Talk:Canadian Idiot

Content

Hi. Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/Canadian Idiot gives the deletion criteria as follows: This song does not merit an entire page as it does not have a music video or a single released for this specific song. However, this contest refers to the song as "Weird Al's new single", and notes that winners of the contest will have their clips appear in "Weird Al's real video." Sounds to me like the song will have a music video and be released as a single. --Maxamegalon2000 22:51, 9 December 2006 (UTC)

Sorry, my fault. Heh, forgot I wrote that. Go nuts with the article! If you have any questions, please contact me at my talk page. Ian Manka 01:55, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

No problem. Actually, until the contest actually ends there's not much more to add. --Maxamegalon2000 06:40, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

Actually, a list of all the sterotype stuff mentioned in the song might help fillout the page. JQF • Talk • Contribs 16:58, 29 December 2006 (UTC)

I added a section about sterotypes.--Gen. Quon 19:43, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

I removed it. Sorry but it needs to be fixed. It resembles strongly to the lyrics. --esanchez, Camp Lazlo fan! 19:44, 15 April 2007 (UTC)

YOUR KIDDING ME! if you removed it for that, then take a look at Albuquerque (song) There's a big "Summary" of the video which is like the whole song written in complete sentences. wow... --Joooeeeelllll 07:01, 21 June 2007 (UTC)

Over

When is this contest suppose to be over? It's been a month.

Single or No?

Is this song really a single? The release date for it is the same as the CD's release date, so I'm not sure. This needs to be checked out. --Temporarily Insane (talk) 22:44, 31 May 2007 (UTC)

What you talkin about, foo? Where do you see SINGLE> "Canadian Idiot is a 2006 song by "Weird Al" Yankovic from his album Straight Outta Lynwood." guess its been fixed --Joooeeeelllll 07:03, 21 June 2007 (UTC)

Well, apparently, the song IS a single, in Australia at least. Finally, the debate comes to an end.--Gen. Quon (talk) 01:56, 19 August 2008 (UTC)

Someone really has to put some external links in... —Preceding unsigned comment added by 220.253.10.227 (talk) 05:24, 21 October 2007 (UTC)

What's with the track listing section? Its a downloadable single. Generally when you download stuff, its only one song, not a entire list of songs Muchachos —Preceding unsigned comment added by Muchachos (talk • contribs) 22:27, 12 November 2007 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Soli4.jpg

Image:Soli4.jpg is being used on this article. I notice the image page specifies that the image is being used under fair use but there is no explanation or rationale as to why its use in this Wikipedia article constitutes fair use. In addition to the boilerplate fair use template, you must also write out on the image description page a specific explanation or rationale for why using this image in each article is consistent with fair use.

Please go to the image description page and edit it to include a fair use rationale. Using one of the templates at Wikipedia:Fair use rationale guideline is an easy way to insure that your image is in compliance with Wikipedia policy, but remember that you must complete the template. Do not simply insert a blank template on an image page.

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BetacommandBot (talk) 09:32, 21 January 2008 (UTC)

Resolved

 – Image of album cover art removed and replaced c.2008 with image of Australian promotional single cover art, fair use rationale. Reidgreg (talk) 18:47, 10 January 2021 (UTC)

What the Song is about

I'm pretty sure the song isn't making fun of the American steriotype of Canadians, I'm pretty sure it's making fun of Canadians.

I'm convinced its about the american stereotype of Canadians. Its only cold in winter, not all year long. we don't export snow, I have only eaten moose meat once (in my 23 years), and the accent thing is taken way out of proportion... It's happened more than once that Americans have asked if we locked our igloos before going on vacation. We don't live in igloos, obviously there are alot American of stereotypes of Canadians. Helphin (talk) 18:47, 9 January 2009 (UTC)

Actually, Canada does export snow (see ABC News). But of course the song isn't mocking Canada, but mocking stereotypical American impressions of Canada. – Reidgreg (talk) 18:38, 10 January 2021 (UTC)

All I know is that you can tell which youtube videos of the song are made by Canadians - they tend to feature team Gushue. One even takes a page out of Colin Mochrie's Apology to America by referencing the War of 1812 during the "sorry" portion of the song. It is poking fun at Canada but does show more knowledge of Canada than most other similar American attempts - which does impress a few Canadians. Also, poking fun or not, most of the stuff in the song are things that we are proud of. Oh, my son was at the concert in Winnipeg where "Canadian Idiot" was first played and said that it got one of the loudest cheers - so not only did Weird Al not get lynched, he would of upset them if he didn't play the song.

