Canada Blues - Le Devoir, May 7th 1997

Moving towards a third referendum, the Anglos experience the blues for a country they don't want to lose. At the same time, the Francophones have the blues for a country they have already lost : the Canada of "two nations."
That is what was shown with great finesse in Paul Jay's documentary, Anglo Blues, on Monday night. This gem of a movie explores the gardens of love and friendships between sovereign Francophones and federalist Anglophones who manage to get along despite their political differences.

And it also honestly showed that «silence» is the price to pay to maintain these relationships. To avoid breaks-ups or blackmail of the type «if you love me, you think like me», there is an agreement not to talk politics.
In short, sooner or later, it becomes clear that there is a fundamental division between individual relationships and collective battles. Personally, some of my closest friends are Anglophones, and I have come to realize that the only friendships that have survived are those where politics are rarely discussed in private.

As a matter of fact, a fascinating paradox has appeared in Quebec since the Quiet Revolution: the two solitudes seem to be slowly getting closer at the individual and social levels but on the national issue, the gap is deeper than ever. The weight of history is overwhelming. For example, many Anglos do not understand why a sovereignist refuse to accept the "defeat" while Francophones are proud of the democratic aspect of the process.

In the end, what eludes the Anglos is the basic reason for this battle for a sovereign Quebec. Result : since the shock of October 30 1995, a part of the Anglophone community is directing its angst to Plan B, its media and partitionists movements where some of them almost fall into a trance every time the word Canada is mentioned.

These Anglos who have had enough, we call them the angryphones. They are furious at everyone from Lucien Bouchard to Daniel Johnson, including Jean Chrétien and their own leadership that they qualify of too soft and that they named the lamb lobby. The angryphones live a fantasy of a mythical Montreal before the advent of the PQ : a lost paradise of prosperity where they often forget that the Francophones were the paupers. Ah, the good old days...
Fortunately, Anglo Blues allows Anglos to express their feelings; though tired and worried, most of them have not turned into angryphones. Supporting a whole array of federalists options, they respect the choice of their French spouse or friends and vice versa. In a moving scene of the film, David tells his wife Manon, a sovereignist «I wish you luck in your battle. I understand it, I accept it. But I can't be part of it.»

Anglo Blues introduces to Francophones a Montreal anglophone comic duo, Bowser & Blue. George Bowser and Rick Blue have a very very politicized humor. And they are very very funny (especially since Rick Blue saves us, on stage, from the condescending attitude he demonstrated in Anglo Blues towards those who voted Yes, accusing them of not understanding what they are doing). This summer, Bowser & Blue will be at the Old Port in the Just for laughs Festival. They will hold a «Woodstock for square heads». Which will probably be more attractive, but not as funny, as the great Woodstock of love we had on October 27, 1995.

Other anglos also try to express their worries in humorous tones. In 1996, Mark Shainblum and Gabriel Morrissette produced a second episode of Angloman. Dave Rosen, cartoonist for Hour and collaborator on the Daybreak morning show on CBC-AM, published The Quebec NeverEndum. This coloring book for adults contains many gems such as a puppet of Daniel Johnson, which you can built yourself; or a cardboard Lucien Bouchard that you can dress as a king, a saint or a Joan of Ark; or anagrams for you to figure out, such as one on Guy Bertrand that turns out to be Drab Grey Nut., etc.
The Francophones may not appreciate some of these gags, but these books are worth the look. The political humor is a very strong mode of expression among English Canadians and Anglo Quebecers. They use it aplenty during this inter-referendum period.

However, on the francophone side of things, we have been drowned for many years into a general moronistic and depoliticized humor. Gone are the years of the Cyniques, where politicians, police forces and clergymen were at the forefront of their verbal bout.

Today, we have «Bye Bye»s devoid of political innuendoes, the Heure Jean-Marc Parent, etc. And now, we can look forward to Politiquement Colette (Politically Collette), a new variety show that, despite its title, stays away from political controversies...

Fortunately we have the Anglos that hold this capacity to laugh at politics and at their worries without ridiculing what is really at stakes here. A capacity we seem to have lost. And as is shown in Anglo Blues, if the private world must be depoliticized in certain cases, there is reason to worry when the public scene, such as humorists, are ignoring it too.
I can't help it, I have the blues for the Cyniques. Hey, guys, could we interest you in a come-back? God know, we need it...