# What a good idea! Let's visit a country and tape a show that insults its populace. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 13, 2004, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-good-idea-lets-visit-a-country-and-tape-a-show-that-insults-its-populace/229018 "2004-02-13T09:04:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-good-idea-lets-visit-a-country-and-tape-a-show-that-insults-its-populace/229018/1 "2004-02-13T09:04:27Z")
[Here comes Conan O’Brien:](http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20040213.conan13/BNStory/Front/) > [@](#): > > “You’re in North America; learn the language,” Triumph, the cigar-smoking dog, hollered at another Quebecker at the carnival. I particularly like this one (emphasis mine): > [@](#): > > French-language street signs were changed to English, bearing names like Celine Dion Sucks Street, Eat Me Frenchy Street, and **Quebecqueer** Street. Okay. Now it’s true the other year we had _Talking to Americans_, where Rick Mercer went to the States and persuaded Americans to say stupid shit about Canada. But he did not exactly just go and scream AMERICANS SUCK! in the middle of Iowa City. I don’t really think francophobic (and homophobic) invective is really comparable. Was there some reason for him to do this? Was it even meant to be witty or make a point? I’m rather insulted, yes, but mostly I’m just confused about what could possibly have made him think it was a good idea. (And Celine does suck, but that’s neither here nor there.) ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-good-idea-lets-visit-a-country-and-tape-a-show-that-insults-its-populace/229018/2 "2004-02-13T09:13:47Z")
It’s not “Triumph, the cigar-smoking dog,” it’s “Triumph, the **Insult Comic** Dog.” He insults everybody. Everybody. Even Canadians. The horror! Perhaps you should watch more episodes of Conan O’Brien. Or Hollywood Squares. Or just quit watching television, since it seems to upset you so much. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-good-idea-lets-visit-a-country-and-tape-a-show-that-insults-its-populace/229018/3 "2004-02-13T09:18:38Z")
Triumph is funny. That’s enough for me. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-good-idea-lets-visit-a-country-and-tape-a-show-that-insults-its-populace/229018/4 "2004-02-13T09:18:48Z")
Has he been known to insult entire ethnic groups? ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-good-idea-lets-visit-a-country-and-tape-a-show-that-insults-its-populace/229018/5 "2004-02-13T09:19:13Z")
Yeah…Triumph is pretty brutal to just about everybody. That’s his shtick, if you will. he insults people. You should have seen what he put the poor Star Wars fanboys through… ---
**Author:** ![Darkhold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@Darkhold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darkhold)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 9:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-good-idea-lets-visit-a-country-and-tape-a-show-that-insults-its-populace/229018/6 "2004-02-13T09:19:51Z")
There are people that get insulted by a sock puppet? Well wonders never cease. Ok the dog show people with their sticks up their asses I could understand (obviously no sense of humor) but Canada? Comon tell me you’re not really offended by it. Hell even the star wars goons were laughing when he was mocking the shit out of them. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-good-idea-lets-visit-a-country-and-tape-a-show-that-insults-its-populace/229018/7 "2004-02-13T11:22:05Z")
Pretty weak, **Matt**. If you don’t know Triumph’s shtick, fine- I’m not saying it’s the funniest thing in the world, but did you really expect Conan to go to Canada and not make any jokes about Canadians? It’s not supposed to be witty, no. They do other bits that are clever, that isn’t one of them. The character is offensive and rude to everybody, and he does indeed insult everyone, being the INSULT Comic Dog. If he only picked on gays or something, you’d have a legit complaint, but that’s not the case. ---
**Author:** ![Dunderman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecb155/32.png) [@Dunderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dunderman)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-good-idea-lets-visit-a-country-and-tape-a-show-that-insults-its-populace/229018/8 "2004-02-13T11:28:03Z")
> [@pepperlandgirl](#): > > You should have seen what he put the poor Star Wars fanboys through… I _am_ a Star Wars fanboy, and _I_ thought that was hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 11:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-good-idea-lets-visit-a-country-and-tape-a-show-that-insults-its-populace/229018/9 "2004-02-13T11:36:09Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Pretty weak, **Matt**. If you don’t know Triumph’s shtick, fine- I’m not saying it’s the funniest thing in the world, but did you really expect Conan to go to Canada and not make any jokes about Canadians? I am indeed unfamiliar with the shtick in question, but I’m having trouble seeing how this is reasonable. Has he also gone to Mexico and screamed at the wetbacks? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-good-idea-lets-visit-a-country-and-tape-a-show-that-insults-its-populace/229018/10 "2004-02-13T11:42:16Z")
Not to my knowledge. Of course, ‘wetback’ is a racial slur, which is generally considered worse than making French jokes or puns on the word “Quebecker.” Who said anything about being reasonable? Conan was invited to Toronto, and Triumph is a very popular character on the show. Unless they’re very, very stupid, the people who did the inviting knew what they were getting. ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-good-idea-lets-visit-a-country-and-tape-a-show-that-insults-its-populace/229018/11 "2004-02-13T11:46:09Z")
And ‘Frenchy’ and ‘Quebecqueer’ aren’t meant to be ethnic slurs? ---
