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Mondo Canuck: A Canadian pop culture odyssey
Nowhere in Mondo Canuck will you find what the authors of this indispensable guide to Canadian arcana dismiss as "that conventional Canadian middlebrow disinclination toward popular culture." Instead, Geoff Pevere and Greig Dymond contend that "Canada is every bit as distinct in its approach to schlock as it is to art, and that the former may indeed reveal vastly more of a distinctly national distinction than the latter." They handily make their case with this snide but affectionate series of tributes and potshots, leaving few aspects of Canadian pop culture unexplored. Topics range from the greatness of SCTV to the rise of Trivial Pursuit to the glorious careers of William Shatner, Stompin' Tom Connors, and many other noble Canadians. This may be the one book whose scope is wide enough to encompass both the Guess Who and the Galloping Gourmet.
Though the subjects are wildly diverse, Pevere and Dymond believe that the purest manifestations of Canuck junk-culture have much in common. For instance, they write that the "blithe indifference to trend and fashion" of fabled power-trio Rush makes it distinctly Canadian. Furthermore, the band's "refusal to pack up and go away even though it's constantly criticized for not being 'Canadian' enough" is evidence of "the same sheer Northern stubbornness" possessed by figures like filmmaker David Cronenberg and television innovator Moses Znaimer. Mondo Canuck also ridicules the most inane varieties of Canada's cultural output (e.g., the countless ice-skating spectaculars, the Rene Simard specials, the Celine Dion ballads). The authors describe the disastrous movies spawned by the tax-shelter film boom of the late '70s as what happens "when Canadians attempt to be just like the Americans, except without the history, money, population, promotional savvy or market base." Rigorously researched and frequently hilarious, Mondo Canuck illustrates that Canadians are no slouches when it comes to schlock. But at least it's our schlock.
Though the subjects are wildly diverse, Pevere and Dymond believe that the purest manifestations of Canuck junk-culture have much in common. For instance, they write that the "blithe indifference to trend and fashion" of fabled power-trio Rush makes it distinctly Canadian. Furthermore, the band's "refusal to pack up and go away even though it's constantly criticized for not being 'Canadian' enough" is evidence of "the same sheer Northern stubbornness" possessed by figures like filmmaker David Cronenberg and television innovator Moses Znaimer. Mondo Canuck also ridicules the most inane varieties of Canada's cultural output (e.g., the countless ice-skating spectaculars, the Rene Simard specials, the Celine Dion ballads). The authors describe the disastrous movies spawned by the tax-shelter film boom of the late '70s as what happens "when Canadians attempt to be just like the Americans, except without the history, money, population, promotional savvy or market base." Rigorously researched and frequently hilarious, Mondo Canuck illustrates that Canadians are no slouches when it comes to schlock. But at least it's our schlock.
244 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 18, 2025
If you are a baby boomer and lived in Canada in the 60’s through to the 90’s, then this a book for you. Although written in 1996, reading it now is a trip down memory lane. This book, often tongue in cheek, goes over everything from Mr. Dress-Up to Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Lots of section on Canadian music of the era and Canadian comedy and comedians. Canadian actors who mad their name, both at home and in the USA. This is a book of the “Canadian” culture of the era and is worth the read.
July 9, 2018
I’ve been a proud Canadian for 44 years. This book might be dated in terms of Pop Culture, but it’s in my time period. Everything in this book I can relate to and it makes me happy every time I read it. Just hearing the McKenzie Brothers call makes me smile, and the Good Old Hockey Game makes me beam. Canada rocks and it always will.
February 10, 2009
I love this book.
When I married a Canadian, I studied this to be able to understand many of the silly stories from his youth. Because as similar as our cultures are, we have much different memories from childhood that we enjoy sharing with each other. This book will teach you about everything from Stompin Tom to the Littlest Hobo. Pick it up!
When I married a Canadian, I studied this to be able to understand many of the silly stories from his youth. Because as similar as our cultures are, we have much different memories from childhood that we enjoy sharing with each other. This book will teach you about everything from Stompin Tom to the Littlest Hobo. Pick it up!
February 5, 2012
Mostly I love this book, celebrating Canadian icons of the past, mostly in our pop culture. Perhaps there's a bit too much "retro-kitsch" here. Sure one can poke fun at our old TV shows, but back when there were only two Canadian networks, Don Messer's Jubilee, Front Page Challenge and Wayne and Shuster were definitely ours.
August 10, 2016
Although it's dated now, it's interesting to read and reflect on the influence of these Canadians.
April 22, 2016
Great nostalgic run through my childhood and early adult years! I'd love to see an updated version twenty years later.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews