So a few months ago I got an angry email from one Jeremy Thompson.
He was kind of unhappy with the tone and content of my article outlining The Top 10 Canadian Television Shows of All Time
Here's what Jeremy had to say:
On Thu, May 31, 2012 at 5:29 PM, Jeremy Thompson wrote:
Who da fuck do you think you are? Just because you lives in Toronto doesn't give you the right to make fun of the rest of Canada. Most of us enjoy Flashpoint and many other Canadian TV productions. Oh, and This Hour Has 22 minutes has been on the air for almost 20 years and it's still on for a reason. Stop being a douchebag
and stop critiquing Canadian TV and especially the Newfoundland ones.
So I responded to Jeremy, and am waiting to hear back.
Who do you think is right?
Who is wrong?
Who cares and/or knows?
Hi Jeremy,
Sorry about the delay responding to your email, it's been a very busy summer.
I also was debating how to respond to this.
Do I go the flippant route and pick apart your spelling and grammar?*
Do I justify the fact that my post apparently "make(s) fun of the rest of Canada"?
Or do I learn something from your post, and apologize for offending you?
Well, I don't think I went any of those routes, but I think I might have found a happy medium.
Below is my itemized response to your concerns.
I thank you for bringing them to me and hope we can come to an understanding. I also hope you're ok with me posting this response (and any future responses) on my blog. Regardless of the fact that it's not your cup of tea, I like to think I've got a sense of humour, and am looking forward to some intelligent discourse on Canadian TV, or anything else you dislike about me.
So without further ado, my rebuttle can be found below:
- "Who da fuck do you think you are?" I know I said no spelling jokes, so instead I'll commend you on writing in what I can only assume is your actual voice. And yeah, that does sound douchey, but I mean it as a compliment. So who am I? Well I assume you mean "What makes you think your opinion of Canadian television holds any more merit than mine?". Be assured that I don't think that I'm a better person than you. I never meant to say that people who like Flashpoint are lesser people than I. They just like derivative crap.
- "Just because you lives in Toronto doesn't give you the right to make fun of the rest of Canada." DID YOU EVEN READ THE ARTICLE? Seriously Jeremy, yours is a weak argument. 1 of the shows is based in BC, 1 in Saskatchewan, 1 in some nameless town (because it's easier to sell to American buyers that way), 2 are news-serials ONE OF WHICH IS FILMED IN TORONTO (and neither the Mercer Report nor 22 Minutes is as good as Codco - an actual Canadian show that DIDN'T suck - look it up), 4 of the shows on the list are based in Toronto AND I MAKE FUN OF TORONTO MORE THAN ANY OTHER CITY. Dammit man, 1 of the shows is FUCKING BASED ON MARS and I don't even mock it. You're too sensitive. Lighten up.
- "Most of us enjoy Flashpoint and many other Canadian TV productions." I enjoy many other Canadian TV productions as well. Just not the ones that are shit. We make some incredible TV in this country: (the original) Degrassi series, Trailer Park Boys, Kenny vs. Spenny, the aforementioned Codco, Kids in the Hall, SCTV, Dragon's Den (yeah, it's an international franchise, but Canada's is regarded as the best of the bunch). The problem is for every 1 of those, there's an ENG and a Metropia and a Being Erica waiting to take it's place. Also, who is "most of us"? Please clarify because I can't find any statistics showing most of anyone liking Flashpoint.
- "Oh, and This Hour Has 22 minutes has been on the air for almost 20 years and it's still on for a reason." You're 100% right with this one. You are referring to the fact that it's cheaply produced content that fulfills CBC's Canadian content requirements, right?
- "Stop being a douchebag..." No.
- "...and stop critiquing Canadian TV and especially the Newfoundland ones." Yes sir. Wait. No.
Eagerly awaiting your reply,
Cashew P. Mirman
No comments:
Post a Comment