**Author:** ![Derleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Derleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Derleth)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-good-idea-lets-visit-a-country-and-tape-a-show-that-insults-its-populace/229018/12 "2004-02-13T11:46:12Z")
What makes it funny is that it _is_ so goddamned stupid to do that shit. It’s funny, at least to some people, to see a sock puppet act like a complete and total jackass in front of the Clueless Masses. It’s funny to see stupid jokes and stupid comments and, maybe, watch a piece of cloth and plastic jerk the chain of someone who’s terminally offended. In other words, it’s just a step above _Jackass_ and a step or two below _South Park_. (Even the “Blame Canada” and “Kyle’s Mom is a Bitch” songs were more intelligent than Triumph’s schtick ever is.) ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-good-idea-lets-visit-a-country-and-tape-a-show-that-insults-its-populace/229018/13 "2004-02-13T11:49:13Z")
I think that if Rick Mercer went to Iowa City and started screaming, the citizens would probably just ask him if he had had a bad day. Midwesterners are pretty forgiving folk. Someone might even invite him home and make him a sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-good-idea-lets-visit-a-country-and-tape-a-show-that-insults-its-populace/229018/14 "2004-02-13T11:52:08Z")
> [@](#): > > And ‘Frenchy’ and ‘Quebecqueer’ aren’t meant to be ethnic slurs? Extremely childish ones, yes, which might be a significant difference. Rather than getting bogged down in the terminology, I’ll just say that you’re falling for this schtick by getting worked up about it, so you should probably get over it. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-good-idea-lets-visit-a-country-and-tape-a-show-that-insults-its-populace/229018/15 "2004-02-13T11:55:13Z")
**Matt** , to get your revenge you should just watch Ali G insulting USians. ---
**Author:** ![Cerri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3bc359/32.png) [@Cerri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerri)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-good-idea-lets-visit-a-country-and-tape-a-show-that-insults-its-populace/229018/16 "2004-02-13T12:23:17Z")
You _are_ aware it’s a puppet billed as an “Insult Comic Dog”, right? Seriously…it’s a puppet, and the comic stylings are meant to be ala old Rat Pack or Don Rickles comedy. Have you ever heard a Rat Pack show? Some truly funny shit, and probably THE most un-PC “mainstream” comedy you’ll hear to this day. (from the Live at the Sands album I have) Frankie: “Officer, nobody’s driving, we were all in the back seat!” Dean: “I got caught last night, the officer said walk the white line. I said, not unless you put a net under it…” Frankie sings “Did you ever see a Jew-Jitsu? Well, I did…” Sammy: “Now listen! Fair is fair! Would you like it if I said _sings_ did you ever see a wop-sicle?” Frankie: “Now, hold it! Just you hold it!” Sammy: "I ain’t gonna hold it, Whitey!! Let HIM hold it! (gesturing at Dean) ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-good-idea-lets-visit-a-country-and-tape-a-show-that-insults-its-populace/229018/17 "2004-02-13T13:07:20Z")
> [@](#): > > “So you’re French and Canadian, yes? So you’re obnoxious and dumb,” a satirical sock puppet told one passerby _That_ was was funny. Are the insults always so, well, bad? I mean, I get insulting people can be funny (cf. above) but just shouting “frenchmen smell” seems too juvenile. Is it really typical? ---
**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-good-idea-lets-visit-a-country-and-tape-a-show-that-insults-its-populace/229018/18 "2004-02-13T13:24:33Z")
> [@Shade](#): > > Are the insults always so, well, bad? No, they’re usually worse. It’s why he makes me giggle. ---
**Author:** ![CheekyMonkey613](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e480ec/32.png) [@CheekyMonkey613](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheekyMonkey613)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-good-idea-lets-visit-a-country-and-tape-a-show-that-insults-its-populace/229018/19 "2004-02-13T14:00:29Z")
To be fair, I don’t watch Conan, so I didn’t see the show. I don’t really care what a puppet says about me, a French Canadian. You gotta be able to laugh at yourself. If you can dish it out, you better be able to take it also. That being said, I am insulted at the situation and reason why Conan is in Canada in the first place. In an effort to show Toronto/Canada in a good light (after the SARS fiasco), Conan was invited to Toronto in hopes of showing us in a better light. The whole idea was to boost tourism, which has taken a severe hit since SARS. Canadian taxpayers subsidized the show $750 000, to relocate his cast and crew. Knowing that, I’d have to say that the show didn’t keep the original concept nor reason in mind with the dog-puppet skit. When I first heard that my tax dollars were going toward the Conan show coming to Canada, I was pissed off. But considering all of the irresponsible ways our government spends our money, I’m not surprised in the least. ---
**Author:** ![Aldebaran](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Aldebaran](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aldebaran)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2004, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-good-idea-lets-visit-a-country-and-tape-a-show-that-insults-its-populace/229018/20 "2004-02-13T14:05:01Z")
Well… In any case it escapes me why insulting people is perceived to be “funny” and witty". To me insulting people intentionally - or not even knowing that you insult, which is forgivable - shows an obvious lack of any decent upbringing. How on earth can such behaviour then be “witty” or funny" to witness? Salaam. A [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-a-good-idea-lets-visit-a-country-and-tape-a-show-that-insults-its-populace/229018.md?page=2)