Why are Canadians so mean to Americans?

Question

Look at this question:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ApZuqMH5vWWXg8QJHXYXRCNIzKIX?qid=20060809160821AAoz4Gg

That question was entitled "Whats the funniest thing an American has said to you"

Half of the answers say stuff like "I had an American ask me where the nearest ski resort is ... in July"

I don't beilive most of it. I'm sure some of them are true, but no one asks if there is a ski resort within 10 miles, during mid summer. no one does that.

The one that made me laugh was the one choosen as best answer:
"I was asking for direction in Buffalo and once he found out that I am from Canada, he asked me how the Tim Horton's coffee tastes like. he got my promise to bring him Tim's coffee next time I drove to Buffalo! or he wont give me the direction :) "

That's funny because Buffalo has had Tim Hortons for the past 10 years, and has more Tim Hortons than any other American city.

I find Canadians are mean to Americans. Do you agree?

By the way ... I am Canadian. I live in Windsor, Ontario.

I think Canadians want to "Beilive" that Americans have this sterotype about Canadians living in igloos, but people arn't that dumb. It's an embarassment for me to be Canadian. It seems Canadians want to be superior to Americans, and they try to make Americans looks like idiots.

Answer 1

Marshal McLuhan (noted Canadian philosopher) coined the term "global village" to describe the effect of television. Canadians happen to live next door to the global village idiot.

Answer 2

I agree that SOME Canadians are rude to Americans, or make fun of them, assuming that ALL Americans haven't a clue. I have seen it over and over.

I also agree that SOME americans actually DON'T have a clue, and are extremely ignorant.

I also agree that as a group, Americans live in a bubble, and are not at all aware of the world outside the US ... often not outside of their own neighborhood. (before you add me to the list of canadians bashing americans .. I am american)

Three years ago I would have said, all of these stories are made up. Now I don't. When I tell people I live in Vancouver, BC, Canada ... the first thing they say is, oh, how much snow do you have, isn't it way to cold up there? Yeah right ... this part of Canada is very moderate in temps. Oh well.

I think the saddest thing about US Americans is that overall, they are so totally unaware of how their behaviour, attitudes, and ignorance is seen by the rest of the world, or that there is anything wrong with it.

But yes ... some canadians like to poke fun and be mean to americans. And most americans think canada is "america junior" and oh how I disagree!! canada is a great country with its own identity.

Answer 3

You wait just a minute, I am AMERICAN & have a CANADIAN wife. I don't belittle Canadians daily as it seems to be the general consensus on the answers, I don't make fun of Canadians just to pass the time away. I love Canadians and thats a fact!! Americans don't have a store in the London mall knocking down Americans & making fun of President Bush like Canadians do but let that roll of my back although it did kinda make me mad because I love my country. When I & wife and Canadian inlaws
went to Branson, Missouri to visit, I was the first person to break it off in someones butt if they insulted Canadians. So say what you will about Americans, we are not all the same.

Answer 4

Living in Windsor (where I currently reside), you should know why. 90% of the Americans I have to deal with are 19-21 year old kids who can't handle Canadian beer. They get all sauced up and start looking for a reason to start a fight. You can't go to a restaurant after the bar on a Saturday night without the cops being involved sooner or later. Also, most of them are just plain dumb.
On the other hand, when I go to the states for a concert or a sporting event, I don't have a problem with most Americans, and find them to be relatively intelligent and knowledgeable of Canada. Maybe its the age difference, or the different scene (IE. Windsors lame *** club scene), but I almost always have a good time in Detroit or at Pine Knob etc...
In conclusion, I think we're only mean to the ones who have it coming. Have respect for the country you're in, don't be a dick and start fights all the time, and we won't have a problem with you.

Answer 5

Hmm, I didn't know Americans thought Canadians live in igloo. Never heard that before. Well I'm Mexican living in America. To be honest.. Most Americans r rude and racist. I can see y most countries act like ***** towards Americans. On the other hand, u can't really blame them for their ignorance. U.S schools teach very little about other countries. The only ones they present is China,India, France, some Spain, some Italy,very little of Mexico. Haha they teach so little to us that I didn't find out that Alaska and Hawaii was part of U.S until I was 10. Thought I should throw that out there so u guys can have some perspective of our learning system(which is horrible, and which is y they r ignorant.)

Answer 6

That's not mean that's funny.

Yeah, lots of Canadians make up the jokes themselves.

But if you want mean, check out these mean Americans when they talk about Canada. These are a lot more serious. Your American, can you do something to clean up your own back yard please? These are scary. There are LOTS more on here, and in Yahoo News forums.

