Canadian and US Culture

Canadian and US Culture

Canadian National Anthem

• “O Canada”• Originally commissioned

by the Lieutenant Governor of Quebec in 1880.

• Calixa Lavalee wrote the music– Based on a patriotic poem – Song was originally only in

French, before it was translated to English in 1906.

US National Anthem

• The “Star Spangled Banner”

• Lyrics come from the poem "Defence of Fort McHenry“– Written by Francis Scott Key

in 1814 – About the bombardment of

Fort McHenry by British ships during the War of 1812

Language

• Canada– English and French

• Slang Words– Beauty – “thanks”– Bunny Hug – Hoodie– Had the Biscuit – broken

beyond repair– Mountie – “Cop” – Rink Rat – someone

who works at a skating rink

– Scivey (SKY-vee) -- liar

• United States – English

• Slang Words– My bad – My fault– Tight – Neat, cool – The Big Apple – New

York City– Bridezilla – A bride that

is high maintenance– Edgy – New, newer – Fixin’ – Going to– Ya’ll – Everyone

Music

Canadian Music• If popular, come to

the US • Top Bands include

Rush, Steppenwolf, and Guess Who

• Current artists that you would know– Avril Lavigne – Sum 41– Shania Twain

RUSH “Tom Sawyer”• Formed in August

1968 in Toronto, Ontario

• Most lyrics based on science fiction, fantasy, philosophy, and environmental concerns

• Began as blues band into rock into modern music with synthesizers

SHANIA TWAIN “Any Man of Mine”

• Windsor, Ontario• After her parents died

she raised her younger siblings putting her music career on hold

• Popular in country music

American Music• Profits 2007

– Sony $429 million – iPod sold over 220 million

iPods– Apple made $15.4 billion; no

debt– Bad Boy $21.5 million

• Popular Artists– Michael Jackson – Mariah Carey – Whitney Houston – Eagles– Elton John – Madonna – Celine Dion – Fleetwood Mac

Innovation • Rock ‘N’ Roll

– Elvis, 1950s

• Rap– Sugar Hill Gang, 1970s

MICHAEL JACKSON “The Way You Make Me Feel”

1. Jackson's Billie Jean was the first video by a black artist to air on MTV.

2. Jackson's total lifetime earnings have been estimated at $500 million

3. Three of Jackson's albums - Bad, Dangerous and Thriller - are among the bestsellers of all time.

4. Jackson has sold more than 300 million records worldwide.

FLEETWOOD MAC “EVERYWHERE”

• Formed in the 1960s

• Popular in the 1970s

• Many band member changes

• Drug use

• 48.5 million albums sold world wide

Art

Canadian Art Lynn Hauer, The Creation

JACK BUSH

• Born 1090• Toronto, Ontario• Abstract,

expressionist• Color Field

movement: color covers entire/majority of canvas

• Big A, 1968

CHARLES DAUDELIN

• 1920 – 2001• Quebec• Public artwork

– Allegrocube, 1973

JOHN GOODWIN LYMAN

• 1886

• Montreal

• Founded Canadian Art Society

• Opposed the Group of Seven

• Landscape, Bermuda, 1914

American Art William H. Johnson, The Teacher

GEORGE AULT

• 1891

• Cleveland, Ohio

• Precisionist (industrial)

• Nature paintings

• Bright Light at Russell’s Corner, 1946

MARY GREGORY

• 1856

• Boston

• Painted Glasswork

Literature

Canadian Literature

• Written in English or French– Often reflects the Canadian perspective on:

(1) nature, (2) frontier life, and (3) Canada’s position in the world, all three of which tie in to the garrison mentality (oppressiveness of other nations, especially the US).

– Canada's ethnic and cultural diversity are reflected in its literature, with many of its most prominent writers focusing on ethnic life.

French Canadian Literature• 1820 a fire burned all books in the official library

• Patriotism to rebuild = fiction books

• Roch Carrier, The Hockey Sweater

Contemporary

• Michael Ondaatje, The English Patient

• Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin

American Literature

• First: colonial theme, oppression

• Post-independence: human psychology, mix of fantasy and mystery

• Poetry: free flowing verse

• Writing changes with the times…there is no specific theme

Colonial • Political

– Ben Franklin, Poor Richard’s Almanac

– Thomas Paine, Common Sense

– Poem/song “Yankee Doodle”

– Yankee Doodle went to town, – A-Riding on a pony; – He stuck a feather in his cap, – And called it macaroni (a very

fashionable man).

Post-Independence • James Madison, John

Jay, TJ – Federalist papers– Government – American republic

ideals

Current

• Edgar Allan Poe, Masque of the Red Death

• Henry David Thoreau, Walden

• Harriet Beecher Stowe, Uncle Tom’s Cabin

• Nathaniel Hawthore, The Scarlett Letter

• Herman Melville, Moby Dick

• Emily Dickenson, poet

• Mark Twain, Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

• Upton Sinclair, The Jungle

• Jack Kerouac, On the Road

Movies

The Industry • District in Los Angeles • Nickname “Tinseltown”• First studio was in 1909: Nestor Studio

Movie Making Today

• Worldwide box office sales in 2008 hit $28.1 billion

• Paramount Pictures is the only major studio still located in Hollywood

Actors • James Dean • John Wayne • Lucille Ball • Humphrey Bogart

• Brad Pitt• George Clooney • Denzel Washington • Robert DeNiro• Julia Roberts

Humphrey Bogart

John Wayne

Ocean Movies

Robert De Niro

Cinema of Canada

• Production and distribution in Vancouver, Montreal, and Toronto

• Regional and niche films

• Go to America to seek fame

The Firsts

• 1st filmmaker, James Freer

• Moved to Manitoba in 1888 to farm

• Film made at Niagara Falls

• Made documentary films to promote immigration to Canada to farm

• 1st fiction film was Hiawatha

• Made by Joe Rosenthal in 1903

• 1st feature film was Evangeline in 1913, shot in Nova Scotia

Popular Actors Today

• Leslie Neilsen

• Michael J. Fox

• Mike Myers

• Rachel McAdams

• Jim Carrey

• Ryan Reynolds

• Ryan Gosling

• William Shatner

Leslie Nielsen

Mike Myers

The Notebook

Rachel McAdams Ryan Gosling

Jim Carrey

William Shatner