Why do Americans have very little to say about Canadians?

@Macthedj (630)
February 16, 2007 7:06pm CST
I was born in Toronto but was brought up in Scotland although i am very proud to be brought up in Scotland I always call myself Canadian. It irks me why I see on programmes and movies whenever an American is talking about Canada they always put the country and its people down. Can someone please explain wht this is. I have met alot of Canadians in my time and they are such nice people, why do Americans hate them so much.
2 people like this
25 responses
• United States
17 Feb 07
I don't dislike Canadians. I've been there several times and have had nothing but positive experiences. My trips will slow down until I get a passport though. A lot of the people on my yahoo are from Canada and I would LOVE to meet them. I don't think they are any different than me. They just live in Canada and I have to cross a border to see them unlike me driving to a bordering state like Ohio and visiting someone. I think it is a case of believing everything the media has to say. A friend from England was just telling me that she truly believed visiting Florida was going to be dangerous because that is what she read in her paper. A couple from England came to Florida and got mugged and stuff like that and went home and reported how awful it was here. She was honestly surprised that none of us had ever been mugged because that is what her papers make it seem like. I just had a giggle because it was just another case of believing everything the media has to say.
1 person likes this
@Macthedj (630)
17 Feb 07
You are right it is the media that corrupts us and plants the seed.
• United States
17 Feb 07
It is so unfortunate that they do this. I think the media must just be the same everywhere. After all it gets more ratings :(
1 person likes this
@Macthedj (630)
17 Feb 07
very true, they are the same everywhere. what really gets to me is how they dont care who they hurt as long as they get the rating and sell their newspapers
17 Feb 07
I am an American living in Scotland. We don't hate the Canadians. Some of my best friends are from Canada. They are so polite and friendly up there. I always admired the Canadians. Every place that I had been to, was clean. Maybe some Americans are jealous of what the Canadians have, politeness, morals,a clean environment. I wouldn't want my fellow countryman to be stuck with socialized medicine. It certainly does not work here in the UK. It would be a disaster in the States.
1 person likes this
@Macthedj (630)
17 Feb 07
definanetly true, jealously can be an awful thing. Good response
@pagli84 (1850)
• Netherlands
17 Feb 07
i think its just plain ignorance. there are a lot of jokes about canadians in america, but, honestly, i think most americans know very little about canada to begin with. i dont think its necessarily that they hate them, but ya know some people like to put other people down cause it makes them feel better. it could be the same way for some of these americans. i, personally, have nothing against canadians and one of my good friends is from toronto actually!
@pagli84 (1850)
• Netherlands
18 Feb 07
i grew up in virginia/maryland and went to college in pennsylvania, and i can say that ive heard many canadian jokes. there are jokes about the way canadians talk, specifically the "oot" and "aboot." most of the jokes ive heard are that canada and canadians are just so inferior to america and americans.
@irisheyes (4370)
• United States
17 Feb 07
I'm an American living in Pennsylvania (Northeastern USA) and I can honestly say that I've NEVER heard an American put down Canadians. Not even once. Where does this perception come from? It's certainly not happening hee in the US.
@Macthedj (630)
17 Feb 07
It comes from the media and American programmes and comedians. As already said look at weird al. another one is south park. they treat canadians like dirt.
@chunkers (1050)
• United States
17 Feb 07
Canadians? What are Canadians? Is that a country? Do they have anything to do with Canadian Dry Whisky? If so, please give them my greatest regards the next time you see one!
@chunkers (1050)
• United States
17 Feb 07
By the way...NOT ALL AMERICANS dislike Canada! Some of us LOVE Canada! Do you ever watch South Park? We LOVE making fun of Canada, too! LOL
@chunkers (1050)
• United States
18 Feb 07
Thank you for noticing!
@Macthedj (630)
18 Feb 07
Dont mean to be rude, but your responses dont seem to make any sense. lol
@irisheyes (4370)
• United States
17 Feb 07
Wow, I've yet to hear one single American put down a Canadian on here or anywhere else but look through some of the recent threads. Canadians are bashing Americans left and right and have been for the last month....I think the best explanation I've seen (on one of the current threads) is that Canadians crave attention and Americans barely know they exist. What a shocker to be told you are putting down people you are oblivious to even while they bash your country continually!
• United States
17 Feb 07
I agree with your answer! I am constantly hearing Canadians bash the US but have never heard anything but good things about Canadians coming from the US. It's all about perception, isn't it? :)
• Gambia
17 Feb 07
There are alot of statements that are about canadians by americans out there. Im new so i havent seen any putdowns on here but if you look at different websites like youtube,you can find alot of bad comments. If your interested in hearing some bad comments look up Weird Al on youtube and his "canadian idiot" song. Im canadian btw :) Canada rules!
@RealBored (124)
• United States
17 Feb 07
I love Canadians, I think they are great people, in fact I wish I was a Canadian. Canada is such a great country and don't get mad at me when I say Canada is way better than America.
@Macthedj (630)
17 Feb 07
good on yah!
