# Y Canada? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 19, 1999, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y-canada/2667 "1999-08-19T06:53:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 1999, 6:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y-canada/2667/1 "1999-08-19T06:53:00Z")
I think I’m so great for that little play on words. Ugh. So; why Canada? South Park, the entertainment industry, and people in general are always picking on Canada. “Damn Canadians.” “Well, they’re Canadian, whaddya expect?” Now I doubt any of this reflects any real prejudice, but still; Why? What’d they ever do to us? They gave us so many great celebs. So what if it’s really cold (and the Expos suck). * * * – JMcC from SFCA [http://members.tripod.com/~weirdstuff/index.html](http://members.tripod.com/~weirdstuff/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![bantmof](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@bantmof](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bantmof)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 1999, 7:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y-canada/2667/2 "1999-08-19T07:54:00Z")
It always seemed to me to be sort of in the same spirit that two (at least male) friends will call each other “buttwipe” and “dumbass”, and not intend them as real insults. Plus, Canada’s so harmless that there’s some comedic value to be had from blaming them for absolutely everything :-). – peas on earth ---
**Author:** ![red\_wings](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/47e85d/32.png) [@red\_wings](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/red_wings)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 1999, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y-canada/2667/3 "1999-08-19T08:18:00Z")
I think it goes deep to the heart of most americans… they really want to be Canadian. ---
**Author:** ![Doobieous](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Doobieous](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doobieous)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 1999, 10:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y-canada/2667/4 "1999-08-19T10:17:00Z")
Yes redwings, thats why we have a lot of your talent here in the good ole U S of A :). Plus i’ve heard canadians bash america on the crime rate, and, uh…hmm what else? Damn, i can’t think of anything else that comes to mind… ---
**Author:** ![C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@C\_K\_Dexter\_Haven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C_K_Dexter_Haven)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 1999, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y-canada/2667/5 "1999-08-19T13:37:00Z")
We can’t make jokes about Poles, Germans, French, or Chinese anymore – they’re viewed as nasty and racist. But since Canadians are very much like Americans in many ways (like, ethnic and racial populations, language, attitudes on many topics), it’s OK to make jokes about Canadians. ((Note to Canadians – don’t get all huffy, I am _not_ saying Americans and Canadians are identical or agree on everything. But it is a sociologically provable fact, and politically true as well, that Americans and Canadians are more in agreement on long lists of topics than any other two countries in the world. We are sister countries in many ways, historic, cultural, sociological, etc., like it or not. Main difference is that Canadians tend to be more caring, more family-oriented, less success-driven, less materialistic than Americans.)) ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Thin\_Skin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d78d45/32.png) [@Mr\_Thin\_Skin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Thin_Skin)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 1999, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y-canada/2667/6 "1999-08-19T14:01:00Z")
IMO, I suspect also that canadian jokes are more of a self deprecating nature. We (USA’ers) have a reputation of always drawing imaginary lines between people based on race, country of origin, religion, shoe size, etc. These jokes are really about how prejudiced americans (of the U.S. persuasion :)) attempt to fit a situation into a contrived, artificial stereotype. ---
**Author:** ![According\_to\_Pliny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@According\_to\_Pliny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/According_to_Pliny)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 1999, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y-canada/2667/7 "1999-08-19T15:10:00Z")
I think you see a lot of joking about Canadians on this board because they are the second largest nationality represented here. Also, the Canadian SDMBers are all good humored and give at least as well as they take. Besides, we are all held together by a common enemy…ICELAND! ---
**Author:** ![mr\_john](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@mr\_john](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mr_john)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 1999, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y-canada/2667/8 "1999-08-19T15:31:00Z")
I LIKE Canadians,aside from THEIR huddled masses blocking and warming with there breath some of those cold air masses from the north, I like the food. Jambalaya,and crawfish pie,and fille gumbo,YUM YUM. * * * “…”-Marx ---
**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:** [August 19, 1999, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y-canada/2667/9 "1999-08-19T15:46:00Z")
“Americans are benevolently ignorant about Canada, whereas Canadians are malevolently well-informed about the United States.” - J. Bartlett Brebner Actually, I kind of like hearing Canadian jokes on TV. At least that way people remember that Minnesota’s northern border is not the Arctic Ocean. Now if we could just do something about that “America is the largest country in the world” trope. ---
**Author:** ![StrTrkr777](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@StrTrkr777](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StrTrkr777)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 1999, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y-canada/2667/10 "1999-08-19T18:34:00Z")
> [@](#): > > They gave us so many great celebs. Don’t forget Alan Thicke, he has to negate most of those celebs. Just kidding. I think it is because there is so little to pick on that can really be their fault. I mean most of it is about the weather, which they cannot control or the fact that they are Canadian again something they cannot control. AFAIK, I have liked every Canadian I have ever met. They seem like great people. We pick on them kind of like we pick on the state next to us. For GA it is AL (Alabama). Jeffery ---
**Author:** ![liverTwist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90ced4/32.png) [@liverTwist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/liverTwist)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 1999, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y-canada/2667/11 "1999-08-19T21:01:00Z")
I think Canada is underestimated. We Canadians have been holding back the hordes of fish-eating parka-wearing eskimoes from attacking the States for years. You all owe us a debt of gratitude… * * * “Minds are like parachutes; they work best when open.” -Lord Thomas Dewar ---
**Author:** ![omniscientnot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a5b964/32.png) [@omniscientnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omniscientnot)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 1999, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/y-canada/2667/12 "1999-08-20T02:47:00Z")
StrTrkr: We don’t seem like great people: we ARE great people, dammit!