RSS Feed MenuWhen I got an email the other day from Bill Graham – not the former Canadian Defense Minister Bill Graham, but one at the Canadian Forces Base in Edmonton – asking “can anything be done?” about “comedian” Greg Gutfeld’s witticism on Fox News about the Canadian military, I didn’t know what he was talking about.
I’d never heard of Gutfeld, much less been exposed to him on TV.
But Graham’s outrage was infectious: “We have four of our lads coming in today who have given the ultimate sacrifice, and this pea brain says things like that.”
Well, I’ve since seen the segment that got not only Bill Graham upset, but the whole country. In yesterday’s Toronto Sun, Joe Warmington more or less took the guy apart, while in an editorial Lorrie Goldstein administered the coup de grace by spelling out the difference between a political satirist “and being an ignorant little twerp.”
Gutfeld holds forth on Fox News’ Red Eye talk show at 3 a.m. – which I suspect is as close as he’ll ever get to prime time.
Frankly, I was more disgusted at Gutfeld’s three ignorant guests than I was at him. Their ignorance verged on pathological, matched only by their smugness.
One thing we Canadians should realize when comedians sound off about us: Their goal is to cause a reaction, to provoke outrage.
It’s not about being funny or witty, it’s about being noticed. Wit without an audience is a waste. Again – it’s not the humour but the attention it gets. And on this occasion, Gutfeld got attention.
Invariably when a fuss is raised, bad-taste comedians apologize as Gutfeld has done, claiming he was “misunderstood” and meant no disrespect to “the brave men and women and families of the Canadian military.”
Politicians do the same thing – as President Barack Obama had to do when he inadvertently compared his bowling skills to Special Olympics, thereby offending a considerable portion of Americans. The difference is that his gaffe wasn’t scripted or intended to hurt.
What was disappointing in the Gutfeld show was unawareness of the panelists of Canada’s role in Afghanistan – and especially one guy who didn’t know our soldiers were even in Afghanistan, much less fighting there.
“I didn’t even know that Canada was in the war. I thought that’s where you go if you don’t want to fight it,” said this guy, in response to Gutfeld’s remark that Canada is “a ridiculous country without an army.”
Sadly, that’s par for American knowledge of us.
Then there are Americans like retired Col. Austin Bay, military analyst for the Washington Times who says, man-for-man, Canadian soldiers are the best in the world. (“I have yet to meet or serve with a Canadian soldier who failed to impress me with his professionalism and discipline.”)
On YouTube.com, Greg Gutfeld’s programs usually get 2,000 hits. His slamming of the Canadian military had 27,000 hits – not much for YouTube, but more than Gutfeld usually gets.
Fox News, which boasts it is “fair and balanced,” can’t be pleased with Gutfeld’s impact, but for certain he is. He’s got a whole country indignant at him. We’ve taken the bait, even though he didn’t mean his Red Eye show as “bait.” We are paying attention to him – perhaps for the first time in his career. That’s success. For the moment.
By mocking our soldiers, Gutfeld is also mocking American soldiers who, in Afghanistan, are very aware of the quality of their Canadian allies.
Anyway who cares what a 3 a.m. talk show host says – even if he knew what he’s talking about.
nolan084 // Mar 25, 2009 at 5:19 am
If you don’t care what an irrelevant talk show at 3 AM says, then why have there been multiple posts dedicated to the subject on here?For God’s sake, it’s a tongue-in-cheek show that airs at 3 AM. You Canadians are taking this ‘diss’ more seriously than a certain southern white male demographic when somebody cracks on Left Turns in NASCAR.Let it go…
researchok // Mar 25, 2009 at 6:01 am
The critique is fair enough.That said, I do wonder how many Canadians and Canadian pundits were only too happy to defend Heather Mallick’s vicious diatribe against Sarah Palin. I seem to recall the great glee by many Canadians as Palin was referred to as ‘white trash and a ‘porn actress’ among other things. I also recall Mallick’s energetic defense of her ugly remarks.I can only imagine the outrage if Americans refused to accept the apologies of Heather Mallick and the CBC (apologies that were quite slow in coming).Perhaps the author of this piece ought to reconsider the almost immediate apology of an erstwhile comic.
poppie // Mar 25, 2009 at 7:46 am
I never knew that Canadians can’t grasp a joke.For goodness sake the guy JOKED when he said that he didn’t even know that Canada is in the war!
sinz54 // Mar 25, 2009 at 7:50 am
If the government of Canada apologized every time one of Canada’s academics or pundits bitterly denounced the American military, the Canadian government would be issuing apologies almost weekly. And they would have been doing it since the Vietnam War.
