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Differences between Americans and Canadians?

by taskemann
47 replies
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I don't want this to be a political discussion, but a cultural one.

What's the difference between Americans and Canadians? For example, I never hear anything about Canada on the news. But I hear something about the US every day. There are actually more news about the Cayman Islands than it is about Canada.

The only times I see Canadians on TV are when Terrance and Phillip appear on South Park.

Why do I never hear anything about Canada or Canadians?
  • Profile picture of the author Clix
    Most likely you don't hear about Canada because they didn't decide that it was their job to police the world and inject their ideals into foreign societies they know nothing about. They just keep to themselves and play Hockey.
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    • Profile picture of the author taskemann
      Originally Posted by Clix View Post

      Most likely you don't hear about Canada because they didn't decide that it was their job to police the world and inject their ideals into foreign societies they know nothing about. They just keep to themselves and play Hockey.
      Ouch.......
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  • Profile picture of the author Daniel Evans
    Originally Posted by taskemann View Post

    The only times I see Canadians on TV are when Terrance and Phillip appear on South Park.
    No Trailer Park Boys!?
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    • Profile picture of the author taskemann
      Originally Posted by Daniel Evans View Post

      No Trailer Park Boys!?
      Sorry Dan, no Trailer Park Boys. Maybe I should investigate that one a little further.

      So what are they? Some Canadian gang?
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  • Profile picture of the author Dan Riffle
    The only real difference is Canadians wear Canadian Tuxedos and offer everbody donuts.

    In fact, if you meet a Canadian and they don't offer you a donut, they have to give you $5. It's in their Constitution. If they refuse, you have the right to challenge them to an Indian leg wrestling match.

    Tip: Watch out for the Canadians who don't offer donuts. Those type usually want to leg wrestle.
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    • Profile picture of the author Kay King
      Maybe the US produces more news stories with 314 million population than Canada does with 35 million people?
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      • Profile picture of the author MissTerraK
        What Kay said as well as maybe your country doesn't report on Canadian news much.

        There have been some big news stories from there, not as many as from the US for sure, but some just the same. Maybe we hear of them more often because we share a border and are neighbors?

        Terra
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        • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
          Maybe there would be more news coming out of Canada if there were mass shootings. Maybe invade a country every year or so. Yeah, that would get them in the news.

          They hate our freedom. ICSM
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    • Profile picture of the author socialentry
      A cultural but not a political discussion?

      The main things that differentiates the two countries are political in nature.

      It's a bit like asking why does no one hear about Sweden. Or what's the difference between the Swedes and the Finns. I have never heard of Swedish culture except for IKEA. How would you know why I have never heard of Swedish culture?

      We could pass for Americans easily and the US entertainment industry has much more budget so many of our artists (I use that term loosely) go to America. Even our good hockey players play for American teams. They simply follow the money.

      Sometime there is a canadian cultural work that gets mainstream exposure but it is not promoted specifically as canadian. E.g. Life of Pi was written by a french canadian. Pamela Anderson is canadian. Mike Myers is Canadian.

      Maybe it would be more accurate to call American culture anglo-saxon culture because every artist who is in the anglosphere wants to be in LA or Hollywood.
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  • Profile picture of the author stoltingmediagroup
    Originally Posted by taskemann View Post

    Why do I never hear anything about Canada or Canadians?
    Oh but you do!

    Most likely everyday!

    We just know that your daily news already consists of mass shootings, horrible weather and other disasters, thus we prefer to keep busy entertaining you instead,
    so that you can forget about all the crap for a moment.

    List of Canadian actors - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    List of Canadian musicians - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    List of Canadian comedians - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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  • Profile picture of the author yukon
    Banned
    On the TV show How I Met Your Mother, Robin Scherbatsky said the 80's didn't get to Canada until the 90's (lol).
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  • Profile picture of the author seasoned
    Taskemann,

    The US is getting into everyone's business, and everyone seems to love/hate them. They are also a world power.

    I don't think Canada would ever be considered a world power. It is like a colony from Great Britain. During the war of 1812, the US fought to take over all of north america, and Great Britain was fighting with others in what is now canada. Canada was then known as two british colonies called upper and lower canada. Also, canada historically has been more of a refuge. In the vetnam war, many went there to avoid going into military service.

    Kay is right. As a smaller country, there is less to report.

    Steve
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by seasoned View Post

      Taskemann,

      The US is getting into everyone's business, and everyone seems to love/hate them. They are also a world power.

      I don't think Canada would ever be considered a world power. It is like a colony from Great Britain. During the war of 1812, the US fought to take over all of north america, and Great Britain was fighting with others in what is now canada. Canada was then known as two british colonies called upper and lower canada. Also, canada historically has been more of a refuge. In the vetnam war, many went there to avoid going into military service.

