Exactly when did Canada lose its sense of humour?
: Conan O’Brien brings Triumph the Insult Dog to Canada and fur flies:
Canada’s government has condemned a show by U.S. late-night television host Conan O’Brien that insulted people in French-speaking Quebec and seemed to suggest everyone in the province was homosexual.
Ottawa and the province of Ontario paid C$1 million (400,000 pounds) to help O’Brien — who appears on the NBC television network — bring his show to Toronto for a week to boost the city’s profile after a deadly SARS outbreak last year….
“We want to disassociate ourselves from the comments which were broadcast last night because we do not support them in any way,” junior government minister Mauril Belanger told Parliament.
At one point in the show, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog — a hand puppet that is a regular on the show — said to a Quebecer: “You’re French, you’re obnoxious and you no speekay English.” It told another: “I can smell your crotch from here”.
O’Brien’s team were also shown replacing street signs in the province with those that read “Quebecqueer Street” and “Rue des Pussies”.
Alexa McDonough, a legislator for the left-leaning New Democrats, described the program as “racist filth” and “utterly vile” and demanded the government seek the return of the C$1 million subsidy.
“There may be those who would say, ‘Isn’t this interfering with freedom of expression?’ It’s not interfering to say we will not publicly fund this kind of vile, vicious hatemongering,” McDonough told reporters….
More Bark de Triomphe insults:
“So you’re French and Canadian, yes? So you’re obnoxious and dull,” the puppet told one passerby. “You’re in North America, learn the language,” he hollered at another.
More:
One bewildered man was asked if the Canadian health care system had provisions for “personality implants.” Yet another, a rotund fellow who seemed to be a separatist, was told: “Maybe you should try separating yourself from donuts first.”
I have just one request for Triumph: Go to France, next. Please!
: Tim Blair is all over Canada.
