What would we do without Americans to mock?

[newschick]

OTTAWA -- Canadians should be careful not to appear "boastful" to Americans, who are insecure because of the war in Iraq and admit they are annoyed by northerners showing off the red maple leaf on their luggage when they travel, a recent federal report warns.
In focus groups held this fall in four U.S. cities where the federal government is opening consulates, Americans acknowledged they don't know much about Canadians.
"Some participants expressed a certain amount of annoyance at what is perceived as a systematic attempt by Canadians to make the statement that they are not Americans by sporting the maple leaf," said the recently released report. "This underscores the American sensitivity at feeling rejected by the rest of the world ...."
A front-page story by the New York Times this week, which declared that Canada's stance on social issues is opening rifts with the U.S., is unwittingly confirmed with the findings of the report.
Canadian comedian Rick Mercer said at a recent Toronto show that being attached to America is like "being in a pen with a wounded bull," joking that between gay marriage and pot smoking, "it's a wonder there is not a giant deck of cards out there with all our faces on it."
The report says even Americans who blame the Bush administration to some extent for the country's poor relations with the world, do not seem to understand why friendly countries and neighbours such as Canada would want to distance themselves from Americans.
For instance, an American from San Diego is quoted saying: "What bugs me about Canadians, if I may, is that they wear that damn patch on their bags, the Canadian flag patch. That way, they differentiate themselves from us."
The report is based on eight focus groups conducted in September by Millward Brown Goldfarb in San Diego, Raleigh, Denver and Houston where Canadian consulates are in the process of opening.
Pierre Bechard, a spokesman for Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, said Millward Brown Goldfarb was paid $49,543 for the October report and focus groups. He said the findings will act as a base for the consulates to work to understand how much Americans understand about Canada and how they feel about their relationship with their northern neighbours.

Comments

[kadenza.livejournal.com]

you should like totally post this in CKA.

[newschick.livejournal.com]

It's already there

[kadenza.livejournal.com]

Ohhhh..... wight.

[exsanguinated.livejournal.com]

these americans that are bitching about the maple leaf patches need to get over themselves. canadians have been doing that for decades.

they think the melting pot theory is valid for neighbouring countries as well as for their own citizens, which disgusts me.

[hbrika.livejournal.com]

So we shouldnt wear Canadian patches and they should rip off their US patches ;)

I'ld like to see them do THAT :D

[newschick.livejournal.com]

Can we start burning American flags?

[hbrika.livejournal.com]

No :) That is something they would do :)

What we do is forget to put the US on the world map when we do weather or news :)

[haggisthesecond.livejournal.com]

Wow... can you imagine the ruckus if a focus group found that Canadians really wish Americans would stop plastering their annoying flag everywhere? We'd be the newest state in about a week.

Anti-American rant - don't mind me

[newschick.livejournal.com]

No kidding. Americans (as a generalized group) are the biggest bunch of flag-waving, presidential-ass-kissing bunch of babies, but heaven forbid we should show even the slightest bit of pride in our country by putting the flag on a backpack, or *gasp* telling people we're Canadian!

[epi-lj.livejournal.com]

I'd say something clever here, but I think everyone's covered the basis. This is definitely a, "WTF?!" moment.