      Kay is right. As a smaller country, there is less to report.

      Steve
      Country envy.
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  • Profile picture of the author mtihani
    Way less racism, way less violence.
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by mtihani View Post

      Way less racism, way less violence.
      Oh yeah?

      How many countries have you invaded?
      How many wars have you started?

      Canada 0
      USA 146 ( I have no real idea)

      USA! USA!

      And...remember....you hate our freedom. ICSM.

      Everyone wants to come to the USA. Because they love our Freedom. That's why Americans never fly out of the country, and everyone flies into the USA.

      Scientific fact.

      And during the next ice age, you'll get it first!

      Want to visit Mexico? You have to go through us! And do you know who we have on our side? Chuck Norris. And Chuck Norris fears nobody.

      Claude "Master of the strategic insult" Whitacre (I almost forgot; ICSM)
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      • Profile picture of the author socialentry
        Originally Posted by Claude Whitacre View Post

        Oh yeah?

        How many countries have you invaded?
        How many wars have you started?

        Canada 0
        USA 146 ( I have no real idea)

        USA! USA!

        And...remember....you hate our freedom. ICSM.

        Everyone wants to come to the USA. Because they love our Freedom. That's why Americans never fly out of the country, and everyone flies into the USA.

        Scientific fact.

        And during the next ice age, you'll get it first!

        Want to visit Mexico? You have to go through us! And do you know who we have on our side? Chuck Norris. And Chuck Norris fears nobody.

        Claude "Master of the strategic insult" Whitacre (I almost forgot; ICSM)
        We won the war of 1812.

        We burned down the White House.

        We have Celine Dion and avril lavigne, their shrieks is like a banshee.

        Take that Master Whitacre! :p
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        • Profile picture of the author Dan Riffle
          Originally Posted by socialentry View Post

          We won the war of 1812.

          We burned down the White House.

          We have Celine Dion and avril lavigne, their shrieks is like a banshee.

          Take that Master Whitacre! :p

          Wait. Aren't the first two entirely negated by the third?
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        • Profile picture of the author Clix
          Originally Posted by socialentry View Post

          We won the war of 1812.

          We burned down the White House.

          We have Celine Dion and avril lavigne, their shrieks is like a banshee.

          Take that Master Whitacre! :p
          The war of 1812 was between Great Britain and The United States. Saying you won that is like saying the Navajo Indians defeated Hitler.

          The White House was empty when BRITISH forces burned it down and was due for a remodel anyway.

          Celine Dion is a whore and Avril Levigne married the Canadian that is single handedly responsible for the worst music to ever be written.

          'Murrica!
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          • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
            Originally Posted by Clix View Post

            The war of 1812 was between Great Britain and The United States. Saying you won that is like saying the Navajo Indians defeated Hitler.

            The White House was empty when BRITISH forces burned it down and was due for a remodel anyway.

            Celine Dion is a whore and Avril Levigne married the Canadian that is single handedly responsible for the worst music to ever be written.

            'Murrica!
            For some reason, I thought that was about the funniest post this year.
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          • Profile picture of the author yukon
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            Originally Posted by Clix View Post

            Saying you won that is like saying the Navajo Indians defeated Hitler.
            Actually that's not too far off, considering thousands of Native American Indians did help defeat Hitler.

            If you don't know about the Native American Indian code talkers, it's actually an interesting subject.
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            • Profile picture of the author MissTerraK
              Originally Posted by yukon View Post

              Actually that's not too far off, considering thousands of Native American Indians did help defeat Hitler.

              If you don't know about the Native American Indian code talkers, it's actually an interesting subject.
              That's part of my family's heritage. My grandfather on my mom's side served in the military. He was Cherokee and enlisted straight from his reservation.

              Terra
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          • Profile picture of the author thunderbird
            Originally Posted by Clix View Post

            <snip>Avril Lavigne married the Canadian that is single handedly responsible for the worst music to ever be written.
            <snip>
            Deryck Whibley or Chad Kroeger?
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  • Profile picture of the author travlinguy
    The only difference I've noticed is that Canadians say "aye" after both statements and questions. Personally, I think that is very cool, aye?
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    • Profile picture of the author stoltingmediagroup
      Originally Posted by travlinguy View Post

      The only difference I've noticed is that Canadians say "aye" after both statements and questions. Personally, I think that is very cool, aye?
      Get it right "Eh?" :p

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  • Profile picture of the author thunderbird
    There's not much difference between the two species. They often live in each other's habitat and even interbreed. Hybrids are sometimes called Canmericans or Ameri-Cans.
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    • Profile picture of the author Claude Whitacre
      Originally Posted by thunderbird View Post

      There's not much difference between the two species. They often live in each other's habitat and even interbreed. Hybrids are sometimes called Canmericans or Ameri-Cans.
      That was pretty darn funny.

