BetterMost Community Blogs > My "Great White North"
The English Canadian Olympics
Sheriff Roland:
Of Montréal and Québec ...
Montréal is the only really anglophile city in La belle province with roughly 40% of it's population being anglophone while the province as a whole in 90% francophone. If you think it was too french for you, you would be disappointed at the rest of the province, as the greatest majority of Ango-Québecois live in Montréal. In the rest of the province, they cater to english speaking tourists in a way that virtually no other province caters to francophone tourists, but the people ARE francophones!
But this is not what my complaint's about. Vancouver should showcase it's local stars (Furtado, Adams, Nash and even Terry Fox's mother), but they should have done a fairer representation of what CANADA is about, and in my opinion they failled miserably.
Canada will end up winning the most medals, not just Vancouver or just the anglophones.
delalluvia:
I was expecting a LOT more French as well. It's traditional for the Olympics and of course, Canada is a bilingual nation, one of the languages being French.
But what offended me the most was the haphazard way the First Nations tribes were put on display. Some have no idea what their traditions used to be, and so showed up in jeans and suede fringed vests, women were out there dressed in silky white shawls - stuff you find in tourist shops - and they just kind of faked it in their dance routines.
Now on another board I go to, someone is very offended at me for posting this, her opinion is that the First Nations are doing the best they can and thus cannot be open for criticism. I replied that no native descendant in any of the shows or displays I go to in the SW or Central American countries ever try to claim blue jeans as their traditional dress and I guess it's just a matter of how much pride they have in themselves.
Jeff Wrangler:
--- Quote from: delalluvia on February 13, 2010, 03:06:53 pm ---But what offended me the most was the haphazard way the First Nations tribes were put on display. Some have no idea what their traditions used to be, and so showed up in jeans and suede fringed vests, women were out there dressed in silky white shawls - stuff you find in tourist shops - and they just kind of faked it in their dance routines.
Now on another board I go to, someone is very offended at me for posting this, her opinion is that the First Nations are doing the best they can and thus cannot be open for criticism. I replied that no native descendant in any of the shows or displays I go to in the SW or Central American countries ever try to claim blue jeans as their traditional dress and I guess it's just a matter of how much pride they have in themselves.
--- End quote ---
I think you're point is well taken, Del, but I also think you're being a little hard. I think I'd like to have more information. And who are you blaming, the tribes, or the producers, or both? I think it's sad if a group of native peoples have lost their heritage--very sad--but I also think it's a little harsh to blame them for losing it.
As for the paucity of French, I'd also be interested to know if it was a mere oversight--which would be pretty appalling--or if it was deliberate, and if so, why, and if the international TV audience had anything to do with it.
I don't mean to defend or to excuse anybody here, I just have questions.
oilgun:
I was offended at the lack of French representation as well. Garou is a big name and a good choice but the fact that he was basically the last performer made me think that he was an afterthought - ["Oh yeah, we'll need a frenchie don't we? Call Celine." "What!? She can't make it because she's getting inseminated? Now what do we do?" "Well, there's this guy who's supposedly famous in Quebec...Our aupair loves him." ]
It was nice to see two out gay performers though: Bad-boy fiddler Ashley McIsaac and KD Lang (Is she still a vegetarian? Man has she blown up good, lol! :o And what was with that ill-fitting suit with the eighties shoulders? I noticed a lot of peeps were wearing them, yuck!)
All in all I thought the opening ceremonies were pretty good. Loved the acrobatic From Both Sides Now sequence! Didn't think much of the dub-poet guy, or whatever he is, who went on about Canadian identity, that was weak. It reminded me of the I AM Canadian beer commercials from a few years back.
Jeff Wrangler:
--- Quote from: oilgun on February 13, 2010, 04:37:05 pm ---Bad-boy fiddler Ashley McIsaac
--- End quote ---
Dang! How did I miss him!?!?! >:( He's hot!
And, oh, yeah, he's a great fiddle player, too. ... ::)
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