Be a Canadian Idol

One of my favourite Canadians challenged me to a showdown of minds. The quiz in question asks "so you think you know Canada, eh?" I scored 10 out of 20 points. It’s a toughy. Click here. Good luck.

American Idol (part 5)

We used a gift certificate this afternoon for our after church lunch. We ate at the Macaroni Grill, a first for both the Warden and me. It was actually delicious. We joined some friends from church, a mixed couple. One grew up in the suburbs of Minneapolis and one grew up in Canada. Eh?

It was fun because us Americans, real Americans, out-numbered the Canuck five to one. He was trying to hold his own, but it was his wife that got the biggest smile out of us by asking him what he calls a woman who works in a brothel. His reply, a “whooo-er,” closely rhyming with “sewer,” not our conventional “south of the border” rhyme with “store.”

So I learned something new today. I knew they wore tukes (however that is spelled) and they are always hard of hearing saying “eh?” to everything and I knew they ended their alphabet with a zed, but I thought whoooo-ers were confined to Whoville.

Now how does this all tie into American Idol you might ask. Well, Weird Al did a wonderful song entitled “Canadian Idiot, which was a parody of Green Day’s song “American Idiot,” which Green Day (which sounds an awfully lot like “good day”) did not sing on the American Idol TV show. Come to think of it Weird Al never performed his version on American Idol either, and I don’t believe that anyone who has ever sung on American Idol has ever covered this song of his. But, if Mr. Al had sung on American Idol, THEN I would have watched and maybe even taped or TiVo-ed it. So yet another rationale for not watching American Idol--no Weird Al songs.

For as Weird Al says:
Don't wanna be a Canadian idiot
Don't wanna be some beer swillin' hockey nut
And do I look like some frostbitten hose-head?
I never learned my alphabet from A to Zed

Well maple syrup and snow's what they export
They treat curling just like it's a real sport
They think their silly accent is so cute
Can't understand a thing they're talkin' aboot

That almost says it all. Except to say that Canadians are the greatest. They're always so nice, even as us big ugly Americans pick on them. And I guess the worst way that we pick on them is by sending them our American TV shows.

And how do they respond?
Second City
Red Green

Ku lu ku ku ku lu ku ku

I heard an ad on the radio today for an event coming soon to the Minneapolis Convention Center in downtown. It’s a great place for a convention—I’ve been there numerous times. I’ve been to the auto show, checking out all the latest. I’ve been to the RV show to dream about all the latest in recreational vehicles. I’ve been to the boat show, trying to hurry along the warm months in this frigid state. And I’ve been there for dozens of other events like the Home and Garden Show, the Remodeling Show, the landscaping show and on and on. Each of these shows trying their best to sell their wares. I’ve never bought a car or boat, but we did buy a camping trailer once.

These shows must be extremely successful in selling what they show as evidenced by the huge number of vendors willing to fork out the huge ching to secure their spot. The ad I listened to today has me confused though. It was advertising the “All Canadian Show.”

What’s the deal? How much does a Canadian go for these days? Can I get a good price on a cool Canuck? What exactly are they selling? And why did they pick this first week of January to promote our neighbors to the north? And why here in Minneapolis? Is there a shortage of Molson or Moosehead or Labatt? Eh?

And will the McKenzies be there? So far I’m not tempted to head over there to check it ouuut. But it might be fun to stand outside and do some sight-seeing people-watching.

Maybe this is where they winter? Well, I suppose I should welcome those snowbirds.