MovieChat Forums > Yoga Hosers (2016) Discussion > Aren't the Canada jokes getting a little...

Aren't the Canada jokes getting a little old?

posted 10 years ago by gasmaskproductionsbooks
26 replies | jump to latest

*UPDATE: because I keep getting replies to this post saying I should stop being offended by the Canada jokes, to make it clear once again, I'm not offended by them. The first few times I heard them I thought they were pretty funny actually. What I meant by the post is that I think the jokes are getting boring and annoying, not offensive. Nobody has to agree with me on that, but there's a big difference between thinking something is boring and cliche, and thinking something is offensive and racist.*

Original post:

I'm from Nova Scotia and I'm not offended by the Canadian jokes that were in Tusk or anything (though I hated the crude humor and sex comments in Tusk). Aren't the Canada jokes getting just a little bit old at this point, though? Somebody saying "eh" or "aboot" just isn't that funny. I realize that the two girls are from Canada, but who cares? If this film is littered with the same overused stereotypes and lame accent mocking, then it'll be incredibly boring.

Also, what on earth does yoga have to do with being Canadian, aside from the fat rednecks here at Wal-Mart who wear yoga pants and dress like they just rolled out of bed? Yoga is a fad, but I don't think it's just a Canadian fad. I've seen people in the States who get all weird over yoga way more than people here do. While I was at the airport in Newark, the amount of people from the States with those god-awful messy bun hairstyles, oversized sweatshirts and too-small yoga pants was disturbing. I think it's a North American fad, not just a Canadian fad. And for the record, I hope it's a short-lived fad.

"The 21st century is all flash but no substance." ~ Smog City

[–] Mossap 10 years ago

The "aboot" and "eh" jokes are definitely getting old, especially considering they're not even that accurate. Also, I don't think the yoga part is supposed to be Canadian... they're just hosers who happen to do yoga.

[–] gasmaskproductionsbooks 10 years ago

True, the "aboot" and "eh" jokes aren't accurate. The only time I've ever heard anybody from Canada speak that way was when I was living in rural Cape Breton, and even then it wasn't that strong or easy to notice. I'm not really sure what people find so funny about it that it needs to be repeated over the course of two films. It wasn't very funny to begin with, and now it's just annoying. 😕

"The 21st century is all flash but no substance." ~ Smog City

[–] ernieball5150 9 years ago

The "aboot" thing arises from a quirk in how humans learn to hear language, and from a misunderstanding:

Most Americans pronounce the "ou" in "about" the same way they pronounce the "ow" sound in "clown". Infants can differentiate sounds from many different languages, but people who grow up without exposure to certain phonemes tend to lose the ability to distinguish them. So Americans who grow up without exposure the Canadian versions of "about", "house", "shout", "out" etc, literally LOSE THE ABILITY to hear a distinction between "about" as a Canadian *actually* says it, and "aboot". It's like how Japanese speakers who grow up without exposure to other languages can lose the ability to distingiush the "r" and "l" sounds that are so clearly distinct to native English speakers.

So it's not that Canadians generally say "aboot" (though there may be some regional exceptions), it's that unless you say it with the "ow" sound as in "clown", Americans will *hear* it as "aboot".

To learn more about the nuances of the pronunciation, and how it differs from the typical American version, google the term "Canadian raising".

[–] haileybaron 10 years ago

What does yoga have to do with Canada?
I don't know - if the film were set in France or the USA or Mexico would you ask the same question?
Why can't it be a film aboot two girls who do yoga and are from Canada? You say the Canada jokes don't bother you but clearly they do and you're overly sensitive about it. So much so that you're searching for negative meanings behind the title were there are none.
And no, the Canada jokes aren't old or boring at all. Just for Canadiens I suppose. We think they're hilarious!
Just lighten up a little dude. The American stereotype is that we're all overweight gun-carrying white trash hillbillies with southern accents.
The worst we say about you is that you say certain words funny and you're SUPER friendly and polite!
Wow... Don't be too offended. Can you forgive us for these heartless jokes?

[–] x-e-n 9 years ago

OK, sorry for calling you a dick on another thread. I totally agree with what you are saying here... and, yes, our "military" isn't too impressive. Damn, I think that we even bought lemon fighter jets. D'OH!

[–] gasmaskproductionsbooks 9 years ago

I don't think they're "offensive", just annoying. Personally I think the American gun-nut jokes are rather annoying, too. Maybe I just don't have the same sense of humour, but I've heard the "eh" and "aboot" jokes and the poutine jokes a hundred times so at this point they're just boring to me. In moderation they can be funny, but take any joke and if it's repeated too much, it just isn't funny anymore no matter what it about.

"The 21st century is all flash but no substance." ~ Smog City

[–] chris-wulfers 9 years ago

As a fellow Canadian, I have to say get over yourself.

Kevin Smith loves Canada and is a massive hockey fan. Kevin Smith makes fun of everything. Have you even seen his movies? Just because on this occasions he happens to be using some Canadian stereotypes you're getting offended? Come on dude. Don't take yourself so seriously.

