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#1 02-15-2004, 08:39 AM

OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada's government on Friday 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 $760,000 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 (news - web sites) outbreak last year.

But the federal government said O'Brien had gone far too far with the show broadcast on Thursday in which he went to Quebec, a province which has had separatist governments for much of the last 20 years and is a delicate political topic in Canada.

"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.

Belanger did not commit to asking for the money back. No one at NBC was immediately available for comment.

The complaints over the puppet's comments come on the heels of a similar uproar following criticism of European French-Canadian hockey players on CBC television by the country's best-known sports commentator, Don Cherry.

The "Late Night" show, which taped in Toronto all this week and featured guests such as Jim Carrey (news) and Mike Myers (news), was broadcast in Canada by CHUM television, which said it regretted any offense that may have been caused.

"We offer our apology and assurance that it is never our intention to air programing that offends any of our viewers," the station said in a statement.

Triumph the Insult Comic Dog has landed in trouble before, most famously when it had an altercation with rap singer Eminem (news - web sites) at a music awards show in 2002.

It's perfectly fine to bash Americans but don't even think about bashing Canada even if it's a comedy bit, by a puppet.

jpb5151 · #2 02-15-2004, 08:52 AM

That's pretty funny, all of it. Too bad I didn't see the show, though...

Zeitgeist · #3 02-15-2004, 10:36 AM

Why the hell is the State 'paying' a private corporation for the privilege of shooting up there in the first place??? Bizarre use of taxpayer funds. I can think of far better uses for that money than bringing in a group of American flunkies to promote(?) tourism.

Boggles the mind...

Honus · #4 02-15-2004, 03:19 PM

I can't believe the Canadian government would take the time to respond to Triumph the Insult Dog.

I don't care how pissed off they are about the War on Terror and all that, if the people complaining had any sense of humor at all, they would see that "Rue des Pussies" is funny as hell.

mikemover · #5 02-16-2004, 10:56 AM

Wow, I find myself agreeing with Z, AND dculkin!!!! I'm feeling a little light-headed!

It is a gross misspending of tax dollars...glad they're not MY tax dollars!

But now that they've already spent it, they need to realize that they've bought themselves a COMEDY show...an American comedy show, actually....and they need to get a sense of humor and get over it.

This is what amounts to a big issue in Quebec?....Must be very little going on up there!

Mike

yhliem · #6 02-16-2004, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by MedMech
It's perfectly fine to bash Americans but don't even think about bashing Canada even if it's a comedy bit, by a puppet.

Strictly speaking, it's Quebec bashing and Quebec has always been overly hypersensitive to any kind of remark about its heritage. Their reaction does not reflect the reaction of the rest of Canada.

That having been said: I can see where they are coming from, but I think they take far too many things far too seriously. This is just another example of that.

Personally, I thought Insult's insults were pretty funny

yhliem · #7 02-16-2004, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Zeitgeist
Why the hell is the State 'paying' a private corporation for the privilege of shooting up there in the first place??? Bizarre use of taxpayer funds. I can think of far better uses for that money than bringing in a group of American flunkies to promote(?) tourism.

Boggles the mind...

The idea was to expose Canada to the US and the rest of the world. Not everyone knows much about Canada. They could spend $1M to bring up one of the top late night talk show hosts (that a large audience watches) for a week, or spend $1M to produce a bunch of billboards and cheesy commercials that the same audience would probably channel surf past and not see.

I think bringing Conan up was a pretty good idea. and pretty damn funny too.

yhliem · #8 02-16-2004, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by dculkin
I can't believe the Canadian government would take the time to respond to Triumph the Insult Dog.

I don't care how pissed off they are about the War on Terror and all that, if the people complaining had any sense of humor at all, they would see that "Rue des Pussies" is funny as hell.

The people complaining are politicians (Canadian politicians to boot - they routinely have no personality) and the group that promotes Quebec "nationalism". Of COURSE they don't have a sense of humor.

yhliem · #9 02-16-2004, 11:23 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by mikemover
Wow, I find myself agreeing with Z, AND dculkin!!!! I'm feeling a little light-headed!

It is a gross misspending of tax dollars...glad they're not MY tax dollars!

But now that they've already spent it, they need to realize that they've bought themselves a COMEDY show...an American comedy show, actually....and they need to get a sense of humor and get over it.

This is what amounts to a big issue in Quebec?....Must be very little going on up there!

Mike

For the most part Canadians DO realize that it's a comedy show. It's Quebec that doesn't. Think of it this way: if Conan went to, say, the deep south and made a bunch of off colour jokes about Blacks, you'd be sure to hear something about it, wouldn't you? Same thing here.

This sort of thing IS a huge issue for the Quebequois because they're looking for any reason to separate from Canada. They've felt oppressed and isolated for ages. And to be honest, for a long time they were treated like the dirty, uncultured, backwoods cousin that the rest of canada didn't really talk about or pay attention to for close to 100 years.

mikemover · #10 02-16-2004, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by yhliem
Think of it this way: if Conan went to, say, the deep south and made a bunch of off colour jokes about Blacks, you'd be sure to hear something about it, wouldn't you?

Yes, and that is ridiculous too. People REALLY need to learn to take a joke, and stop getting worked-up about $h!t that doesn't matter. Not ONE time have I ever been offended by a joke, even when I have been the "butt" of the joke....because I'm intelligent enough to realize that it is exactly that--a joke, nothing more.

Mike

Lebenz · #11 02-16-2004, 11:34 AM

Think maybe the reason they do this is because of all the free advertising that always results?

yhliem · #12 02-16-2004, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mikemover
Yes, and that is ridiculous too. People REALLY need to learn to take a joke, and stop getting worked-up about $h!t that doesn't matter. Not ONE time have I ever been offended by a joke, even when I have been the "butt" of the joke....because I'm intelligent enough to realize that it is exactly that--a joke, nothing more.

Mike

Exactly. There have always been and always will be jokes made about different groups, be they ethnic, gender, hair colour, religious, whatever. I mean, gay people tell straight jokes. so what?

if there is malicious intent, then it's something else entirely; but in the case of Insult's bit on Quebec, I think that poeple really need to consider the source and take a pill.

yhliem · #13 02-16-2004, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Lebenz
Think maybe the reason they do this is because of all the free advertising that always results?

I'm sure the thought's crossed their minds.

mikemover · #14 02-17-2004, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by yhliem
if there is malicious intent, then it's something else entirely; but in the case of Insult's bit on Quebec, I think that poeple really need to consider the source and take a pill.

Agreed.

Mike