Canada Condemns 'Racist' Conan O'Brien TV Show

[Columbia]

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=638&u=/nm/20040213/en_nm/leisure_canada_conan_dc&printer=1

Canada Condemns 'Racist' Conan O'Brien TV Show

By David Ljunggren

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 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.

<more>

[pink_poodle]

1. I for one am totally sick of this US attitude against French.........

people whether it's in Europe or Canada. Honestly. And how fucking dare he come here and pull shit like that. He wants to bring his message of hate from the US into Canada, then he will find out that here, people are a lot more tolerant, past differences with Quebec aside. Personally, I have NO problems with the French wanting to be separate from the rest of Canada, but I just live here and I'm not Canadian. But when a person comes here from the US to spew hate on our French people, or insult our gay people here, then I need to speak up. We just don't want that shit here.

[Blayde Starrfyre]

37. I for one am sick of "offended by everything" liberals

"Message of hate?" We're not talking about David Duke here. You really don't know who Triumph is, do you? He's an insult comic dog. He rags on everyone. He rags on Star Wars dorks. He rags on J-Lo. He rags on the cast of the Howard Stern show. You admit you didn't see the show, you don't even know who this character is. If he had ragged on Texas you would have laughed like hell. What makes everyone else exempt?

I'm as liberal as they come, but I also have a sense of humor. The two aren't incompatible.

[FredrickDouglass]

39. I Have A Sense Of Humor Too. It Was Still Offensive

But it shouldn't come as a surprise and thus, perhaps, shouldn't inspire such ire. It's the typical US attitude of making fun of ethnicity, usually those in the minority.

This isn't new. Yeah, it sucks but we shouldn't get too caught up in it. There are much more important things for us to worry about. Things like expending all of our money and time rallying for change and then putting a perennial insider like Kerry in the White House. Now that's a problem worth getting upset over.

[pink_poodle]

47. You are so right! Now, if someone high profile had gone to.............

America and openly made jokes about the bubba rednecks, well they would all be screaming about "anti-American" and "racists" and how everyone "hates America". NO?

[cjm2222]

67. Ever heard of Rick Mercer?

He's a very funny Canadian comedian who occasionally goes to the US to ask Americans questions about Canada. The point of the show is to laugh at the lack of knowledge Americans have about Canada. I live in Canada. People in Quebec are far too sensitive about things. One only need to look at the recent Don Cherry brouhaha for evidence of that.

We need to be able to laugh at ourselves and each other (as long as it isn't cruel). There's nothing wrong with having a sense of humour. Triumph the INSULT Dog is funny. He mocks everyone. No one is exempt. Even French-Canadians.

[pink_poodle]

69. Yes, but the lack of knowledge that they have in regards...............

to pretty well everyone who is not within their borders, is beyond being funny anymore. No matter how hard a person tries. In the past few years, the hate level has just blown out of proportion and even one more attack against French is just getting a bit too disgusting. Even if it is from a puppet. groan.

[Blayde Starrfyre]

74. Now you are the one being offensive.

I see, so Triumph is not allowed to mock Canadians, but you are allowed to brand all Americans ignorant, self-centered, and hateful? What a double standard! I for one love Rick Mercer, "Made in Canada" is about my favorite show right now. "Talking to Americans" is hilarious. I wasn't up in arms calling for Rick Mercer to take that piece of anti-American bias off the air. I was laughing.

[pink_poodle]

75. Whatever.

[pink_poodle]

76. Learn to read. I never used the words................

"all Americans ignorant, self-centered, and hateful? " Duh!

[glarius]

86. Mercer shows Americans not as you said, "ignorant, self-centered, and

hateful" but he shows that although uninformed, they are likeable and eager to learn...He never refers to them as hateful.....

[Flightful]

80. Not much different from us

Most Canadians get all their knowledge of American culture from Hollywood.

[pink_poodle]

49. And you obviously have no clue as to what the situation here.............

really is all about and how it is in a fine balance right now. Just like your stoopid Conan who opened his big mouth but does not seem to understand.

