The Best and the Brightest?

For some reason the following episode, described in more detail on the CBC website strikes me a profoundly depressing:

Inside the Broadcast Centre the Queen, wearing a glittering turquoise ballgown and diamond-studded tiara, stopped, spoke and joked with a number of television pioneers including actor Gordon Pinsent, singing legend Juliette, singer Tommy Hunter, comedian Roger Abbott and veteran journalist Knowlton Nash.
I’m not sure why.

Comments

Wayne's picture
Wayne on October 14, 2002 - 17:50 Permalink

Maybe because Don Cherry was absent???

stephen's picture
stephen on October 14, 2002 - 23:07 Permalink

why? depressing because it’s like a carol burnett episode in real life? The Queen dressed like the Queen walking down some windowless corridor waving her little micro-wave and shaking her little royal handshake and say “How simply wonderful to meet all of you…” with a bunch of CBC types in big cableknit sweaters and jeans — they could care less about monarchy and she’s never watched a minute of CBC television or listened to CBC radio — is that depressing?

Steve rocker's picture
Steve rocker on October 15, 2002 - 14:26 Permalink

I watched the live coverage of the Queen’s visit to the CBC. A number of things struck me:


<ul>
<li>- most boring television ever
<li>- fawning CBC executives and stars were the only ones allowed unfettered access to her majesty; rank and file CBCer’s, plebians and children were kept at a safe distance behind ropes
<li>- queen was presented with chintzy set of CBC videos as gift
<li>- queen was forced to unveil weird statue (old CBC logo with abstarct metallic figure leaping through it) that Prince Philip could barely keep from laughing at
<li>- it must be so boring to be queen
<li>- CBC spent tens of thousands thousands sprucing up broadcast centre for queen’s ten minute visit
<li>- sometimes I’m ashamed of working for the CBC</ul>

Alan's picture
Alan on October 15, 2002 - 15:25 Permalink

The Queen is either an unborable nerd or deeply committed to experiencing the banality of life. Did you see the 8000 person hour in a cattle barn in Toronto with the greasy Ernie Eaves shuttling her past unending clutches of groups representing one interest or another. You get the feeling they go home and ask “why do we do this?” TIme to give them the boot and relieve them of the tedium.

Wayne's picture
Wayne on October 15, 2002 - 20:52 Permalink

Tut, tut 2 u guys…I liked the musical ride, and it was obivious that the Queen did as well…saw many children opportunity to offer flowers, which to the little ones was a treat. I now have proof that anybody who worked for CBC never actually watchs their product. Otherwise, how could it continue with the real programming junk and cutbacks to programs people actually like. And, I know there isn’t a CBC employee who thinks he/she is rank and file. You wanna see phoney pomp…it is any CBC employee. Where is the real problem in our society?? Try overpaid athletes who get tax breaks, free meals, interviews about world problems and all the free perks. Give your head a shake…and…
God Save the Queen!

Peter Rukavina's picture
Peter Rukavina on October 16, 2002 - 04:07 Permalink

It was depressing because, after 50 years of CBC Television, the best we have to offer is Jono, Roger Abbot and David Suzuki.

Alan's picture
Alan on October 16, 2002 - 11:59 Permalink

Jono is gono — he has found his real art at a Trailer Park as seen Sundays on Showcase.

Steven Garrity's picture
Steven Garrity on October 16, 2002 - 12:47 Permalink

What about Ralph Benmurgui, Grant Laurence, David Wisdom, Bob MacDonald, Sook Yin Lee. Oh, they’re all on radio. We’ll we are like Mary Walsh and Rick Mercer, don’t we?

And cut Jono some slack — some of his early StreetCents skits were comic genius.

Johnny's picture
Johnny on October 16, 2002 - 16:21 Permalink

I saw Jono on ‘This Hour Has 22 Minutes’ last night and, to be honest, he wasn’t half bad.

Alan's picture
Alan on October 16, 2002 - 17:05 Permalink

Jono is not bad but he is a “CBC certified celebrity” which I am sure takes a few showers to scrape off.