There are some parts of the song do make you laugh at them for laughing at us - the the guns in the mall part (the idea that someone would actually do that!). It is a bit like Jon Stewart's "moment of zen" being the Canadian Prime Minister talking French (which is sort of part of the job description!) 24.77.81.154 (talk) 02:39, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

SP version

There is a site on Newgrounds that features a canadian idiot video based on south park, here —Preceding unsigned comment added by Rodimus Rhyme (talk • contribs) 10:33, 15 November 2008 (UTC)

External links modified

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• Added archive https://web.archive.org/20070127081018/http://www.muchmusic.com:80/tv/mod/showmeyours/slideshow_weirdal.asp to http://www.muchmusic.com/tv/mod/showmeyours/slideshow_weirdal.asp

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Expansion and possible DYK

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the song's release. I've worked on an article expansion at User:Reidgreg/sandbox/Canadian Idiot for possible DYK for Canada Day this year. It's a little shy of DYK requirements so I'm holding it back from the mainspace for now. Let me know if you're interested in working on it or on a DYK hook. Thanks. – Reidgreg (talk) 16:16, 30 April 2021 (UTC)

@Reidgreg: That write-up is awesome! Good job! I'd be down to help out in any way that I can.--Gen. Quon (Talk) 16:29, 30 April 2021 (UTC)

Thanks! Sourcing is still a little weak for the MuchMusic contest and for the band's wardrobe on the Straight Outta Lynwood tour. Neither are controversial matters, though.

Once it moves to the mainspace, we can try to get some media in it. If we could get the wardrobe sourced, that might permit fair-use for side-by-side pictures of Armstrong (already on Commons at File:Billie Joe Armstrong 2.jpg) and Al (from his website here). I think there's also a fair-use argument for an audioclip of "See the map they're hovering right over us / Tell you the truth it makes me kinda nervous" so support the text. (I think we're allowed up to 14 seconds). But that can wait, media is more for GA anyways. (Plus my CD collection and optical drive are in storage under lockdown.)

I'll poke around and see if I can find any info about the wardrobes.--Gen. Quon (Talk) 15:31, 1 May 2021 (UTC)

BTW, couldn't work this into the article, but wanted to say that some of the critics really didn't seem to understand satire, parody, or punk rock. Yes, the lyrics are tired cliches and the song is repetitive – it's a punk rock song with a four-chord progression and the ignorant American singing isn't supposed to be funny or clever. But critics rarely seem to appreciate comedy as an art form to itself. I find it difficult to imagine another artist who could tackle xenophobia and still keep it light-hearted. – Reidgreg (talk) 12:27, 1 May 2021 (UTC)

Dare I say it, a lot of critics seem to miss the joy of a Weird Al parody. I mean, his old stuff is full of cliches, but he has a huge fan following.--Gen. Quon (Talk) 15:31, 1 May 2021 (UTC)

Did you know nomination

The following is an archived discussion of the DYK nomination of the article below. Please do not modify this page. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as this nomination's talk page, the article's talk page or Wikipedia talk:Did you know), unless there is consensus to re-open the discussion at this page. No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was: promoted by Desertarun (talk) 08:47, 21 June 2021 (UTC)

(

• Comment or view
• Article history

)