[glarius]

89. What's being missed...if O'Brien went into an African American community

in the United States and made bigoted and insulting "jokes" of the kind made in Quebec, I think it would be quite possible he would be fired...at the very least NBC would demand that he appologize on the air.....I know it was the "attack dog" that said it, but Conan is responsible...O'Brien was brought to Toronto to boost tourism which suffered since the Sars situation a year ago...The thing is his show did nothing to promote Toronto tourism...One would think a few of Toronto's tourist sites would have been shown; for instance Casa Loma, a real castle in the city which was built many years ago....and many other things that would make viewers in the States think about wanting to come up and see the city...One of his "Toronto things" was a schtick with Conan and Scott Thompson, in ridiculous fur hats supposedly sight-seeing....walking along railway tracks and ending up in a little bar....I'm sorry, but it was a waste of $1,000,000 to bring the show to Toronto, if the purpose was to promote tourism....
P.S...He may have ragged on J-Lo or whoever...That's individual people...Not a whole community as he did with the French Canadians...There is a difference...

[dawn]

65. I've never found Conan to be funny.

I didn't even know he was still on the air!

[Name removed]

66. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[pink_poodle]

68. New to DU Freeper? Full of hate for Canadians? -nm

:

[Sticky]

2. The skit was hilarious

....and I wondered if there would be an outcry today.

It was not a favourable potrayal of Montrealers - yet - many of my relatives live there and had no complaints this morning.

[JohnyCanuck]

5. I thought it was pretty ignorant myself. n/t

n/t

[kysrsoze]

32. Oh come on!

Can't people take a friggin' joke? I also saw CN Tower kick the Space Needles' ass while wrestling in pudding. People need to just relax a bit. Nothing is going to be allowed soon.

[Fenris]

3. Clearly the government has never seen Triumph before

Because if they had, they would have notcied that a good part of the act, maybe, I don't know, 100%, is insults against everyone. My God, it's in the name "Insult Comic Dog."

[A J]

4. It was good harmless fun

What else would you get from Triumph the Insult Comic Dog? His insults were so over-the-top that I think it would be hard to be offended by them.

Plus, insulting Montreal was done mostly just to pander to the Toronto crowd. It wasn't from a U.S. perspective. The crowd in Toronto loved it.

[pink_poodle]

6. Ummm...........see above. I'm a "Toronto" person and....................

there are a lot of gay people in Toronto who will be pissed.

[A J]

7. Did you see the show?

N/t

[pink_poodle]

8. I read the commentary and the insults. Why were there............

more insults???????

[A J]

11. Well, yes....

But judging from the crowd response, they weren't offended, but actually loved it.

It is just Triumph's style, man. Triumph is the most offensive thing on television, and not meant to be taken seriously. And there wasn't partuculary a lot of insults about Quebec being gay, in comparison.

[pink_poodle]

18. Oh okay! So if the insults come from a puppet instead of..............

a human, then it's okay. I see. How funny!

[A J]

25. Maybe you should watch sometime...

... then you would know how it is funny.

[SemperEadem]

87. try watching it first before passing judgement in ignorance of the facts

unless you see it in its complete context, you're response is a bit hysterical and overly dramatic and embellished.

[private_ryan]

9. you will always find a few people who are angry

even at the mildest things. What are suppose to do? By the way, the word "pissed" that you used pisses me off.

[Exultant Democracy]

14. people shouldn't take themselves too seriously

As I recall from the skit only one of the people that Triumph even talked to was upset. All the rest of the French Canadian that the "insulted" thought that it was funny too.

[kysrsoze]

33. Not if they watched the prior show

Everything was a joke. He had the gay guy from Kids in the Hall (I'm sorry, but I forgot his name - I don't remember any of their names except Dave, well....... Dave. Whatever his last name is). Anyway, the did a total gay thing together. They went ice skating and even hung out in a gay bar at the end of the skit.

Everybody wants to piss and moan without having seen any of these so-called prejudiced remarks.

[KamaAina]

10. Shouldn't the dog have gone by the alias...

"Triomphe, le chien comique aux insultes"?

I mean, Quebec does have strict language laws, you know, even for hand puppets!

