An exclusively Canadian textbook, this collection investigates the relationships between identity, geography, and popular culture that are produced and consumed in this sprawling country. Expanding beyond the clichés of friendliness and snow, this text provides a fresh perspective on what it means to be Canadian, both nationally and transnationally. Scholars look at historical subjects like Québécois identity and Indigenous self-representation and explore issues in contemporary media, including music, film, television, comic books, video games, and social media. From Drake to the Tragically Hip, Trailer Park Boys to The Amazing Race Canada, and poutine to maple syrup, mainstream icons and trends are studied in the interdisciplinary context of race, gender, sexuality, politics, and patriotism. Contributing to the location of Canadian popular culture, this unique resource will engage students and scholars of communication studies, cultural studies, and Canadian studies.
FEATURES
includes key concepts and theories and a glossary
engages students with relatable historical and contemporary examples of Canadiana through a breadth of media, including television shows, websites, journals, celebrities, newspapers, literature, comic books, video games, music, and films
ensures equal representation of a national and transnational Canada, which includes examples of race, gender, sexuality, and ethnicity, with particular attention to geographical intricacies that contain all provinces and territories
Introduction Victoria Kannen and Neil Shyminsky Section I: Identity Chapter 1: “We Weren’t Meant to Be Singing This Music:” VAG HALEN’s Queer Feminist Covers Craig Jennex Chapter 2: Defining and Redefining Québécois Identity: Québec Cinema in the 21st Century
David Hanley
Chapter 3: Translocality and the Articulation of a Jamaican/Canadian Identity in the Music of Michie Mee Niel Scobie Chapter 4: Being Canada: Joe’s Rant, Nationalism, Whiteness, and the Illusion of Neutrality, Then and Now Sharlee Cranston-Reimer Chapter 5: Syrus Marcus Ware, #BLACKLIVESMATTER, and ‘Artivism’ in Canada
Joana Joachim Chapter 6: Loving and Loathing on Schitt’s Creek: How Representations of Emotion, Identities, and Nation Matter Victoria Kannen Section II: Community Chapter 7: Integrating Black Lives in Education: Black Lives Matter Freedom School Audrey Hudson Chapter 8: A Read on Canada Reads J. C. Villamere Chapter 9: Non/monogamies in Canadian Children’s Picture Books Liz Borden Chapter 10: “I’m a criminal…it’s all I know”: Comedy, Crime, and Critical Thinking in Trailer Park Boys Dawne Clarke Chapter 11: From “One Nation Under Gord” to #WeTheNorth: Whose Canada Peaked? Jocelyn Smith Chapter 12:“This beautiful land we can all proudly call home”: The Amazing Race Canada and the Maintenance of National Myths Andrea Ruehlicke Section III: Production Chapter 13: Canadian Popular Culture and the Many “Faces” of TV Formats Stéfany Boisvert and Audrey Bélanger Chapter 14:The Boundaries of National Cinema: International Co-Productions and Canadian Film Culture Peter Lester
Chapter 15: The Canadian Genre Film as a Cultural Commentary
Andrea Braithwaite Chapter 16: Under the Shadows of Hollywood: The Political Economy of Canadian Cinema
James McMahon
Chapter 17: Burying the Past: Indigeneity and the Canadian Horror Canon Mike Follert Chapter 18: The Greatest Canadian Superhero There Never Was: Kao-kuk “the Eskimo Astronaut” Neil Shyminsky Chapter 19: Sounds Canadian? Familiar Voices in an Exaggerated Canada: Exploring the Sound World of Chilly Beach Kristeen McKee Chapter 20: Red, White, and Grey: Double Double Land and Un-defining Canadian Popular Culture Nicole Marchesseau Section IV: Technology Chapter 21: Playing Canadian: A Brief History of Tabletop Games in Canada Ryan Clement Chapter 22:Canadian Indie Video Games: More Than Locations, Landmarks, and Loonies Aaron Langille Chapter 23: Stereo/Types: Female DJs in Canada and the Gimmick/Token Binary Maren Hancock Chapter 24: The Beat of Culture: Teaching Québec Culture through Music Yvonne Völkl Chapter 25: Ramping up Canadian Disability Culture Kelly Fritsch Chapter 26: Canadian Pop in the Digital Age: Pioneering Pathways to Stardom and Representation via Justin Bieber Melissa Avdeeff Section V: Spectacle Chapter 27: Canadian Crybabies: Radical Softness, Feminized Fan Publics, and the Politics of Carly Rae Jepsen Andi Schwartz and Morgan Bimm Chapter 28: Gender Matters at the Centennial Calgary Stampede Parade Kimberly A. Williams Chapter 29: “Wanna hang out at the mall and catch a movie?”: The Disposability of the West Edmonton Mall Multiplex Ian Fitzgerald Chapter 30: The ‘Funny’ Thing About Food Allergies…in Canadian Media Culture
Janis Goldie Chapter 31: Consuming Popular Culture and Politics in Beer Lori A. Crowe Chapter 32: Hockey Invented Canada: Questioning the Myths of Manufactured Nationalism Tyler Shipley Appendix
Contributors Biographies
Biography
Victoria Kannen writes and teaches on the subjects of identity, embodiments, education, and popular culture. She is the co-editor of The Spaces and Places of Canadian Popular Culture (Canadian Scholars Press, 2019). Her work has also been published in such journals as the Journal of Gender Studies, Culture, Theory and Critique, and Teaching in Higher Education. Victoria holds a PhD from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto.
Neil Shyminsky is a Professor in the School of Justice, Community Services, and General Studies at Cambrian College, whose work on superheroes has been published in journals such as the International Journal of Comic Art and Men and Masculinities.
“A comprehensive collection such as this has been long overdue in the field of Canadian popular culture studies. The book demonstrates the myriad of disciplinary approaches and the breadth of relevant and intriguing examples that compose Canadian popular culture. The thoughtful organization of the collection—and the very useful appendix of alternative ways of organizing the chapters—makes this a very worthy addition to any course on popular culture.”
—Scott Henderson, Dean and Head of Trent University Durham GTA, Professor of Communication and Critical Thinking, and Executive Director of the Popular Culture Association of Canada
“The Spaces and Places of Canadian Popular Culture is an ambitious and welcome collection of thoughtful essays that encourages students to think critically about Canadian popular culture and the representations of nation, community, and identity that are conveyed through texts, forms, and practices. From film, television, and music, to games, food and drink, and performance art, the scope of this collection is impressive, and the diversity of scholarship truly captures the interdisciplinary nature of the field. Engaging and accessible, this book showcases the vitality of popular culture studies in Canada.”
—Sarah A. Matheson, Associate Professor, Department of Communication, Popular Culture & Film, Brock University