@Lindalinda (4111)
• Canada
17 Feb 07
I don't think Americans hate Canadians. Mind you this is a generalisation, but I have been to the USA many many times. I am a Canadian and have always been treated with respect. Sometimes with curiosity, but no one has ever asked me if Canadians lived in igloos or other stupid questions. Most Americans I have met do not know about Canada as much as we do about America but that is understandable. America has 230 mil. people and Canada about 30 or 35 Mil people. I am sorry you had bad experiences with Americans.
@Angelwriter (1954)
• United States
18 Feb 07
I may be misunderstanding you, but it seems you're basing your opinion on Weird Al and South Park. I not a big fan of either one, but my understanding is, they parody things. A Weird Al video about Canada isn't meant to be taken as his literal opinion on the country, but is meant to be ironic because the country is inoffensive. I gather that's the spirit the Blame Canada song was meant to be taken in. It's supposed to be funny because they don't expect people to believe it.
@emarie (5442)
• United States
18 Feb 07
well, i really haven't seen any movie or show that puts Canada down. me personally, wouldn't do something like that. i know a lot of shows i watch are filmed in Canada because of the nice open space they have sometimes. i can't believe that they would put people down.
@fayzah (253)
• United States
17 Feb 07
i guess you just came across stupid ones, i love canada, i grew up on the boarder of canada and michigan, i lived in canada for 3 years in montreal, and really love it there, i found that canadians are very nice, poliet people, guess its just a lack of education on thier behalf, and i as an american am very sorry that you had to experiance such rude behavior.
@Macthedj (630)
17 Feb 07
thankyou,this was a very nice response.
@inked4life (4224)
• United States
17 Feb 07
I did the same as you in reverse...LOL...I was born in Scotland (Linwood), moved to Calgary, Canada at 19 and am now in the US (about 3 years). I don't think that American hate Canadians, they just don't really know anything about them or the country (or any other country in the world for that matter). My son (aged 6) was actually just studying Canada for a week in school and we had to correct some of the information that he was getting sent home with him (the wrong number of provinces being the most glaring mistake)
@Macthedj (630)
17 Feb 07
At least he had someone to correct him. lol. Thanks buddy.
• Canada
17 Feb 07
I don't know why Americans hate Canadians. They probably don't hate them though. They are one of their biggest trading partners since they are just north of the States. Maybe the stereotype that Canadians are all kind and nice are getting to them. They might think that Americans are better than Canadians because of that.
• India
18 Feb 07
Oh dont worry....I think Canada is one very nice country and so also its people...I ve never been to canada myself but my friends have and their description of the country was great...I am really so proud nad happy that canada has been able to advance industrially and economically and at the same time not get itself into any internatkional war or conflict like US..I think you should be proud of that...and one more fact::according to a survey The citizens of US have voted Canada as the best place on earth for the past seven years...so be proud of your country
@Markod (23)
17 Feb 07
I gather that American reaction to Canadians stems from ignorance. Not their fault, however, as the American media and education system tend to recognise anything other than American as sub-standard. Speak to educated Americans, and their pespective is much different, they view the world through untainted glasses. It is sad, but I do not expect more from a population that is indoctrinated with the red, white and blue.
@chunkers (1050)
• United States
17 Feb 07
I represent that remark! How insulting! I am a highly edumacated Uh-merican and I know all about Canada! That's where Paul Scheaffer, Rush, Canadian Dry Whiskey, "Hose-Head" and other great American Traditions came from!
@cmccab01 (12)
• United States
17 Feb 07
as one who grew up in western new york, i have more than a fond liking for canada; i love it. to date, i've never met a mean canadian; they've all been fantastic. friendly, courteous, funny, good-natured, quick-witted. and i've met literally thousands all up and down the 401, from niagara falls, hamilton, toronto, etc. i hate seeing american tv and movies put down canada. it irritates me.
• United States
17 Feb 07
I can see where people may get this idea, I have seen a few things on tv that may give that idea to the world. I don't belive that is the case though. I live in michigan and if it wasn't for canadians I would not have half as much money as I do because half the change in my purse in canadian! okay jokes aside. I do belive that the media makes it seem like we hate everyone, not just canadians, truthfully we don't.
@MrNiceGuy (4141)
• United States
17 Feb 07
Americans dont hate canadians... Why would American media or shows talk about Canada unless they were joking about them? Why would Canada interest the American people besides important international news? It doesnt. Thats why.
@astromama (1221)
• United States
17 Feb 07
I am an American and I guess I haven't been exposed to those stereotypes. I have lots of good friends who are Canadian and lots of American friends who agree that Canadians are so much friendlier and more open than Americans. I think it depends on who you ask :-) Here's a little secret of mine... when I travel outside the country, I sometimes tell people I'm from Canada because I find people from other countries LOVE Canadians as well... not so true of Americans! If I tell people I'm from America it usually garners a less enthusiastic reaction...
@crickethear (1417)
• United States
17 Feb 07
Geez i have never heard anything negative. I love Canada, it is a beautiful country, and the Canadians are very nice people.
@hiretto (64)
• Italy
17 Feb 07
Canadians sux !!! ( and I dont know how )