:-)

[depakid]

12. PC (Provincial Canada) run amok?

Conan O'Brien is the most self deprecating comedian on television- he insults himself more than he does anyone else! Hard to believe anyone's knickers are in a twist over something so ridiculous- if the government is offended by his schtick, why did they hire the guy in the first place?

[kysrsoze]

34. You're right. I love how they make it seem like the entire crew hates him

That show is hilarious. People need to go get laid or something.

[delhurgo]

13. I saw it and thoght it was hilarious; on par with Triumphs runin with ...

...the Star Wars nerds. The signs were funny, but I almost died when he peed on the snow and then had quebecer kifds eat it like snow cones. LMAO. And that one old guy he called horney was hilarious;he was a good sport. The guy that does Triumph is a genius.

[A J]

16. His name is Robert Smigel

He does the cartoons on SNL and also some of the people that Conan interviews through the TV.

He is really, really funny.

[delhurgo]

19. I always look forward to the next SNL every week, but the one ...

...thing I specifically look for is if there'll be a cartoon by Smigel. I hope there's one this weekend. Can't wait.

The only cartoon Ive seen thats as good as his stuff is Beavis nad Butthead. Hey look I typed nad instead of and. LOL. HEh heh heh heh....

[Robin Hood]

31. I have thought the same thing. Smigel is a genious.

Him and Dave Attell should party. Any Insomniac devotees here?

[TennesseeWalker]

15. I'm watching it now, on repeat. Very funny.

Love that Triumph, the insult puppet dog racist. Seriously, some people need to stop being so serious.

[RedDawnRising]

17. I saw it and thought it was funny

but that's just me.

[Fenris]

20. BREAKING: Nupercanal Condemns Conan for "Preperation H Raymond" Skit

Sorry, just saw that and had to do it.

[mr_hat]

21. These indiscrimiate attacks on the humor-impaired MUST END!

[Jesus H. Christ]

22. Love Conan and Triumph, but...

Fuck with the quebecquois and prepare to reap the fucking whirlwind. There should be a sign for tourists when you enter Canada warning them of what will happen. Like those, "don't ever joke about hijacking" signs.

So remember.

Retardos. Number one. Forever.

[tigereye]

23. sounds like they didn't know much about his humor

when they asked him to come. He lambastes everything, often in the tackiest, but often hilarious way possible. Personally I think Triumph is really obnoxious, but that is supposed to be the joke. I would have preferred to see jokes about the NY Dog show, which they usually do about this time of year. They had to know also that Conan would lambaste the hot button issue. I mean if they had seen the bits about the Jesus sports statues, what more did they need to know?!

[Riptide]

24. I grew up in Montreal....

but I now live in the States. I thought is was hilarious, and so did my family who still lives there. Really, people need to have a sense of humor.

[Kinkistyle]

26. Triumph called Leno out on having John Kerry follow Triumph as a guest.

http://politicalhumor.about.com/b/a/042565.htm

November 12, 2003
Kerry Appears on 'Tonight Show,' Follows Puppet Act
John Kerry's presidential campaign may be imploding, but that didn't stop him from making a grand entrance on "The Tonight Show" on Tuesday. Kerry rode a borrowed Harley-Davidson onto the set, dressed in a leather jacket, blue jeans and a denim shirt. "If he wins the election," quipped Jay Leno, "he will be the first president to ride a hog since Bill Clinton."

You know your presidential campaign isn't going well, though, when you have to follow a puppet act. Before Kerry's appearance, Leno hosted Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, the trash-talking puppet famous for his blunt verbal assaults. Triumph, with the help of his sidekick Robert Smigel, ripped Leno to shreds over his recent politicking.