Bulldoglover100 // Mar 25, 2009 at 7:55 am
That’s all Fox News has done for the last year when it became apparent that their hand picked politicans were not going to win the 2008 election. They went for shock and awe even if it meant lying and attempting to cause bodily harm. Fox News has done more to damage the GOP then anyone including the Wack Job from Wasilla. They are no longer considered a “News” source by the main stream, they are considered a lying arm of the GOP.While many conservatives may slam me for this posting, I say sorry but perhaps you need to deal with reality. Many Republicans have ran willy nilly to Fox to hear what they want, even when it is not true which is most of the time on Fox, but just because someone tells you the sky is green does NOT make it green.Out party MUST educate theirselves with FACTS and then come up with compelling arguments that people can believe in if we are to turn this country back to the basic principles I signed on for when I first registered as a Republican over 30 years ago.While Fox may have a large audience, Obama’s numbers keep going up. If that does not tell you something? Then perhaps our losses come 2010 and 2012 will tell you that we must turn away from the liars at Fox News and deal with reality.The majority of people in this country do not respect the people at Fox or Limgbaugh or Palin. Heck Palin cost of millions of votes in 2008 yet people in this party seem to think that offering these same people to Americans will change the second time around. Problem with that? Once repsect is lost? You don;t get it back….and as my Grandmother use to say? Once someone shows you who they are? Believe them. The idiots at Fox are liars and Amerians know it now.
isaac32767 // Mar 25, 2009 at 8:13 am
Gutfield was not mocking Canadian soldiers. He said as much.Is there something in the water you Canadians drink up there?Don’t you think you should focus some of your faux outrage at the politically correct fascists in your country who have taken it upon themselves to attack good Canadians like Ezra Levant?
JohntheL // Mar 25, 2009 at 8:32 am
Please. Lighten up. For being so cold up there, who knew you folks had such thin skins? I watch Gutfeld’s Red Eye religiously, I’m confident he meant no harm whatsoever and I can assure you that Gutfeld, a conservative and patriot, has nothing but admiration for anyone who dons a uniform and takes up arms to fight for our way of life. Canada is a vast country with many beliefs, but has the unfortunate stigma of being a sanctuary to AWOL U.S. soldiers. Hence the joke. Where’s the outrage at South Park, who mocks Canada regularly? And this tit-for-tat in trying to savage Gutfeld and belittle him and his ratings, really puts you in worse company than you realize.
JVCarone // Mar 25, 2009 at 8:50 am
Having actually watched the show, as far as I know, nowhere did Greg Gutfeld impugn the reputation of the Canadian military, only the Canadian government. All of these indignant Canadians outraged by Gutfeld’s comments seem to go out of their way to ignore his panel’s point, and the greater context of what they’ve been talking about; that point being that Canada is extremely easily fatigued by war, and the greater context being that, in war, Canada has proven itself an undependable ally.Even with as few casualties as the country has suffered in Afghanistan, calls for retreat have been resounding since the war began, and have only grown louder. Coincidentally, the point of Red Eye’s panel was to discuss why Canadian forces are retreating for a year. Four heroes K.I.A. should not spare your country from criticism from what appears to the world to be cowardice, so stop trying to hide behind their flag draped coffins to avoid criticism.Of course, I will say that Canadian soldiers are some of the best and brightest, and that their dead are not to be honored lightly. But while your country shrugs the weight of what is now the most important, delicate and volatile war in the middle east onto the shoulders of the American forces, Mr. Worthington, I hope that you do notice that the war will go on without your country’s help, as American blood is spilled in Afghanistan – alone, and instead.
