Even Crusty Old Buggers Can Sometimes Be Right
Does anybody remember Gordon Sinclair who worked for the CBC? Yes, it's true. The CBC did once provide balance in the form of the occasional crusty old bugger. And lest you're thinking "Rex Murphy", let me assure you, Murphy doesn't hold a candle to Sinclair in the "crusty old bugger" class.
He was a regular member of the panel on Front Page Challenge, an intelligent and informative CBC game show. Aside from the stirring rally on behalf of the beleaguered Americans, set to music with snazzy visuals in the video below, he was also known far and wide, in Canada at least, for referring disparagingly to South East Asians as "slanty-eyed rice eaters", and this despite the fact that one of his co-panelists on Front Page Challenge was the Asian-Canadian, Adrienne Clarkson. Although he got a thorough bashing from the Canadian public for that choice bit of bigotry, political correctness had yet to rear its ugly head, so he didn't so much as lose his job.
His take on America's place in the world was correct, though. His words of praise for the Americans would ring true still, as would his assessment of the irrational yet seemingly universal disrespect visited upon them by so much of the world. I know of Americans who still remember that tribute and appreciate it.
Today the CBC features an article on the tribute to Canada by the American journalist, Tom Brokaw, which has gone viral (to the extent that a puny Canadian audience can cause anything to "go viral" on the net).
I kind of like both videos. I just wish that as neighbours, we and the Americans would tone down the eternal bashing-each-other-with-misinformed-bigotry fest and replace it more respect, just like these two videos do. Some genuine curiosity would help, too.
He was a regular member of the panel on Front Page Challenge, an intelligent and informative CBC game show. Aside from the stirring rally on behalf of the beleaguered Americans, set to music with snazzy visuals in the video below, he was also known far and wide, in Canada at least, for referring disparagingly to South East Asians as "slanty-eyed rice eaters", and this despite the fact that one of his co-panelists on Front Page Challenge was the Asian-Canadian, Adrienne Clarkson. Although he got a thorough bashing from the Canadian public for that choice bit of bigotry, political correctness had yet to rear its ugly head, so he didn't so much as lose his job.
His take on America's place in the world was correct, though. His words of praise for the Americans would ring true still, as would his assessment of the irrational yet seemingly universal disrespect visited upon them by so much of the world. I know of Americans who still remember that tribute and appreciate it.
Today the CBC features an article on the tribute to Canada by the American journalist, Tom Brokaw, which has gone viral (to the extent that a puny Canadian audience can cause anything to "go viral" on the net).
I kind of like both videos. I just wish that as neighbours, we and the Americans would tone down the eternal bashing-each-other-with-misinformed-bigotry fest and replace it more respect, just like these two videos do. Some genuine curiosity would help, too.
posted by Louise at 11:11 am
2 Comments:
I love both vids, and must say, I've never really heard an American bashing Canada
The Sinclair one gained some traction post 9/11, and the Brokaw one is really nice I think.
"I've never really heard an American bashing Canada"
Read the comments on some of the big American right wing blogs. The righty-tighty folks are sometimes just as vitriolic and as ill informed as our lefties are. If I have time this evening, I'll see if I can dig up a few.
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