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4.3 AVERAGE
4.3 AVERAGE
funny
informative
medium-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
American TV has always treated Canada with patronizing goodwill and stereotypes, but what choice did Canadian viewers have but to endure yet another igloo and maple syrup joke? Watch low budget Canadian content? We weren't that desperate! My mom would always insist Canadian movies were just as good, better even, as they weren't so "Hollywood". I didn't buy it. It was just another one of those mom lines like: "Cleaning your room can be fun with the right attitude" and "Homemade pizza tastes the same as Pizza Hut."
But then along came--22 Minutes--Funny, fast as a rocket, and unabashedly Canadian. Sure, as a kid I didn't get the Preston Manning jokes, but a few seconds later, a crazy warrior princess would burst into the Prime Minister's office--that I understood! The subversiveness of it all made me giddy! And when Talking to Americans came out in 2001, it changed the nation itself. Don't even try to deny it, we all lost our goddamn minds. Sure it started this somewhat toxic trend of shit-talking Americans, but hey! After Gretzky retired, Canada needed a new national pastime.
"Talking to Canadians" was such a fun read, and it reminded me of how much Rick Mercer and "22 Minutes" meant to me when I was growing up. As an adult I have sort of discounted Rick Mercer as a pale, Canadian imitation of a satirist. He is a milquetoast Jon Stewart, who blunted his comedic rapier in middle age for the sake of pandering TV segments that tugged on the heart strings.
A lot of these misgivings melted away as I read the book. I related way too much to young Rick to dismiss him completely--His terrible grades, his only skill being his ability to talk loudly and quickly into a camera, and most of all--his flair for being a spiteful, conniving pain in the ass.
He tells one story about starting his own school newspaper called "The Competition" just to spite the teachers for kicking him out of the school paper (after he stacked the vote with randos to become editor in chief). The rival paper becomes wildly popular, selling out multiple runs, and gets Mercer in huge trouble with the principal. However, having made his point, he loses all interest and disbands "The Competition" immediately. I've never identified more with a person in a story than I have with Rick in that one.
But then along came--22 Minutes--Funny, fast as a rocket, and unabashedly Canadian. Sure, as a kid I didn't get the Preston Manning jokes, but a few seconds later, a crazy warrior princess would burst into the Prime Minister's office--that I understood! The subversiveness of it all made me giddy! And when Talking to Americans came out in 2001, it changed the nation itself. Don't even try to deny it, we all lost our goddamn minds. Sure it started this somewhat toxic trend of shit-talking Americans, but hey! After Gretzky retired, Canada needed a new national pastime.
"Talking to Canadians" was such a fun read, and it reminded me of how much Rick Mercer and "22 Minutes" meant to me when I was growing up. As an adult I have sort of discounted Rick Mercer as a pale, Canadian imitation of a satirist. He is a milquetoast Jon Stewart, who blunted his comedic rapier in middle age for the sake of pandering TV segments that tugged on the heart strings.
A lot of these misgivings melted away as I read the book. I related way too much to young Rick to dismiss him completely--His terrible grades, his only skill being his ability to talk loudly and quickly into a camera, and most of all--his flair for being a spiteful, conniving pain in the ass.
He tells one story about starting his own school newspaper called "The Competition" just to spite the teachers for kicking him out of the school paper (after he stacked the vote with randos to become editor in chief). The rival paper becomes wildly popular, selling out multiple runs, and gets Mercer in huge trouble with the principal. However, having made his point, he loses all interest and disbands "The Competition" immediately. I've never identified more with a person in a story than I have with Rick in that one.
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Rick Mercer is one of my favourite comedians. He has hosted satirical news shows, such as The Rick Mercer Report and This Hour Has 22 Minutes, as well as many Canadian awards shows. In this memoir, he talks about his early life and how he got into show business. He’s had a fascinating career that has led him to becoming one of the funniest Canadian entertainers.
My top 3 favourite comedians are from Newfoundland: Jonny Harris, Mark Critch, and Rick Mercer. The beginning of this memoir was set in Newfoundland during Rick’s childhood. I traveled to Newfoundland a couple of years ago and I have family who lives in Newfoundland (in Bishop’s Falls which also got a little cameo appearance in this memoir). Canada, and particularly Newfoundland, are such small places that even one of my English university professors was mentioned in this book. All of the Canadian references really made me feel connected to this book.
I’ve watched both of Rick’s shows since I was a child. I’ve been a fan of his for as long as I can remember. Many of his best jokes were in this memoir, including his segment called Talking to Americans. He would interview Americans and tell them made up things about Canada that they believed. I remember watching one episode where he told people in an American city that Canada was going to start using the 24 hour clock. They congratulated the country on adopting this way of counting time. This was some of his classic comedy, that made me laugh out loud many times while reading this book.
Talking to Canadians is a hilarious Canadian memoir!
Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
My top 3 favourite comedians are from Newfoundland: Jonny Harris, Mark Critch, and Rick Mercer. The beginning of this memoir was set in Newfoundland during Rick’s childhood. I traveled to Newfoundland a couple of years ago and I have family who lives in Newfoundland (in Bishop’s Falls which also got a little cameo appearance in this memoir). Canada, and particularly Newfoundland, are such small places that even one of my English university professors was mentioned in this book. All of the Canadian references really made me feel connected to this book.
I’ve watched both of Rick’s shows since I was a child. I’ve been a fan of his for as long as I can remember. Many of his best jokes were in this memoir, including his segment called Talking to Americans. He would interview Americans and tell them made up things about Canada that they believed. I remember watching one episode where he told people in an American city that Canada was going to start using the 24 hour clock. They congratulated the country on adopting this way of counting time. This was some of his classic comedy, that made me laugh out loud many times while reading this book.
Talking to Canadians is a hilarious Canadian memoir!
Thank you Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
I took a while to decide on the star rating of this memoir. On the one hand I enjoyed it immensely. If I wasn't laughing out loud at the hilarity of the subject matter, I was probably tearing up at the emotional Rollercoaster ride Mercer took us on recounting events such as Christmas in Kabul. But on the other hand, I can't really say that I just read Rick Mercers Memoir. I might have learned about him as a young student when he was growing up in Newfoundland, but as soon as he hit show biz it was more about his craft, and his road stories. All extremely entertaining but I kinda already knew these in some shape or form.
Ultimately I decided on the 5 stars because I was entertained and will definitely read this again at some point. I mean, who doesn't want to read about the time Rick went to America and convinced Americans we were trying to preserve our National Igloo or that we had just switched to the 24 hour clock system.
Ultimately I decided on the 5 stars because I was entertained and will definitely read this again at some point. I mean, who doesn't want to read about the time Rick went to America and convinced Americans we were trying to preserve our National Igloo or that we had just switched to the 24 hour clock system.
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced