Kirstine Stewart, the general manager of CBC’s English television operations, reacted in the Globe to Blackett’s comments by saying “Nobody can ever question the quality of what we do here in Canada, creatively or otherwise.†Surely this is a much more revealing and intriguing comment than Blackett’s. Does she mean that questioning the quality of Canadian television and film is literally impossible? Or just that criticism is inherently objectionable, a malum in se? And at the risk of appearing to take sides, I must ask: which attitude ultimately seems more healthy and likely to encourage improvement—Blackett’s, or Stewart’s?
– Colby Cosh Merde, as the minister sees it
4 Comments
What an incredible week this has been.
Perfect. Kirstine’s reaction is evidence of the CBC’s arrogance and rigidity, which is the very attitude that kills creativity and reduces the quality of “what we do here in Canada.” She legitimizes Blackett’s opinion and proves his point. She sounds like a tyrant.
A telling point …
http://www2.macleans.ca/2010/06/17/merde-as-the-minister-sees-it/
MORE:
Others were more blunt. Actor and director Paul Gross replied in an e-mail after being told about the comments by The Globe: “It’s sad for the thousands of talented people working in Alberta to have their efforts reduced to a four-letter expletive and sad for all Albertans that this is what passes for responsible government,†he wrote. Mr. Gross has worked on several projects in Alberta as an actor and director, most notably his feature film Passchendaele, which received $5.5-million in funding from the Alberta government.
ACTRA National President Ferne Downey, who was not at the panel but heard about it repeatedly from others at Banff, also called the comments “very troubling†– especially coming from someone who’s supposed to be an industry champion. “What was he thinking? The truth is we create amazing television … despite a swath of obstacles – one of the biggest being chronic underfunding. If provincial governments such as his ponied up and gave our industry the investment it deserves, it would go a long way.â€