They're Canadian?

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I've recently been thinking about that vast mass of frozen tundra that lays north of the U.S. border, sometimes called The Great White North, formally named Canada. The reason I have is because I've found myself interacting with several Canadians online as of late, and I've been impressed with their knowledge of American politics and culture. By contrast, I have to admit that I know practically nothing about Canada. I would go so far as to say that my woeful ignorance is embarrassing! I seem to remember from history lessons in my formative years about the French colonizing much of the Canadian territory during colonial times, that a war we gauche Americans refer to as The French and Indian War led to British control of the territory, and ...well...that's about it. Other than Canadian stereotypes - calling people hosers and drinking lots of beer – I had to admit my ignorance was quite profound. Therefore, I felt it prudent to scour the Googleverse for knowledge about Canada, you know, just in case I'm ever goaded into a discussion pertaining to our northern neighbors, in hopes that I won't sound like a complete idiot. So far, I have to admit...I'm a complete idiot.

Cover of Strange Brew

Before embarking on my studies, I asked myself if I knew any famous and important Canucks. Sadly, the first people that came to mind were Bob and Doug McKenzie, from the movie Strange Brew. They were played by Rick Moranis, before he became famous in the Ghostbusters and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids movies, and Dave Thomas, before...well, the only thing I can recall seeing him in is the recent movie Rat Race, which is hilarious despite the drubbing it took from movie critics. I then thought of The Great One, Wayne Gretzky, the other Great One, John Candy, and the Inuit, of whom I've subsequently read do not like to be called Eskimos.

Do you think Inuit Pies would have been as popular as Eskimo Pies? Doesn't quite have the same ring, but I digress.

Soon a slew of Canadian actors and musicians filled my brain, and I had to admit that I didn't know any Canadians other than entertainers. That's sad. So, after reading up on some Canadian history and politics (Canada is a Constitutional Monarchy?), I endeavored to find some Canadians famous for something other than their contributions to celluloid and vinyl (or, whatever material a CD is made out of). I have to admit, I was surprised by some of the people I found that hail from The Great White North. Although not a comprehensive list, I thought I'd mention a few that I found interesting.

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Alexander Graham Bell

Though the inventor of the telephone was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Mr. Bell spent most of his adult life in Canada. He would have the telephone patented in the U.S., but all the inventing took place at his home in Ontario. He became a naturalized citizen of the U.S., and Scotland and the U.K. claim him as a citizen as well, but it would appear Mr. Bell's heart was in Canada.

I found it interesting that he wouldn't allow a telephone in his study, as he found it distracting. I wonder if I told my daughter that, she might be motivated not to spend every waking hour talking on her cell? Probably not.

Jack Warner

The Hollywood movie mogul and co-founder of Warner Bros. Studios was born in London, Ontario. Jack Warner was the main man at Warner Bros. Studios and is responsible for procuring the technology for the first “talkies”, or talking films.

By extension, one might blame him for the degradation of modern culture due to the immorality and depravity depicted in movies today. Not that I would! I'm just sayin'!

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Peter Jennings

Born in Toronto, Peter Jennings cut his journalistic teeth on Canadian television before becoming the news anchor for ABC's World News Tonight in the U.S. Of the “big three” news anchors, with Tom Brokaw at NBC and Dan Rather at CBS, Jennings was the anchor I watched. You see, before the time of a billion cable channels and around-the-clock news coverage as we have it today, a person typically got their news from one of the big three anchors on one of the big three networks. My, how times have changed.

James Naismith

I grew up with a basketball in my hands. It was the sport I loved to play the most, and if my parents didn't know where I was, it was a safe bet they would find me at the basketball court down the street. Well, until I was in high school, then there was a 50/50 chance. I guess I have James Naismith, the inventor of basketball, to thank for all those twisted ankles and failed slam dunk attempts of my youth. Thanks, man!

Mr. Naismith was born in Almonte,Ontario, but it was in Massachusetts where he'd invent basketball. He would later move to Kansas where he was athletic director and head couch of the basketball team at the University of Kansas.

Leslie Nielson

I know, I know, he's an entertainer, but I didn't know he was Canadian until I did this research! I simply assumed someone that funny had to be American!

