Is Canadian comedy our finest export?
The Secret Life of Canada considers whether comedy is one of Canada's finest exports.
Plus all the not-so-funny things happening on the Canadian comedy scene now
Comedy has been called one of Canada's biggest exports. But why exactly is that, and why can't the country seem to keep our funny people at home? In this episode Leah and Falen look at the roots of comedy in Canada and look into why Canadians are so funny wherever they are in the world. And RIP Just For Laughs?
Listen to the full episode below. Listen to more episodes here, and get transcripts of our series here.
Key References
- Clowns: Heyoka
- Path of the Sacred Clown
- Black Elk Speaks by John G. Neihardt
- Trickster
- Laugh Out Loud with Ali Hassan (Chad Anderson)
- Letters of Mephibosheth Stepsure by Thomas McCulloch
- Thomas McCulloch
- Dictionary of Canadian Biography: Thomas McColloch
- The New Eden Dream:The Source Of Canadian Humour: Mcculloch, Haliburton, And Leacock by Beverly Rasporich
- Prejudice with a grin: We should be ashamed that Stephen Leacock worked at McGill by Emmet Livingstone
- Scrub Growth: Canadian Humour to 1912 – An Exploration by Loretta Faith Balisch
- Trench Culture: Concerts and Theatre
- The Dumbells
- Ross Hamilton
- WWI entertainers remember "young lady" Ross Hamilton in 1965
- The Dumbells Concert Party in the Great War
- Soldiers of Song: The Dumbells and Other Canadian Concert Parties of the First World War by Jason Wilson
- Radio and the performing arts
- The Army Show
- Two Waynes and a Shuster
- Mack Sennett
- The Second City: 60 years of comedy history
- Funny People by Jack Semley
- The Borscht Belt Was a Haven for Generations of Jewish Americans
- Lorne Michaels
- SCTV
- The Canadian Association of Stand-up, Sketch & Improv Comedians (CASC)
- Chad Anderson
- Sandra Battaglini
- Brandon Hackett