"Wait a minute, I smell something�cit's in your nose�cArnold Schwarzenegger's butt! Jay! This is wrong! You're whoring for the movie star. I know it's about the ratings. What's going on with this show? Yeah, the Terminator can take over the show, but John Kerry, a war veteran, has to follow a freaking dog puppet! What's going on in America???"

http://www.bartcop.com/triumph-leno-preview.mp3|Audio Clip>

[Screaming Lord Byron]

27. Ah, well at least it gives the PQ someone to blame come next referendum

[MrPrax]

28. They're a little sensitive in le belle province

at least the bilingual ones...

this is hot on the heels of Don Cherry and oh--minor--Harper's debate performance about 'too many' of them Frenchies being hired federally and of COURSE the ahem..cough...minor Quebec cabinet minister who knew nothing of the contracts given out to Quebec firms to make them feel 'special'...

I thought it was funny...(but I can see how unilingual Quebeckers anyways) might feel a little under seige at the moment
;-)

[Screaming Lord Byron]

29. I know. Sometimes I can't resist a cheap shot.

[david_vincent]

The humorlessness of the profoundly insecure

I saw the show and laughed my ass off, especially the part
where Triumph is posting English street signs, like "Eat Me
Frenchie Street"!!!
As someone who is equal parts Canuck and Yank, I definitely
feel that they need to either lighten up or fall through a
frozen lake. Someone has already pointed out that only one
of the people Triumph accosted was pissed off; the rest were
good sports and happy enough to laugh along - which is the
REAL Canadian attitude.
I'm awaiting the day that Quebec votes to leave Canada and
then finds out - too late - where all the money that keeps
them afloat was coming from. The truth is that the province
that gets the shaft is Saskatchewan, not Quebec.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[daleo]

35. I doubt many people really care, including the federal government

It is all political theatre. The feds have to pretend a bit of outrage just in case a nationalist Quebec politician tries to make hay of it. It is like U.S. federal politicians pretending to be shocked by Janet Jackson's breast.

[CHIMO]

36. Didn't See

The show but have been reading the articles on it.
I will accept it as comedy when he does the same thing in LA.
We have a great sense in comedy of what can be done. Let's see him do it in LA. Lets see him push the limits and get the gut reaction.

[democracy eh]

38. some to do with Quebec, more about the Gov $$$$

I swear the planets are aligned in such a way to cause chaos for governments - US, Britain, Canada...

Canada is in the midst of a huge financial scandal, $250 mil sponsorship program, $2 billion over budget gun registry, Governor General state visit to Europe and Russia costing not an outrageous $1 million, but $5.3 million.

In this climate, government funding has become a dirty word. In the current hysteria, the problem is not that Conan's puppet insulted the francophone community, the problem is that government $$$ were used to support the show. Emphasis on Government $$$$ - See People what the government is wasting your $$$ on now? racist filth!

[Minstrel Boy]

40. Imagine doing something similar in Yugoslavia before the civil war,

or perhaps Northern Ireland. Hardee-har-har.

I agree with Josh Freed in the Montreal Gazette: the bit "threw oil and matches down our national fault line." I wasn't amused.

"I wonder how he'd feel if we let Canada's Insulting Beaver Puppet loose on U.S. TV to yuk it up about Sept. 11. We all have our raw nerves and O'Brien just hit ours."
http://tinyurl.com/3yngy

I disagree with Freed here. America's national fault line is race. How about the beaver puppet talking to Black Americans, calling them shiftless pimps, whores and crackheads? Yuk yuk, anyone?

on edit: No, we really don't have an "Insulting Beaver Puppet."

[Cooley Hurd]

41. From a Conan & Smigel fan...

One has to understand the humor of both men to recognize that what was said or implied was merely irreverence and satire. The entire premise of Triumph the Insult Comic Dog is that he's a Rickles-esque comedian. His "event-interviews," such as the Westminster Dog Show or the Star Wars: Attack of the Clones premiere show that nothing is off-limits for Smigel (the voice of Triumph). The entire Late Night program is irreverent and self-deprecating.

If anyone is offended by the Toronto shows, chances are they're easily offended in general. My suggestion: lighten up...

[Minstrel Boy]

42. I'm a professional satirist, and I don't offend easily,

though I've offended many myself. But the insult dog in Quebec thing was inappropriate.

Here's where I do my own inappropriate thing:

http://www.frankmagazine.ca/

[Cooley Hurd]

43. "I've offended many myself"

Then why is it okay for you to make offensive jokes and not Smigel? That smacks of hypocrisy, doesn't it?

