the Tonight Show, but if you've ever seen Jay Leno do his infamous "Jaywalking," you'd see that lots of Americans are simply not that smart.

    I'll admit I don't know who the current Prime Minister of Canada is (though I do know who the Queen of England is) but that's only because I have no connections with or interest in Canada beyond its crumbling National Hockey League (no offense). I do have a cursory knowledge of its governmental workings and a reasonably good grasp of its geography, but beyond that it's not really of great importance at this juncture that I know anything else (unless you count all those American missile silos on Canadian soil).

    Congratulations on legalizing dog ownership though!
     
  8. Brad Ellin

    Brad Ellin Baba


    Watching American TV DOES NOT do anything for your knowledge of Aamerican history. I went to Romania a few years back and when they found out my crew was from Texas, they asked if we 1) still fought Indians 2) everyone carried pistols 3) we all wore cowboy hats. One crew member was from Chicago, they thought he was a gangster. In Turkey, they thought the TV show Dallas was a representation of all of America. None of my friends or family are anything like what is depicted on TV, except maybe on Roseanne. Should I base my opinion of England and the English on BBC? Or Mr. Bean? Or any other British TV show? No. How about my impression of all Canadians be based on all the old SCTV (Bob and Doug McKenzie) skits? Naw, I don't think so.

    Might be why I just don't watch TV much anymore. Certainly not any TV shows, the occasional movie maybe, but American Idol? Never seen it. Same with Fear Factor or CSI or, well, heck, I can't name any new shows. That's how little I watch it.
     
  9. KickChick

    KickChick Valued Member

    LOL ... and Snapple bottle caps.

    Just got this one opening my Diet Rasberry Ice Tea Snapple here at work ....
    "Canada has the longest coastline of any country in the world"

    Who says you can't learn something new everyday :rolleyes:
     
  10. Kinjiro Tsukasa

    Kinjiro Tsukasa I'm hungry; got troll? Supporter

    Bingo! And what Kurohana said.

    Couldn't have fooled me with that "poutine" business -- plenty of restaurants in my neighborhood serve it. :D
     
  11. wild_pitch

    wild_pitch Melt The Guns!

    i am willing to say yes to this.

    we get all of your media, news, etc, AND american history, geography etc was all offered at my high-school.

    i would guess very very few americans get CBC and if they do they would *rightly* not be interested.

    =)

     
  12. Kinjiro Tsukasa

    Kinjiro Tsukasa I'm hungry; got troll? Supporter

    We do get a Canadian TV channel where I live, but I have a hard time understanding it, as it's all in French! :D
     
  13. JKD_Haduken

    JKD_Haduken New Member

    ahh, I would love to watch these but I don't have a computer in my Igloo. :)


    HILAROUS!


    and people, we have been good so far but lets not turn this into a my country is better than yours thread :)...

    because we all know Canada is better eh...JUST JOKING!!!!!


    (SORRY, couldnt resist)
     
  14. Scarlet Mist

    Scarlet Mist Banned Banned

    You apparenlty didn't read my post. I said, I and many of my friends watched a lot of American tv at home (point 1). We thus learned a lot about American culture, history and constitution, I know we did, because I am now studying in America. I can conclude from my experience and that of my friends that watching american tv does drastically increase your understanding of american history and culture.
     
  15. Cantwell

    Cantwell New Member

    In defense of all of the non-stupid americans...

    My defense of the smart Americans is that there are...well, many stupid Americans. Many Americans know little or nothing about the outside world. So many Americans know nothing of Islam and see it as a "terrorist" religion (most not realizing that Islam is actually a continuation of judaism and christianity).

    On the whole, Americans are so enveloped in their own culture that they just do not realize their own ignorance. (It would be okay to say "Hey, I know nothing about Japan." I could even accept "And I don't want to learn anything." But a lot of Americans are like "Japan? Yeah I know all about them! They attacked pearl harbor and have ninjas! Damn thin eyes, how are they so good with computers?!")

    And as far as American History goes, elementry schools here teach the wrong things! You cannot blame the population completely. I had to relearn everything in highschool.

    -Cantwell, an American
     
  16. redsandpalm

    redsandpalm shut your beautiful face

    I think it's easy to go around american streets and get people to say stupid things. I'd say it's probably pretty easy to go around any countries streets and get people to say stupid things - especially if your a media-savy expert at manipulating people to say certain things, or have an editor to get rid of all the clips of the people who answered the questions correctly??

    edit: but it's so damn funny - long may it continue
     
  17. Davey Bones

    Davey Bones New Member

    Funny, I always thought Canada was just a burb of various major American cities... silly me :rolleyes:
     
  18. wild_pitch

    wild_pitch Melt The Guns!

    HAHA oohh man that is a good one...

    you really burned canada. i have NEVER heard that one before.

     
  19. Davey Bones

    Davey Bones New Member

    Learn to recognize sarcasm, you'll last longer around here.
     
  20. Drunken Miss Ho

    Drunken Miss Ho New Member

    You know how they make fun of "Japanophiles" for watching too much anime and only eating yakisoba? Well, I'm a Canadaphile. I pride myself on my knowledge of poutine, ployes, and Tim Horton's, being able to read street signs in French, the proper pronounciation of "about", and knowing what real tea tastes like. My partner is even half Canadian. Are there support groups for people like me?
     

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