Leslie Nielson was born in Regina, Saskatchewan, a Canadian province I had to look for on a map in order to know where it is. I grew up with Airplane and The Naked Gun series, so imagine my surprise when I saw him in The Forbidden Planet. I didn't know the man that “would do anything for a laugh” made serious movies. He's one of my all time favorite funny men. I laugh just thinking about his work.

So, I guess Canada's number one export isn't actors and musicians after all. I don't know if you were surprised by the Canadians I've listed here, but I surely was, and pleasantly so. I think that we Americans can be a bit myopic when it comes to culture and country. We don't always see beyond our own proverbial noses at times, and miss out on a diverse panoply of interesting people, places and things that may lay just over the border. Perhaps the next time I chat with my Canadian friends I'll be a bit more appreciative and understanding. And maybe I won't sound like an idiot.

But, then again...

Pop Goes the Music

I figure one of two things is happening, pop music today really sucks or I'm turning into my father.  God help me either way.

Being an 80's kid and a lover of metal music -along with just about every other genre of music- I listened to what's been derisively called hair, sleaze or pop metal.  You know the stuff, Poison, Ratt, Mötley Crüe and the like.  I didn't just listen to it, I loved it.  Perhaps it was the excesses of the 80's the music represented, the excesses of sex, drugs and everything else rock-n-roll, that appealed to me.  I think a lot of it had to do with it's blues foundation as well as the classic metal influences that drew my attention.  Whatever the reason, I loved me some hair metal!  The more hair the better.  I sometimes miss the attitude and swagger.  I miss the party.

Now, I also love my dad, I love his music.  He introduced me to Muddy Waters and The Beatles.  We used to play vinyls of Elvis and Bobby Blue Bland...on the same night.  My dad is the only person I know to have had the complete recordings of Jonathan Edwards.  His music tastes were diverse and eclectic, that's why I was surprised to hear him say to me one night, "Why do you like that Ratt Poison?  It's terrible!"  I was traumatized!  I tried to sell him on hair metal with Whitesnake, a band heavily influenced by the blues, but he would have none of it.  To him, hair metal was the end of music as an art form.

Now, pop music has gone through many changes and hybrids since the 80's hair metal scene, and I've paid attention to some and not to others.  Still, I've kept myself fairly abreast of pop music's fluctuations and have considered myself tolerant, until lately.  I've noticed a change.  The question is, is it a change in me or in pop music?  I gotta know.

Having a thirteen year old daughter has exposed me to today's top 40 radio; and I have to admit, I listen begrudgingly.  There's a hodge-podge of  rappers, many times featuring some other artist, several teenage heart throbs, and that because of the provocative videos they produce, a spattering of country musicians and maybe a few adult contemporary artists thrown in that makes up the top 40 and I can't seem to find anything on there I can appreciate.  Lil' Wayne, seriously?  I keep hearing that Justin Bieber has great hair, but great music?  No way.  Taylor Swift and Katy Perry are cute, but is that enough to lionize them in the top 40's current Pantheon?  Uh, no.  And can someone tell Lady Gaga Madonna already did that?

Here's the thing, I find the music industry patronizes us, the music consumer, with some of the most banal and uninteresting music ever produced.  It's as if all you need to sell a single is sex appeal, either in the lyrics or packaged in a music video.  I have been told I should try Katy Perry, that she's not typical pop.  So I listened to Teenage Dream.  I wish I had that three and a half minutes back.  I've been known to watch American Idol on occasion and every time a rap artist graces the stage I start to contemplate never watching the show again; not because I think rap is horrible, but that the rapper's performances are horrible.  I always wonder why anyone would pay to see that live.  Has the music industry run out of good music to market to us?  I wonder.

Now, I know everyone has their own tastes in music and I respect that, but I'm trying to understand the direction pop music is going in.  I hear the music industry is suffering from slumping sales and from what I hear on the radio I think I know why.  Still, I have my Led Zeppelin and U2 albums I can listen to, so all's good.  I can throw in the ol' ear buds and get lost in what I consider symphonic bliss, despite the drivel oozing from top 40 stations.  I have some hair metal albums I throw into the rotation as well.  Oh yeah!  Still, I can't help but wonder if it's more me than the music.  I really could be turning into my dad.  Well, as long as the tunes are tasty...

And if I have to hear that song, Hey Soul Sister, one more time I'm putting a fork in my ear!