• ... that the song "Canadian Idiot" satirizes American xenophobia? Source: "Yankovic's insult song is actually a send-up of the rude American more than the Canadian." ... "'Canadian Idiot' is fundamentally about the way we demonize people who are not like us," Lily Hirsch and Nathan Rabin, Weird Al: Seriously p. 109. The latter part is online at Nathan Rabin's Happy Place blog.
  • ALT1:... that "Weird Al" Yankovic told his audience "thanks for not killing us" after his first performance of "Canadian Idiot" in the title country? Source: Winnipeg Sun ProQuest 2171042160
  • ALT2:... that the Toronto Star put "Canadian Idiot" on its 'naughty list' for encouraging the mocking of Canada? Source: Toronto Star ProQuest 439117098

• Reviewed: Template:Did you know nominations/Thorne miniature rooms
• Comment: This year is the 15th anniversary of the song's release. Would appreciate if this could run on 1 July (Canada Day) or otherwise around 1–4 July.

5x expanded by Reidgreg (talk). Self-nominated at 20:13, 21 May 2021 (UTC).

• The article is expanded fivefolds, long enough, referenced, neutral and no copyvio obvious, though it is still classified as a stub so please change that through the talk page. The hooks are referenced and interesting. The image used in the article is fair use. QPQ done. Corachow (talk) 11:49, 24 May 2021 (UTC)

  @Corachow: Thanks! I made it a C-class (it's probably a B, but I'd rather an independent editor made that assessment). – Reidgreg (talk) 12:34, 24 May 2021 (UTC)

Thanks, good to go. Corachow (talk) 12:47, 24 May 2021 (UTC)

• Notes to promoter: As nominator, I prefer ALT0. Please also note that Template:Did you know nominations/John Mercer Johnson‎ is a Canadian biography also nominated for July 1, Canada Day. I'm hoping it's okay for both to run on the same day, since this hook is about an American song. But if only one of these can run on July 1, it should be the Johnson DYK. – Reidgreg (talk) 13:09, 24 May 2021 (UTC)

Date Format

Weird Al is an American and all his other songs use a mdy format, so I fail to understand why right here it's dmy. 4TheLuvOfFax (talk) 14:08, 16 August 2022 (UTC)

Per MOS:DATEFORMAT, either way is acceptable. I don't really see a problem with using dmy. Unless there's major consensus otherwise, we're encouraged to stick with what is already in use per MOS:DATERET.--Gen. Quon_[Talk] 15:58, 16 August 2022 (UTC)

The song was recorded in the US, the concert video for the song was recorded in Canada. I'm not sure that the song has strong national ties to one country or the other, or strong ties to one date format or the other. I don't mind it standing apart from similar articles. – Reidgreg (talk) 23:34, 16 August 2022 (UTC)

I used the "British" style when working with a lot of X-Files article back in the day, just cuz that's what Wikipedia defaulted to when I clicked the "insert current date" button in the ref form. No one has had an issue with it, even though that was an American show. That said, if there's huge pressure, I suppose it could be changed, but I don't really see that happening.--Gen. Quon_[Talk] 13:26, 17 August 2022 (UTC)

@4TheLuvOfFax: Looks like you've jumped back onto this after a year, making the same changes (from dmy to mdy dates) without further discussion (and undoing an attempt to revert). Your edit summary is essentially the same as what you state at the top of this discussion. Do you have any better reasons now than you did a year ago? – Reidgreg (talk) 02:17, 25 November 2023 (UTC)

I still don't understand this one article *has* to be dmy and feels contrarian at this point... like keep the day first cause the universe'll explode if we don't, but whatever, I won't bother it anymore. 4TheLuvOfFax (talk) 05:57, 25 November 2023 (UTC)

Okay, I'll return the status quo. – Reidgreg (talk) 06:52, 25 November 2023 (UTC)

Information left unsourced after removal of citation for WP:RS

Some information that was tagged for removal:

Andrea Rabaza of the Independent Learning Centre wrote that the song approaches the "theme of national identity ... with dark comedy and irony". She also noted its use of intertextuality and how it remained "light-hearted" by "only talk[ing] about superficial things".

References

Reidgreg (talk) 04:58, 21 September 2023 (UTC)