Four and a half minutes. That’s about all the time it took for Greg Gutfeld to seal his fate in Canada.
Four and half minutes, a YouTube posting, and some 500,000 views later, the previously unknown talk show host suddenly found himself at the centre of an international incident — and with good reason.
Gutfeld (pictured above) and his panel openly mocked the Canadian Forces, making light of Lieutenant General Andrew Leslie and his request for a one–year operational hiatus beginning in 2011. Leslie cited personnel and equipment shortages a key factor in the decision making process, while Gutfeld suggested that the hiatus was focused more on “painting landscapes” and “doing yoga.” Canadian politicians responded within hours of the story breaking, demanding an apology from Gutfeld and Fox News.
The talk show blunder wasn’t the first in recent memory, either. Author and notable liberal critic Ann Coulter was the subject of a similar incident in late 2004, noting on a Fox News segment that the “worst Americans” always wind up north of the border — referring to Vietnam draft dodgers and antiwar protestors. Coulter went on to suggest that Canada was “lucky to exist on the same continent” as the United States, before questioning the need for a Canadian military.
Former CNN pundit Tucker Carlson also came under fire for referring to Canada as the “retarded cousin” of the United States — a statement that made waves on both sides of the border. Carlson later clarified his statement during an interview with George Stroumboulopoulos, referring to Canada as “America’s little buddy,” and noting that he “never met a Canadian that he didn’t like.”
Carlson went on to explain the root of his sentiments, citing Canada’s “angry obsession” with the United States as a cause of frustration for many Americans. According to the former Crossfire host, our unhealthy obsession with criticizing and debasing American culture had finally reached a breaking point. To put things simply, enough was enough.
