I was thinking while biking to work today that I know much of my Canadian culture from two people: Rick Mercer and Stuart McLean. So which one better represents Canada from a Canadian perspective?
I would guess Rick Mercer is the better one, as the way he can get politicians (well really anyone) to be human is really great. Plus he really drives some of his social beliefs in his rants.
Or is there someone else I should be listening to?
Who is Stuart McLean?
I’m not sure what you’re asking here - who should Americans be listening to in the US to get a good Canadian perspective? Who should Canadians be listening to, to get…something, I’m not sure what? What personality best represents Canadians to the world at large?
Stuart McLean is the host of the Vinyl Cafe on CBC- perhaps, Canada’s Garrison Keillor.
I was mostly curious who Canadians thought represented their country most accurately. (Tim Horton is not an option). Perhaps it is an impossible question, but I was curious if there was a Go-To person for Canada. (Like Maradona for Argentina and Pele for Brazil- except I wanted to restrict discussion top just Canada.)
Stuart McLean is the writer/performer behind the Vinyl Cafe.
I’d throw in Ron James for the fun of it.
Brent Butt. 
Good one - I was just thinking of Red Green.
I reckon most suggestions are going to be comics, too…
William Shatner?
Alex Trabek?
Actually… yes. If an American was truly interested in gaining some perspective on Canada, I’d recommend a Corner Gas marathon. Just yesterday I caught the episode where Brent engages in an extensive practical joke to convince Oscar that he’s legally an American citizen and had best try to “act Canadian” lest some shadowy agency like the CRTC swoop down and deport him.
Paul Gross (aka Benton Fraser) taught me a lot about Canada. Due South was full of humor/humour about US perceptions of Canada & Canadian perceptions of the US. I recently had cause to remember this scene:
That “legendary Mountie” was played by Leslie Nielsen–in an episode where he was able to use both his comic & dramatic chops to great effect. (And he later, indeed, received the Order of Canada.)
I was also going to mention Red Green–who appeared on an episode of Due South. (Just as Paul Gross played a clueless Canadian yuppie dealing with the denizens of Possum Lodge.)
And I learned about “urban” Canada from Twitch City. (Which featured Callum Keith Rennie–have you ever played “Six Degrees of CKR”?)
Is it really true that every Canadian knows every other Canadian?
Mclean and Mercer are quite different mediums, although I think that Mclean and his stories nail the typical suburban Canadian middle class life far better than the Mercer Report. I listened to way too much Mclean when I was at grad school as I only had a radio in my basement suite. Mercer is better with the politics and pop culture, but the characters Mclean uses in his monologues are just so goddamn Canadian I want to throw the radio across the room every time it hits the airwaves.
But clearly Mercer is the better emissary to the US, since he has all that experience Talking to Americans.
Jim and I both have older relatives who have stated that they don’t see what’s so funny about “Corner Gas” - my response to them is that it isn’t supposed to be a documentary.
Or here’s Stuart McLean on the Rick Mercer Report…
My older relatives find it hilarious. The scary part is, I’m not sure if they realize they’re laughing at copies of themselves or not.