Slog
News & ArtsFriday, October 2, 2009
International The Ultimate
Posted by Charles Mudede on Fri, Oct 2, 2009 at 11:59 AM
If iron is matter in its most stable condition, this image captures the Canadian in its most stable condition:
Parkas, toques, knitted sweaters and buffalo plaid designs dominated the unveiling of the 2010 Canadian Olympic team retail apparel Thursday at HBC's new Olympic Superstore in downtown Vancouver.
3
But no gloves or mittens. Trust me, cold Canadians cover their hands so they can do wintry things like toboggan, skate the Rideau Canal, start the car engine and shovel snow from the driveway.
I would have liked to have seen fur, because nothing hearkens back to early Canadian economic trade and the rich heritage of the Hudson's Bay Company like fur, but I understand this is Vancouver. I have yet to see PETA members standing outside in thong bikinis in Winnipeg or Iqaluit during January protesting the use of fur.
I would have liked to have seen fur, because nothing hearkens back to early Canadian economic trade and the rich heritage of the Hudson's Bay Company like fur, but I understand this is Vancouver. I have yet to see PETA members standing outside in thong bikinis in Winnipeg or Iqaluit during January protesting the use of fur.
7
Ha! An image of Canadians celebrating our own caricatured image. The hoser-ness of it is perfect, along with the retail setting (Canada always was a company town).
Charles, you are absolutely right. Canada grew up fast, going from pre-modern to postmodern without any steps in between. If iron is matter in its most stable condition, then irony is Canada in its most stable condition.
Charles, you are absolutely right. Canada grew up fast, going from pre-modern to postmodern without any steps in between. If iron is matter in its most stable condition, then irony is Canada in its most stable condition.
8
Really Irena? I always feel like when my Canadian friends come down to Seattle to visit they have trouble with the Seattle irony. Linda's baffled them. It took me hours to convince them that Chop Suey DIDN'T serve any Asian food whatsoever.
Maybe it's just Vancouverites now that I think about it...my Montreal houseguests don't seem to have that trouble.
Maybe it's just Vancouverites now that I think about it...my Montreal houseguests don't seem to have that trouble.
9
Treating all Canadians like they're the same is kind of like treating people from Texas like they're from Maine.
Each is different in a cultural mosaic kind of way, eh?
Each is different in a cultural mosaic kind of way, eh?
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@8, I was speaking in general terms, not about each individual's grasp of irony. Oh my god -- there are plenty of people who buy into Molson's "I Am Canadian" ad campaign without any sense of irony at all (and choose it over a better local brew without even blinking - aghh!). But this picture does illustrate a cultural tendency. Going for the Bob & Doug-inspired look (a complete caricature) will "create a meaningful connection with Canadians", as the article says, and I think the designers were smart to appeal to this ironic sense of Canadian identity.
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Well many people think Canadians do not show off being Canadian much but they are wrong. Usually most canadian sports apparel is over the top. Combine that with red and white colors and it makes for the worst looking clothing. So this clothing for the winter Olympics was intentionally understated this time around. Actually I just read an article about the design on the front cover of the paper here in Vancouver. The look is something wearable without being ridiculous. Usually designs involve large fragments of the red maple leaf on some harsh angle slashing across a sweatshirt or jacket. Making it look like someone is waring a saw blade design that is red with blood. Just not easy to design Canadian themed clothing without taking a cue from a company that has pulled off Canadian themed clothing very well. ROOTS. So I see this clothing more influenced by Roots than anything else. Canadians are a very diverse group but the sweater is cool. More of a 50 retro sweater than a Cowichan sweater though, which would have been cool. Cowichan sweaters are well known on the west coast from the Cowichan valley on Vancouver island. The clothing is easier on the eyes than past disasters.
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What's really Canadian is that after this unveiling, the opposition parties in Ottawa started accusing the conservatives of putting a cryptic conservative logo on the clothes to brainwash voters and hitch onto the glory of our sexy olympic athletes.
Jack Layton, you old crackpot. Never change.
Jack Layton, you old crackpot. Never change.
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