Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!looking!brad
From: brad@looking.UUCP
Newsgroups: can.politics
Subject: Re: Free trade, Canadian culture, $$
Message-ID: <741@looking.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 18-Feb-87 21:41:23 EST
Article-I.D.: looking.741
Posted: Wed Feb 18 21:41:23 1987
Date-Received: Thu, 19-Feb-87 05:35:50 EST
References: <183@fornax.uucp>
Reply-To: brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton)
Distribution: can
Organization: Looking Glass Software Ltd. Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 49

In article <183@fornax.uucp> chapman@fornax.uucp (John Chapman) writes:
>
>"There is such a thing as too much free trade with the United States.
>According to a federal task force report, Canadians spend $1.2Billion
>a year on movies, but 90% of it flows out of the country and into the
>U.S.  There it is used to finance the production of American films,
>which in turn shut Cnaadian films out of Canadian movie theatres,
>most of which are integrated with American distribution companies.
>Was a circle ever more vicious?
>
>.....<goes on to describe a plan proposed by Flora MacDonald which
>might reduce the American market share of distribution to %65> "

  "Ticket for Platoon, please."

  "No sir, you can't watch that movie!  We don't allow its distribution here!"

  "Why not?"

  "Why that's an American made film, and we won't allow you to give your
dollars to American film makers."
  
  "Why?"

  "Well, you should give your dollars to Canadian film makers instead.  In
fact, we're going to force you to."

   "I would rather give my money to the makers of the films I enjoy most.
Right now the public doesn't think that Canadian film makers are doing
a job worthy of our patronage."

   "Exactly our point sir.  They must be forced to see Canadian films through
import barriers and subsidies.  That way, not only will the public be telling
them they don't like the films, the government will be branding them poor
as well!  It's bound to improve the quality of the industry sir.  Now,
did you want a ticket for 'My American Cousin' or the 'Moncton Amateur
film festival' tonight?"

   "I think I'll go rent a tape.  Or is E.T. too subversive for you?"


It has been shown time and time again that Canadian content quotas on
entertainment just produce massive amounts of poor to mediocre material
that would not otherwise get shown.  Because it *is* shown, Canadian
material gets a reputation for being crap.  The average goes down
because making more films does not increase the talent of the people
making them.
-- 
Brad Templeton, Looking Glass Software Ltd. - Waterloo, Ontario 519/884-7473