I feel like I read this many, many years ago. Is this an old article?
I don’t necessarily disagree with any of them. But it does read as whiny. I’d also add our obsession with Tim Horton’s and hockey to that list, but then it sort of soft peddles folksy right wing Canadiana.
I don’t like the group of seven. Or much of the vaunted Canadian classical music canon (outside of the NFB). But I don’t know any country where its citizens are more gleeful in shitting on their own culture. And that’s kind of sad, IMO.
You know, it did seem kind of familiar. Maybe it is an old one.
I’ve seen this criticism before, and I don’t really think it is valid in Western Canada. I think it is more accurate to say that Eastern Canadians (read: Ontarians) are gleeful in shitting on their own culture.
What do you like? I can go for some John Estacio, some Ernest MacMillan, Claude Champagne. And a bunch of great music written for the NFB, like I said.
I started reading ‘Oryx and Crake’. After a couple of pages of ‘wtf?!’, realizing that I either don’t drink or shoot heroin enough to understand what the hell was going on or have enough estrogen to care about the characters (it seems all the women in my life liked the damned thing), I threw it away. Pulp writers write better SF.
Yes, those are some very cool composers. I like a lot of Canadian composers. I find that I’m enjoying the music of Chris Paul Harman, who was my teacher at McGill. A lot of others too.
I’ve been busy, but perhaps I should take some more time to listen to Canadian music. (Not Justin Bieber though )
Quebec. Quebec is hating on Canada. Not every Quebecker obviously, but the movement is strong and we all already knew that.
So, speaking of which what about Quebec’s apparent proposal to ban public employees from wearing religious symbols?
I understand that preservation of culture is important, hence the English sign rules, but is this really the Canada we want. I’m pretty sure the debate on this message board will be lop-sided, but what are they possibly thinking in Quebec? How does this really affect your everyday life if a teacher or doctor was wearing a turban or hijab? Seriously?
Jim’s theory is that the Canadian stuff the critics love is crap, so they have confused Canadians loathing crap with being self-loathing.
It seems kind of dumb to me - I don’t care if a public servant wears a turban or a cross. I do mind things like hijabs, because I don’t support female oppression.
Whoa. Hijabs are female oppression? Where on earth did you get that from?
Now burqas, the full dalek-like body veil is oppressive, but a hijab is a like a hoodie that stops at the shoulders. How is that oppressive? Some are quite elegant actually, like a fancy scarf or hat.
I agree with you, Leaffan. I’ve personally known hijab-wearing Muslim women. They’re not oppressed, not that I know of.
Maybe the PQ is trying to ban religious symbols because they want people to worship the PQ instead of God. Huh.
I try to like my province, I really do. But I hate the way the government is making us look so bad in front of the rest of Canada and the rest of the world.
A quote from the Atheist QOTD:
“Religion is like circumcision. If you wait until someone is 21 to tell them about it they probably won’t be interested.” - Anon
Most people follow their religion because they have been indoctrinated into it, a form of child abuse, imho. Any form of required head dress, especially when women wear it, is a promotion of servitude and should be discouraged. Should it be outlawed? I’m indifferent to that other than ensuring it only applies to an entire class rather than singling out people based upon skin color, for example. So, removing tax breaks to religious organizations would be a good thing. Telling someone to not wear a religious hat while allowing someone else to wear exposed religious jewelry isn’t, uh, kosher. Heh.
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