Rants

Drop some Canadian knowledge on us

By Scott Keith on October 21, 2017

Hi Scott –

After your tutorial on the impact the Tragically Hip played on Canadian music, I had a question arise from the comments in the “Unreleased” reviews.

Someone mentioned the Jacques Rougeau retirement show, and how that was an amazing gate and crowd.

As an American, I remember the Rougeaus as the smiling brothers with ugly boots who waved little American flags – but I’m guessing they were a much bigger deal north of the border? Can you provide some Canadian insight? Were the Rougeaus really THAT big a deal?
Or was it “Hey, they’re Canadian, and I’m Canadian!”?

​They were specifically big in Montreal, but nowhere else in the country. Before the Bret Hart deal in 97, Canada ​just kind of played along with whatever the babyface/heel alignment was regardless of country. It was really Bret saying "I'm proud to be CANADIAN" rather than "I'm proud to be from Calgary" or whatever that suddenly created Bizarroworld and all that other stuff.

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