[Minstrel Boy]

44. The thing is, those I mean to offend

are those with power. The Quebec bit did not.

[Minstrel Boy]

46. And also, and this is important:

Canadians joke about Quebec all the time. Hell, we have to. And that's okay. We all lick our wounds. But this was an outsider, picking at them. Big difference.

[Cooley Hurd]

51. Canadians in the audience were laughing along with Triumph...

I didn't hear one single boo during that, or any other segment. I would assume there were a few French-Canadians in the audience.

[Minstrel Boy]

53. I know. That's the real problem.

Imagine watching a White American audience roar with laughter as a Canadian insults Black Americans. Now imagine if Black Americans were concentrated in a single region, and nine years ago had nearly voted to separate from the US.

Understand what that would be like, and you'll understand how I feel about this.

[Cooley Hurd]

57. I'm not sure I would be offended...

It's either funny or it's not. As it turns out, you didn't find it funny. Satire is satire. It's not hate speech, it's not malicious, it's satire. As a satirist, I'm surprised you don't recognize this...

[Minstrel Boy]

59. But it was hate speech. And just as importantly, it was political speech,

and it offended me to see an American comic use such incendiary code words without knowing what impact it would have. And it impacts my country, not yours.

And it wasn't satire. What was being satirized? Ignorance? No. Ignorance was exploited.

[Cooley Hurd]

63. You're right...

It's not my country being made fun of. But I still stand by my statement about satire - it's in the eye of the beholder, I guess... :hi:

[Minstrel Boy]

64. "it's in the eye of the beholder"

Fair enough. It's not that I'm a particularly sensitive sort, it's just I know what can wound my country, and I worry for it.

[Cooley Hurd]

50. I beg to differ...

Triumph made his jokes while on his subject's home turf - that gives the "power" advantage to those he made the jokes about, don't you think?

[Flagg]

52. the French bashing should stop. period

[Cooley Hurd]

55. I agree... if Triumph were actually French-bashing...

Triumph is a tool of satire, much the way Archie Bunker was a tool of satire. What Triumph was saying was obviously satire - he's a puppet, isn't he? :)

[Minstrel Boy]

56. I think you ought to leave it to the Quebecois to decide

whether they were offended or not.

Ignorance is a worthy object of satire, but the bit didn't satirize ignorance as in All in the Family. It exploited it.

[Flagg]

61. you're French so you smell bad.... great satire

:eyes::eyes:

[Flightful]

81. The best line he had

"Hear that? That's the sound of people not giving a crap!"

How I wish that was said during the Neverendum debate.

[Minstrel Boy]

54. But how did they have power,

when most couldn't even understand what abuse was being hurled at them.

"It's North America - learn the language"

Much of our history of the last 40 years has been about undoing such bullshit.

The humour, for me, is found in satirizing such ignorance, not in exploiting it.

[Cooley Hurd]

58. Triumph is satirizing your typical "insult comic" such as...

...Rickles or just about any of the old Catskills comics. I realize you found the bit unfunny, but, as the roar of the audience proved, many recognized it as satire.

I'm sorry but I'm not offended easy, I guess... :hi:

[Minstrel Boy]

60. But again, if you don't understand the Canadian reality,

and how a Toronto crowd roaring with approval plays in Quebec, than you won't get what's wrong with this.

For instance, before the last Quebec referendum, a video of a dozen or so Ontario knobs trampling a Quebec flag inflamed passions to separate. Things are too delicate at the best of times for this shit.

It's not "just" a joke, unless you think Canada is as well.

[Flagg]

45. Comedians and French bashing

EDITORIAL, FEBRUARY 13th - CONAN O�BRIEN EXPORTS HATE SPEECH TO TORONTO

During the first hours of Friday February 13th, late night fans of Conan O�Brien were watching another show from Toronto, Ontario. During the week, jokes were mainly making light of American and Canadian mutual stereotypes. However, what happened on Friday morning has the potential of becoming a major embarrassment for all parties involved.

