I agree that they need a system to balance out the extreme voting but 6.6 doesn't make any sense when looking at the details.
shareIt makes sense if you throw out all the tens and ones. Let's be honest, this show ain't a ten (or a one). Anyone who votes at the extreme end of the scale is either (1) a shill for the production company / network that produced the show or (2) trying to game the imdb voting system.
shareAlthough I do not think X Company is a masterpiece, I disagree with many who thrashed this show. The reason why many voted below five out of ten is simple: many Canadians forgive Americans for producing turds, but are always ready to systematically rant against a homegrown TV series or films for no cogent reason.
shareI thought this self-hatred was a German thing ;)
shareMany Germans automatically hate their homegrown films, TV series and novels that much? Yet, I have in my Netflix queue a German TV series called Generation War (Unsere Mütter, unsere Väter). Besides, as soon as I'm done with school, I plan to learn German.
Anyway, I'll get back to my topic. The reason why many Canadians are hard-wired to loathe their homegrown TV series and films is rooted in History. Up until the 1960s, Canadians were taught that they could never produce novels, films and TV series on par with those of the United States and the UK. Moreover, Canadian literature was taught for the time in schools and universities in the 1960s. Fast forward to nowadays. In the last 10 years, the general attitude towards homegrown films and TV series has changed, albeit slowly. It's difficult to get rid of such a self-hatred in a few generations.
This is not exclusively a Canadian (or a German) problem. It is a function in a lot of countries that aren't the USA. The Australians coined a term for it: "Cultural Cringe." In Canada it is strong because Canada is completely colonized culturally -- except for the Quebecois minority, Canada is the only nation in the world where the US networks are part of the domestic cable packages, unfiltered.
But the reality is that I've been in France listening to French people hack on their own film & TV. Americans are anglophiles, but I've listened to Brits run down "Eastenders and BBC *beep* endlessly.
It's easier when a language difference provides a buffer. But it's also pernicious because TV inculcates us in a thousand different ways -- offering a platform to reflect attitudes, discussion, culture.
It's also a low-information response. The people who feel it most strongly are the people who aren't really gobbling up the best of what the over-culture has to offer, either.
Thanks, Denis, for your feedback. It was pleasure for me to make a research on the Australian term "Cultural Cringe".
Speaking about your remark on Quebec, I will analyze it from my own personal experience with Quebeckers. French Quebecker TV series struggle most of the time to attract white Francophone Quebeckers aged between 18 and 30 years old, the demographic group so targeted by advertisers. After all, the bilingualism rate among these people is quite high as opposed to that of Quebeckers from previous generations. Many young Quebeckers mostly consume American, British and, sometimes, English Canadian TV shows, because dramatic series in Quebec are almost exclusively aired by TV networks.
As for the film industry in Quebec, "provincegrown" films have accounted for less than 10% of the money made at the box-office for more than five years in a row. Let's also mention that next to no Quebecker films make their money back. While many journalists are excited about Quebecker films, most of the average-joes are not. In fact, in order to "encourage" Quebeckers to watch their films (or even TV series), all media outlets publish a list of all the good reviews a Quebecker film or TV series received during its release in France and the United States.
Thirdly, language in Quebec doesn't provide much of a "buffer". Whenever I hear most Quebeckers speak French, I am often under the impression they are "thinking in English (syntax and semantic)".
I can't speak to the "thinking in English" point, but the point about Quebec film in the last five years is well taken and very interesting. It's noted and talked about -- a lot. And the point about attracting 18-30 is something I didn't know, but don't find surprising at all. I had quite an interesting convo about the insularity of the Quebec film industry the other night, and how they don't seem able to see their way out of it.
Interesting take. Thanks.
DMc
You're dead right on the bashing of French production by French people, and we have good reasons for it, between overly *beep* comedies, Europacorp productions (Luc Besson's company) and pretentious allegedly "independent" movie with upper class arrogant actors/directors who (got) paid their way through "prestigious" private Parisian cinema schools (because you know, gotta pay for the right connections, sweet sweet subventions €s).
And our TV series, even the most acclaimed have so many flaws or turn too *beep* nowhere after 1 or 2 seasons (+ no annual release of season, usually multi year subventionned work for, more often that not, *beep* results), it sucks.
But hey always funny to see american hipsters "hurr durr look how special I am, watching a French TV Series with subtitles" or praising others "indie" prod.
I'd like to say I love to hate, but no, I m disgusted.
LOL, glad to know I'm not the only one hating French cinema.
Whenever someone mentions "Amelie" I feel like an outcast for actually being depressed by it.
I think the IMDb score is fair, reflecting a mediocre series, and not the influence of "cultural cringe." That's as often a cop-out by home team boosters as a real influence on viewers. This show just isn't inspired stuff, and I think the rating reflects that impression.
shareI think that most Canadians over a certain age grew up in an era when "Canadian show" was synonymous with "crap". For years the only Canadian shows that were watchable were SCTV and Kids in the Hall. Canadian sitcoms and dramas were excruciatingly bad; poorly acted, badly written and with a real low-budget look and feel to them.
Even though there have now been a number of good Canadian shows, I still am surprised when I come across one. It's an ingrained prejudice.
Your comment about "most Canadians over a certain age" is spot on.
I was born in Canada. I am in my twenties. Even though I grew up hearing "Canadians over a certain age" bitching about homegrown TV shows and films, I was exposed to many watchable Canadian TV shows. When I was a kid, some animated or life-action shows my sister and I enjoyed were Canadians. Of course, this goes without saying that the bulk of TV shows on schedule were Americans and British at that time.
Moreover, the Canada I knew in the 1990s gained notice from the world for producing amazing feature films. This is why I am not "surprised" when I come across a great Canadian TV show.
You should ask your parents if they remember a show from the seventies called "The Trouble With Tracy". Even as a kid, I thought it was bad. It would make you cringe, it was so awful.
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