Edit - just read your add on, you aren't American. Good on you for trying to clean up your back yard. lol. Guess we still have to worry about the attack.

Answer 7

You know what?
We are not intentionally being mean to the Americans....
and it's not only them....there are ALOT of ignorant people out there.......

and believe it or not there are REAL people that belive we live in igloos......we have no summer......so we've never seen grass....
all we know is hockey and drinking beer....
trust me THERE ARE PEOPLE like that out there......

Canadians know way more about our american neighbours than they do about us.......

I've heard someone ask how do we live with all the ice and snow ALL year around.......as well as some people think that Canada is a part of the U.S........or that CAnada is ONE big country....so we know everyone who lives in Canada.......
I've had someone ask me if I knew their cousin from Alberta....i'm from Toronto......

So yeah as unbelievable as it sounds.....there are lot of stereotypes about CAnadians.....and the only reason why there are these same certain stereotypes that play over and over again is that there is ignorance......

And they are just as mean (as you say) in my opinion.
It goes both ways.

But we treated better when we travel abroad.
I'm proud to be Canadian and you do get treated better than Americans do. (personal experience when I went to Europe for 3 weeks and I'm asian background)

Answer 8

I have travelled extensively and lived with several Canadians over the years. They are some of the most laid back people on the face of the planet (at least the English half of them, French Canadians not so much). Anyone who has travelled much likes to rib the other nationalities. We all give each other a hard time. Fact is, most American travellers are pretty clueless, self-centered, rude, & loud. That is an analogy from me (an American) with personal experience living in other countries and experiencing American tourists. That is why most other countries have a distaste for Americans.

Answer 9

I, too, have been asked some pretty outrageous questions when travelling in the states (drove all the way from Canada hey, how'd you like crossing the water? ...they were speaking of an OCEAN. yes, they told me so.)

Here's the trouble: Canadians tend to be educated about the world outside our world. Some of this happens in school, but the majority of it is due largely to the fact that Canadian media is dominated by American content. How much Candian media do you see across the line? A great part of this has to do with NAFTA, as there is clauses regarding Canadian air time for American media.

NAFTA has also allowed American interests to become majority shareholders in Canadian companies, and to own "Canadian" companies outright. NAFTA is responsible for export issues (borders closing to Canadian beef, tarriffs on tomatoes and softwood lumber). Under NAFTA, basically, US entities can sue Canadian companies for providing services to Canadians that "compete" with American companies, therby dominating the market (Read: Canada Post - providing affordable parcel service to Canadians, stepping on UPS's toes), but conversely, Canadian companies don't have a hope in hell of winning any such claim against US interests, based on clauses put forth in the "agreement".

This so-called agreement was basically a sell out by our (PM Mulroney) who was elected on the premise of NOT signing that agreement, and who promptly went into action PUSHING the agreement, as said party had his hands deeply in US pockets, and the argeement was therefore in his favour.

That is not their fault, our PM's having a tendency toward this sort of slimy business, however, the US holds a Big Brother image, and pushes that image (our great protector), but the downfall of Canada will BE the US. There are distinct plans in place to make Canada the 51st state, and they are quietly taking over our country. NAFTA states that we are obligated to provide the US with a certain quantity of our resources, and when our resources begin to run out, we may not reduce the amount that we provide the US with - basically, when the water starts to run out in Canada, we are going to go thirsty before they do. That's f*cked, because we have way more water (and other natural resources) than our neighbours to the south.

Now, all that being said, I do not condemn the individuals of that country as a general population. I know that things that are happening at the higher levels that are not agreed upon by the "lesser individuals" (being those without money and power, not lesser people at all!) People who are blindly following the leader on both sides of the fence(less) are in need of some serious education.

Answer 10

You quoted one question asked by a Canadian... you should see the questions Americans ask on yahoo answers. Yikes. I have no doubt the stupid stories about skiing in July are true. I've talked some very nice Americans before but some very very dumb ones too. I know in the US they have states. Now why don't they know that we have provinces? Have you ever watched Rick Mercer's "talking to Americans"?? He has a US governor congratulating Canada on preserving our parliamentary igloo. You should look the shows up on youtube then you might know why Canadians are mean to Americans on here. the stories are TRUE!!! Some of them are just THAT dumb!!!

Answer 11

I wouldn't be so sure about people not being that dumb.
I know people from New York, that believed that OKlahoma was full of cowboys and indians.. as in, we lived in teepees and traveled everywhere by horse.
I wish I were Canadian.

And, I don't understand why Canadians aren't considered american. They're part of North America.. We're not America.. we're the United States OF America.