Just a quick note from a
Canadian about the
stupid American archetype/
stereotype that runs rampant north of the border.
I think most relatively modest Canadians who have at least a minor capacity for empathy realize that this stereotype is unfair to the large majority of Americans, and that per capita, the USA probably doesn't have any more mind-numbing, blithering idiots than we do. However, any Canadian that lives in a large city will have the same story about stupid Americans to recount. Here is mine:
Having met a perfectly nice couple from Iowa in a Toronto bar one night, I was asked the following question:
"How long will it take to get to Vancouver by car, 'cause we have a couple of hours to kill tomorrow."
The worst of it was that after telling them that Toronto and Vancouver are farther apart than London and Moscow, all I got was blank stares.
Now, in the interests of fairness, I should also say that the masochistic pleasure that most Canadians get in repeating these stories should probably be taken as more evidence of our mixed frustration with and envy of the United States.