Re: OT but...

ronniecat wrote:
>
> 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

Although this has drifted way beyond OT, I couldn't bear to snip such
a carefully-crafted answer.

My thanks, ma'am.

Tove
.

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