[–] gasmaskproductionsbooks 9 years ago

Yes, I've seen Smith's films, and it's not really the stereotypes that annoy me, some of them are just for fun - it's the fact that they've been overused at this point and they just aren't funny anymore. It's the same with any joke, Canadian or otherwise, if it's used too often in a repetitive way, it ends up becoming stupid and pointless. If Kevin Smith is going to tell jokes, he ought to get new material, like laughing at those Canadians in Alberta who pay to have pizza from Nova Scotia shipped across the country, or that Canadian plastic money melts if it goes through the dryer by mistake, or at least something that hasn't been done a million times before.

"The 21st century is all flash but no substance." ~ Smog City

[–] GenghisCarnage 9 years ago

I'll never get bored of the Canada-centric Smodcast episodes.

[–] Royalcourtier 9 years ago

I doubt that Yanks will ever grow up and abandon their inherent racism towards other and better countries.

[–] gasmaskproductionsbooks 9 years ago

Typical of them. Canada is being turned into America's joke, Canada is becoming Americanized and not many Americans ever consider the benefits to being Canadian, the beautiful land of this country or the great inventions Canada has given people worldwide. But I wouldn't use the term "racist", maybe stereotypical, though.

"The 21st century is all flash but no substance." ~ Smog City

[–] serenas8 9 years ago

Have you met the vast majority of Americans? Wow, you must really get around!

[–] gasmaskproductionsbooks 9 years ago

No, but I do read the tons of comments people throw up all over the internet about it, and I've been to America a number of times and heard the same types of comments from a lot of people. I didn't assume you'd take my statement that literally.

"The 21st century is all flash but no substance." ~ Smog City

[–] serenas8 9 years ago

I've had a very similar experience with Canadians making American jokes, but I don't get my panties in a bunch over it because they're just jokes. Lighten up.

[–] gasmaskproductionsbooks 9 years ago

I realize they're just jokes, I just don't see the humor in them. They're not offensive, but they're annoying because they've been used so many times, and honestly I think the same goes for jokes about Americans. They're overused at this point. When I first heard some Canadian jokes I thought they were pretty funny, obviously they weren't serious and the first few times I heard someone saying "eh" or "aboot" or making a poutine joke I was telling the same jokes to my sister, I thought they were hilarious to begin with. But at this point when I hear them all I do is roll my eyes. It has nothing to do with me being Canadian, I've heard lots of American gun-nut redneck obesity jokes that at this point I just don't think are funny anymore. I guess I'm just not intelligent enough to see the humor in the word "eh" after I've heard the joke about a million times before. 😦

"The 21st century is all flash but no substance." ~ Smog City

[–] GenghisCarnage 9 years ago

What a stupid post. I can't imagine how people who are victims of actual racism feel when they see stuff like this.

[–] gasmaskproductionsbooks 9 years ago

I never said that the Canadian jokes were racist, they're just not all that funny and at this point they've been used so much that they're boring. They're stereotypical but not racist.

"The 21st century is all flash but no substance." ~ Smog City

[–] GenghisCarnage 9 years ago

My comment was reply to guy above you who specifically said that Americans were racist towards Canada.

[–] gasmaskproductionsbooks 9 years ago

Oh, my apologies then. I think "racist" is a pretty strong word, Canada jokes are stereotypical but there's no ill intent behind them in most cases. Racism is hatred, and I think the poster of that comment used the word the wrong way. Sorry about that, my email said that it was a reply to one of my posts so I wasn't sure if your comment referred to me or another poster.

"The 21st century is all flash but no substance." ~ Smog City

[–] salazam 9 years ago

I know, right? "I'm not offended!" and then proceeds to write an essay about how offended she is. If the joke is old, then let it die. This post right here makes me want to breathe new life into the stereotypes, whatchu think aboooooot that? eh? eh?

[–] mmichaels-71660 9 years ago

I live in Michigan. Windsor, Ontario is about an hour drive from where I live. Canadian Jokes are a way of life.

[–] Rooney_Mara_Lover 9 years ago

I'm Canadian and i dont really care for those jokes. I even find them funny.

[–] PecasinaDont 9 years ago

Well, I live in Vancouver, the birthplace of Lululemon, and let me tell you, EVERYONE where's yoga pants here. So, yes, it has as much to do with Canada as anything else.

Who hurt you, vicious circle?

[–] gasmaskproductionsbooks 9 years ago

Same here in Nova Scotia, I think yoga pants have become the latest North American trend. Well, at least it isn't something like bellbottom pants or leisure suits. :-\

Canada, eh? 🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦🇨🇦 :)

"The 21st century is all flash but no substance." ~ Smog City

[–] xCHRISFANx 9 years ago

Yeah I guess the joke is funny and not old, if you are an American. As a Canadian, I don't laugh either. I don't find it overly clever or original when I hear "eh" and "aboot" jokes. The Mackenzies did that 30+ years ago.

I will, however hypocritically, admit that I still laugh at racist "dumb 'Merican jokes" aboot their guns and their GAWD-GIVEN RIGHTS to murder 'different' or random people and stuff. Perhaps sane Americans are tired of those stereotypes?