12 September 2008

Mary, your incredulity is offensive

As my great-grandfather Mungo used to say, “There are two types of people in this world. Those who like Mary Murphy, and those who aren’t deaf.” (For a man that died in 1956, Mungo sure was ahead of his time).

On the American series of So You Think You Can Dance, Mary is merely annoying. She seems to swing wildly between serious, thoughtful, constructive criticism, and nonsensical comments and high-pitch screaming. This is generally okay, since my TV has a mute button. But last night, she was a judge for the auditions of SYTYCD Canada, and she played this act (oh, God, I hope it was an act) that she simply couldn’t believe that these people were Canadian! That this must be some elaborate, expensive, international punking, because there’s no way that people raised in Canada could have any talent.

Come on. I’m so sick of this notion that Canada is some sort of cultural, intellectual, or technological vacuum. Canada is like Mars to people. "Canada can support life? Who knew?!" Did Mary Murphy arrive at the airport and marvel at all the wonders we have? Did she write home that we have taxi cabs and urban centers, and buildings made of stone? Was she shocked that she was able to get cell phone service on this side of the border?

It’s just annoying because certainly, at some point in her career, she met some Canadians who could dance. She was also sitting next to two seemingly successful and (I assume) Canadian judges and she spent the whole night insulting the country. I think one, “I didn’t expect this level of talent” comment would have been sufficient. She didn’t have to keep marveling that kids raised in igloos on nothing more than seal meat and moose milk could possible move so gracefully.

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