After sloshing about in a vat of blancmange broadcasting for the past six weeks, we are finally FINALLY released from the longed-for make it end announcement of the CBC Seven Wonders of Canada. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

Now, before you Canuckite CBC patriots come-a-charging with your burning spears and Maple Leaf branding pokers, let me say this is not a critique of Canada or Canada’s right to celebrate itself. OK? Canada is a land of many wonders and no list can do them justice. OK?

But the CBC did those wonders no service with its lackluster Seven Wonders project. It went on too long. There were too many nominees, too many “wonderfuls” “bests” and “most beautifuls,” and most problematically, too much inconsistency in nominations.

Come on. How do you compare The Rockies with the Pier 21 museum? The canoe to Niagara Falls? And, excuse me, but Mum’s house in Scarborough compared to the Nahanni? If this was an attempt at Canadian wit, it failed miserably.

A mass participation project requires a focus on category and careful crafting to draw out the most interesting elements. In the end the CBC radio panel admitted to the weakness of the format when it confessed to “Geographical Correctness.” In other words, we had to fulfill the CBC mandate to be everything for everyone from “coast to coast to coast.”

Next time, they’d do well to break the monster down into appropriate categories and limit participation. No mum’s house in Scarborough, please! That way, genuine wonders don’t end up boiled down into a bland Pablum of the CBC mandate.

« GT’s been tagged
Favourite dance quote »


This entry was posted on Thursday, May 10th, 2007 at 7:12 am and is filed under CBC Radio, culture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.