      Half Canadian - Half Americans are called Day Walkers.
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    • Profile picture of the author Dan Riffle
      Originally Posted by thunderbird View Post

      There's not much difference between the two species. They often live in each other's habitat and even interbreed. Hybrids are sometimes called Canmericans or Ameri-Cans.
      I thought the mule-like offspring were called Canuckicans.
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  • Profile picture of the author candoit2
    Originally Posted by taskemann View Post

    I don't want this to be a political discussion, but a cultural one.

    What's the difference between Americans and Canadians? For example, I never hear anything about Canada on the news. But I hear something about the US every day. There are actually more news about the Cayman Islands than it is about Canada.

    The only times I see Canadians on TV are when Terrance and Phillip appear on South Park.

    Why do I never hear anything about Canada or Canadians?
    I never hear anything about Norway either in the news.
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  • Profile picture of the author thunderbird
    Is Captain Canuck running away? (scroll below) American and Canadian superheroes all wear spandex.

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    • Profile picture of the author Dan Riffle
      Originally Posted by thunderbird View Post

      Is Captain Canuck running away?
      No. He just spotted a Tim Horton's.
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      • Profile picture of the author Karen Blundell
        Canadians are just peaceful people - we'd rather make love than wage war -

        I think it's just that the US media outlets have bigger budgets - thus a bigger reach.
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        • Profile picture of the author thunderbird
          Originally Posted by Karen Blundell View Post

          Canadians are just peaceful people - we'd rather make love than wage war -

          I think it's just that the US media outlets have bigger budgets - thus a bigger reach.
          I thought Rupert Murdoch was Australian.
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          • Profile picture of the author rondo
            Originally Posted by thunderbird View Post

            I thought Rupert Murdoch was Australian.
            He became an American. They can keep him.


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    • Profile picture of the author Thego12
      Originally Posted by thunderbird View Post

      Is Captain Canuck running away? (scroll below) American and Canadian superheroes all wear spandex.
      When is that superheroes will play on the same movies? LOL
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  • Profile picture of the author bravo75
    Canadians are more British.
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  • Profile picture of the author Kurt
    Canadians and Americans have far more in common than we have differences, and I'm not sure why some folks feel such a need to drive a wedge between us.

    BTW, what's the difference between Norway and Sweden? I've seen the Swedish Bikini Team on beer commercials but have never seen a Norwegian Bikini Team? Why is that?
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    • Profile picture of the author Dan Riffle
      Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

      <snip>BTW, what's the difference between Norway and Sweden?
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    • Profile picture of the author taskemann
      Originally Posted by Kurt View Post

      I've seen the Swedish Bikini Team on beer commercials but have never seen a Norwegian Bikini Team? Why is that?
      That's because the nice looking bikinis the Swedes are using aren't made of wool and cod skin.

      By the way, we don't hate them as Dan's infographics states. We love them since they have cheap alcohol, tobacco and bacon.
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  • Profile picture of the author garyv
    Canadians would be more violent... but it's too cold most of the time to go outside and punch someone.
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    • Profile picture of the author thunderbird
      Originally Posted by garyv View Post

      Canadians would be more violent... but it's too cold most of the time to go outside and punch someone.
      Yeah, but it's good for making snowballs or throwing icicles.
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  • Profile picture of the author PROmotions LLC
    Yeah, Canadians have their own "bacon" but it's really not bacon....

    AND, speaking of South Park, I am very excited for the return of the show on Sept 22nd!!
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    • Profile picture of the author Paul Myers
      Canadians have better beer.
      Canadians are more polite.

      Americans have better hats.
      Americans never burned down the capital of Canuckistan.

      Canada gave us Wolverine.
      America gave us "Adolescent Radioactive Black Belt Hamsters."

      I think that covers the high points...
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      • Profile picture of the author the french newbie
        Lol! That was so funny! Trailer park boys...

        A good canadian show was Kids in the Hall...:p

        Please don't forget that we also have notorious murderers! Luca Rocco Magnotta, Robert Pickton, Karla Homolka and her husband and the canadian army general commander (I forgot his name!)...

        As a French Canadian, I see a lot of differences between the English Canadians (that we affectionnatly call "square heads") and us (who they are affectionnatly calling frogs...)

        But to us, there is not so much differences between English Canadians and Americans that we are all calling affectionnatly " RedNecks"...


        But in the end its all good cause the most interesting things often lie in the differences....:rolleyes:
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  • Profile picture of the author garyv
    Canadians would also get into more wars... if they could find enough dogs to pull their tanks...
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