Re: OT but...

On Fri, 29 Jul 2005 22:10:31 -0400, Tove Momerathsson
<tove@xxxxxxxxxxx> promised to tell the truth, the whole truth and
nothing but the truth but instead wrote:

>The instruction manual for my tv includes a section on how to set the parental
>control ratings options. The Canadian subsection has two options, for Canadian
>programs broadcast in English and in French.
>
>The English-language ratings are:
>C children
>C8+ children 8 years and older
>G general
>PG parental guidance
>14+ viewers 14 and older
>18+ adult programming
>
>The French-language ratings, though, have a different breakdown:
>G general
>8 ans+ not recommended for younger children
>13ans+ not recommended for children under age 13
>16ans+ not recommended for children under age 16
>18ans+ this progam is restricted to adults
>
>So, one wonders, is the content of French-language Canadian tv significantly
>different from that of English-language Canadian tv? Just what is it that you
>can watch in French if you're 16 or 17 that if it's in English either you
>can't watch it until you're 18, or you've been watching it since you were 14.
>
>Mme. Ronniechat, aidez-moi, s'il vous plait?

It helps to understand that French and English Canadian culture are
two *completely* separate animals. French culture is far more
European-looking and Euro-influenced, but the province has developed
an extremely strong local culture with genuine home-grown media stars
- hit tv shows, pop stars, celebrity authors, a movie industry, etc.
There is *some* crossover between the two cultures, but not much. The
French, as a rule, have no clue who the hot Anglo band du jour is, and
vice-versa.

French-Canadian culture is _socially_ different from Anglo Canadian
culture, too. The Roman Catholic Church had a repressive vise-grip on
French Canada for decades (my mother-in-law was fined in the 1950s in
Quebec for being in her front yard with shorts on). When that grip was
broken in the 1960s, the result was the most socially liberal culture
in Canada. Quebecers consistently poll as the most liberal citizens of
a politically liberal country. So not only is the culture somewhat
insular, it is also much more liberal (laissez-faire about nudity,
more "bad behaviour", less repression than good old polite Anglo
Canada).

That European sensibility, plus a liberal social bent, plus the echoes
of the Catholic Church's dominance in the province, make for some
fascinating cultural dichotomies. For example, the French tv channels
still faithfully show "Mass for Shut-Ins" on Sunday morning... a few
hours after they finish their Saturday night/Sunday morning "Bleu
Nuit" soft-core pornography marathons (one area of French culture with
which Anglo Canada is intimately familiar ;)

And, while I can't speak to the logic of their separate ratings
system, given the French Canadian insistence on maintaining their own
cultural destiny, I'd be more surprised if they *hadn't* demanded
their own, just slightly different system. On principle, so to speak.

ronnie
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