Over the past year or two, I’ve noticed a lot of really stupid jokes about Canada, mainly on american television. It’s usually a minor gag (but not a funny one, really) on a show like the Simpsons or Titus, although the whole “Blame Canada” part of the South Park movie was the most obvious. I’ve noticed quite a few unfunny Canda jokes on these boards, too. They’re all completely unfounded, hypocritical (like calling Canadians stupid (we’re not), despite the fact that american (I’m pretty sure most of the people who tell these jokes are american) high schools were recently rated the worst in the industrialized world [don’t quote me on that; I just saw it on an american news show the other day]), not funny, and make whoever tells the joke look ignorant (in my opinion, anyway). Yet they remain very common. What’s up with that?
I have no idea. Americans like Canada (at least, I’m American and I do, and the other Americans I know like Canada). I think it’s just friendly jests. Perhaps it’s spillover from hockey/baseball rivalries.
On the other hand, an American friend of mine went to the U. of Toronto and said that the Canadians there constantly put down Americans.
Wild guess - Canadian comics started itin a quest to build exposure in the industry for their home, and it’s snowballed. There’s no harm meant, you can’t dislike such a nice country. I’d move there if it didn’t freeze in the wintertime.
man you need to chill out! I am Canadian too and about 90% of Canadians make jokes about the part of Canada where I come from. Can you guess where? Yeah I am a “Goofie Newfie” but we take it all with a grain of salt. We just think “Thank God we’re surrounded by water”. If you can’t take a joke you better stay in bed. If you think the american jokes about Canadians are bad you should hear the jokes the Dutch tell about Belgium. (It is often those closest to you who are the but of your jokes) I laugh at mother-in-law jokes, but that doesn’t mean I dislike my mother in law, on the contary we get along just fine. By the way did you hear the one this one about the dying Newfie skipper?
Gravely ill, the Skipper was examined by a doctor while
his wife stood by. After the examination the physician motioned
for her to meet him in the hallway. “Your husband is very sick,”
the doctor said. “Still, you can do three things to ensure his
survival. First, fix him three healthy meals a day. Next, give
him a stress-free environment and don’t complain about anything.
Finally, make love to him every day or so.”
The doctor left and the woman returned to her husband’s
room. “What did the doctor say?” he asked. “I’m sorry, m’dear,”
she said, “but you’re not going to make it.”
cuz Polish jokes aren’t PC anymore.
Also, John Candy, a Canadian, made a movie making fun of Canadians (Americans, too). So we think it’s all right.
Of course, that logic can get you in to real trouble. Lots of black comics use the word “Nigger”. But I wouldn’t use that as a reason to use it in my jokes.
Retief, I can take a joke and shrug it off, but after two years of lame jokes it just gets annoying.
I like Canada and I make CanadianJokes the reason
If we didn’t pick on you, you wouldn’t think we loved you any more.
Max, be glad you are not from New Zealand or Tasmania, both of which are the butt of many crude, rude and disgusting jokes from mainland Australia. Tasmanians are constantly ribbed about being inbred, because they inhabit an island with a relatively small population. New Zealand is fequently the butt of lewd acts with sheep.
However, they give as good as they get.
And you won’t be surprised to know that when a dumb/gross/corny/bizarre story from the US appears in our news services, the standard comment is “only in America…”
The jokes are lame for the most part but they strike a note
with many folks, mainly because Cananda is perceived to be a relatively innocuous place with get along, go along folks
who are “brew” and hockey obsessed (per SCTV) and who, except for a brief moment when the sun is shining in the dead of summer, have to don mukluks and bearskins to brave the bitter artic winds that howl, never ceasing, across the Canadian tundra in their search for more “brew”.
Canadians are a blend of the mysterious and the mundane. Like the orthodontist uncle you never met who lives in
Tijuana. I’ve met Canadians. I like Canadians. Canadians are OK!
Max, the ability to laugh at ourselves is one of the things that sets us apart from the Yanks. In fact, I think they’re adding it to that Molson Canadian commercial.
Besides, people always mock their social superiors.
Alot of Americans think of Canada as our retarded sister. They talk funny,(“what are you talking aboot”) they can’t own any good guns, they can’t have radar detectors, and they use that goofy metric system that we never could learn.
And they have a queen on their money! A queen! And then there is that half french half english thing. Americans as a whole have a crude sense of humor and like to make fun of things we feel are beneath us.
Oh sure, Yanks talk normally…
You know, I saw a comedian once who pretty much summed it up:
“I was on tour in Toronto and after my act this woman came up to me and asked, ‘So what do you Americans think about Canada?’ and I said ‘We don’t’”
Just as with too many other groups who get overly sensative about things… a joke is a joke… and I would say if it weren’t for jokes 90% of Americans (mainly the internal “socially retarded” states) wouldn’t even think of Canada at all.
You should feel happy that someone is reminding the corn farmers and pig herders you exist 
We keep the jokes dumb so the Canadians will understand them.
D&R
Off the topic but I love your sig, Where is it from?
Reminds me of a scottish girl I heard tell her husband that if he forgot the groceries she would “Have your guts for garters” It’s the imagery(sp?) that gets me!
GPL
I wouldn’t know about calling Canada a “retarded sister” (as pkbites says) With the exception of the French Canadiens, most of the people I know see Canada as another state wedged in between the US and Alaska, so we tease Canada in the same way that we make jokes about the southern states being rednecks, the Midwest being Bible thumping and boring, the East Coast (New York) rude, the West Coast (California) flakey, Texans as cowboys, etc. Americans don’t single out Canada too be mean, it’s how we treat everyone here. And the “Blame Canada” song was not making fun of Canada as much as it was a social statement on Americans who have knee-jerk reactions to blame something else for what is wrong here (the kids were misbehaving, it’s not the parent’s fault, who are supposed to raise the children, but Canada for exporting that film - that’s showing the narrow-mindedness of the American blaming an innocent Canada).
In short, it’s just good-natured ribbing and not meant to be taken as any animosity between US citizens toward Canada or its citizens. It’s like two buddies teasing each other while hanging out together.
PS - I want to give a special mention to DVous Means who used the words “butt” “lewd acts” and “sheep” all in the same sentence. I’m just immature enough to giggle away at that.
You Canadians wouldn’t believe how many stupid people actually think you are a state!
You wish!
Bratman007 hit it on the mark with the “Blame Canada” theme in southpark.
I have to put my vote in for the “easy scapegoat” theory. You guys are close enough that we actually know enough to make fun of you, but far enough away that we’re not worried about offending anyone.
Another angle is the perception of Canada’s racial makeup (mostly Anglo-saxon). If we made fun of Mexico or Mexicans, folks might think we were racists.
We make fun of Canada instead of Mexico because at least Mexico has good beer.
Hey, a whole lot of Canadians aren’t going to like hearing that. But what can they do about it? Our Salvation Army could kick their ars!
I think this has a real ring of truth to it. Canada, like the U.S., is an immigrant country, so if we make fun of Canada and Canadians, there isn’t an ethinic/inbred slur involved.
I also think that Americans make fun of Canada because we just don’t get your country. You people are the same as us and speak the same language, but y’all are generally civil, your cities are neat, and you’ve avoided a lot of the class/race/sex troubles we wallow in. The only explanation is you people are weird.