Bic667 // Mar 25, 2009 at 9:00 am
Gutfeld is a former editor of Stuff and Maxim magazines and to even pretend Red Eye is a serious view of what Americans, or even Gutfeld and his panel believe (Benson being the possible exception but he doesn’t even pretendt to know anything about anything) is rediculous.The fuss caused by this comedy show really exposes the prejudices of us Canadians, and not Americans. This entire controversy is a simple excuse for people to spout anti-American and anti-Fox diatribes (as already witnessed in this thread). And for the record Bulldog, Fox’ News numbers are going up in all political and age demographics and Obama’s are now hovering around only 50% (a record decline for a new President).But back to the Red Eye controversy, I can’t seem to remember American’s demanding formal government apologies when the TAX PAYER FUNDED CBC had on a ELECTED MEMBER OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNEMENT to stomp a voodoo doll of the sitting President of the United States after being caught on tape saying “Damn Americans, I hate the bastards.”. And as a Newfie myself, I’ve never protested Mercer and company’s Quinlan Quints sketches but assuming that the only clip of the show an outsider ever saw, and using the same ability to judge sarcasm and satire that it appears most Canadians currently have, people would have no choice but to assume everyone from the Rock were inbred hicks only looking to make an easy buck.Too many Canadian’s base their opinions of themselves on how American’s see us and thus the outrage when an American mocks us. Do we truly have such low self esteem that we can’t take some ribbing. People may not have like the jokes or the tone, and the timing, airing 3 days prior to the tragedy in Afghanistan, was bad to say the least, but in all honesty, when a General of a G8 nation comes forward and publicly declares that he thinks the entire military needs a years off combat activity, that is something comedians are going to make fun of. Red Eye routinely says much worse things about Belgium’s military and people, but apparently they can understand the concept of a joke.And for the record, Greg does not really abuse and kill houseboys, he does not really have a brother Gunther which lives in a shoe box under his bed (thats a puppet in the box), Bill is not a hermaphrodite nor is he a women, Norwegian a member of the KKK or any of the other random groups Greg says he’s a part of depending on the segment and Andy (who happens to be an Army Vet) does not continually launch cat based companies from his apartment, though he does appear to like sweater vests; so at least they got that right. In case you haven’t guessed it nothing said on that show can be taken without a tonne of salt and by it’s very nature is bound to offend someone. It’s essentially an hour long political cartoon.
A. Wilson // Mar 25, 2009 at 12:47 pm
can anything be done?Apparently no concept of free speech up there in Canada. Ask Ezra Levant about that one.”Sadly, thats par for American knowledge of us.”So now he’s using his misinterpretation of RedEye’s comedy to impugn the whole population. Gee, thanks. And RedEye’s intellect is suspect?Perhaps the author is attempting to take the award for “most mindless and at the same time enemy-enabling response” away from Meghan McCain.
midcon // Mar 25, 2009 at 1:33 pm
Our American skins are no thicker than our friends and neighbors to the north. Just ask the Dixie Chicks. Some Canadians take offense when we joke about them, some Canadians joke back about us. Lord knows there is enough on both sides to laugh at (Congress).Fortunately, it’s big tent for this 3 ring circus and there is enough room for all in it. And in the grand scheme of things, I doubt this particular article on NM was worth effort to write or to post a reply too.
thesavvyboomer // Mar 25, 2009 at 3:03 pm
Gutfeld and those 3 other idiots deserve every bit of abuse they are getting in Canada. The comments from the American apologists here are unbelievable. Canadians are totally incensed about this outrage and all your “who cares” and “get over it” comments speak volumes about your understanding of Canadians.And to the commenter who accused Canadians of hiding behind our military coffins, please google the message Tom Green sent to Gutfeld on YouTube then apply it to yourself.
isaac32767 // Sep 9, 2009 at 5:08 am
Whoever posted the asinine comment about drinking water as “isaac32767″ wasn’t me. I never say “politically correct” without irony, and I don’t even know who Ezra Levant is.
Must have gotten sloppy with my passwords. Please note that the numeric portion of my user name is a subtle joke. Anybody who can’t explain the joke is bogus. Accept no substitutes!