Using �Triumph�, a dog-puppet as a proxy, Robert Smigel of Conan O�Brien�s show pulled all the stops in a blitz of offensive anti-french �humour� directed at Qu�becois. The so-called jokes proved to be nothing more than an ill-advised attempt at amalgamating stereotypes of French-Canadians and the French from France. After a year of barbs and offensive jokes in the American Media, Conan O�Brien�s show has proven that French-Bashing is alive and well.

The offensive jokes were mainly about body odour �I can tell your French � I can smell your crotch from here�, homophobia �Quebecqueer Street�, women-bashing �Rue de Pussies� and linguistic arrogance �This is North-America, speak English�.

Most damaging of all, the images of Torontonians cheering the skits could have serious consequences for Quebec-Ontario relations.


http://www.miquelon.org/index.html
http://www.miquelon.org/comedy.html

[pink_poodle]

48. And then Clueless Conan goes back to the US having just............

opened old wounds. Doh! What a dork.

[Endangered Specie]

62. Whatever, that two bit shit is NOT funny whatsoever

[AngryAmish]

70. Canada is a nice little country

I've gone fishing there. I don't think their manager, or whoever runs the place, should get upset so easy.

[Flagg]

71. a little country that is bigger than the US of A

When you insult the French people, simply because they are French, then it's a kind of racist campaign." - Jean-David Levitte, French Ambassador in Washington

[cjm2222]

72. Let's have it your way

Let's ban jokes about southerners, new yorkers, blondes, etc. Then, no one will ever be offended.

[Flagg]

73. you approve of the hateful racist campaign against the French in US media

?

[Joe Momma]

77. i find jokes about the french to be funny sometimes..

i don't think i am racist.

[Gothic Sponge]

78. I love Conan! I loved the show!

I always thought it was conservatives that didn't have a sense of humor........ As long as the jokes are not "mean spirited" we can poke fun at each other and we should alway laugh at ourselves.

[cjm2222]

82. Please

The French have always been targets of comedians, as have Poles, the Irish, etc. What nationality has ever been safe? Did you find Monty Python's jabs at the Belgians offensive? Americans are constantly portrayed as ignorant boobs, the British are portrayed as uptight sexless folk, Italian men are portrayed as Casanovas. Every nationality has its stupid stereotypes that are, at times, amusing.

Let me give you an example of something I recently experienced. I'm 1/2 Cherokee. I was ranting to a friend about the media portraying Native Americans as drunks or as "noble savages". The bus (we were on one) stopped and picked up a Native American woman who was drunk. Now, even I had to laugh at that. The timing was so perfect. People need to be less uptight and get more of a sense of humour.

[Flightful]

79. They can dish it out, BUT...

What a joke- there are several "comedians" who made a career for themselves at the CBC by portraying Americans as ignorant buffoons. Nice to see the shoe on the other foot for a change.

[Flagg]

83. hateful campaign against the French

500 000 French people died during WWII
but who cares ?

[Spider Jerusalem]

84. "racist"? my arse.

Anyone who thinks an Anglo-Irish American engaging in moderately insulting humour about French Canadians qualifies as "racism" is a bloody idiot who obviously doesn't know the meaning of the word (here's a hint: they're the same race.)

[pink_poodle]

85. Well, it certainly came across sounding racists and I can................

guarantee you of one thing: only a bloody idiot could miss the point. The message was a perpetuation of hate. We all know that Americans are hating France especially lately with the Freedom Fries and all that idiotic garbage, so it only makes sense than an asshole like Conan, who seems marginally with the world to begin with, should come to Canada where there is a fragile balance in our societies, and he should insert his foot in his mouth and make a complete and bloody idiot of himself. But, as we can see, there are plenty of people who can laugh at other cultures and other people out there, completely miss the entire meaning behind the "insults disguised as jokes" and laugh their idiotic heads off because some MORAN like Conan said it. Now does that seem bloody idiotic to you???????

[mistertrickster]

88. Hey, Conan, can you take some constructive criticism?

You suck.

********

I've never seen this guy when he was funny. His wholesale rip-off of Dave Letterman doesn't even work . . . sad.