CBC Radio's Embarrassing Idea

I can just the wheels turning in some marketing dept at CBC:
Some exec says, "We need a new hook for our viewers, something snappy, how about we think out of the box?" "Well, jeez," says the eager beaver, "we get our best ratings when we solicit the public's opinions about music, you know, the top 100 Canadian songs, stuff like that, and jeez if we reveal just a few songs each week, we can keep 'em listeing for months! Damn, we're clever." Then somebody else pipes in with, " you know, given all the bizarre stuff going on with our politicians right now, Canadians are really digging Barack Obama. He's even more popular up here then down there. Maybe we could do something on Obama." A third ads in, "how about we combine the two--Obama and music?" Suddenly the exec snaps to attention, "that's it, that's the idea we've been looking for!"

CBC has, of late, been soliciting the 49 quintessential Canadian songs that should be sent to the President-elect as a way "to best define our country." You can see how it's positioned here: http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/r2drive/2009/01/49_songs_from_north_of_the_49t.html
The voting happend from January 6th-16th. My guess is a few songs will be revealed each day, with the last five being revealed just before inauguration day. Mark these broadcasts in your calendar...as times to boycott CBC.

Exactly what does it say about Canada that its national broadcaster is soliciting music from Canadians for the incoming American President? Am I the only one who thinks it odd? From an American perspective, no radio station in the States would EVER do such a thing, unless it was to satirize and mock some foreign ruler, but CBC is doing this with complete and utter earnestness. I see a sweet third grader, little Canada, bringing in an apple to his favorite teacher, Mr. Obama, and shyly handing it to him saying, with eyes averted, "Mr. Obama, I heard you like fruit, this is for you."

If you can't tell, I find this more than a little troubling. He's a foreign head of state--why is the whole country supposed to focus on deciding what songs of ours we would like to share with him? Canada, please stop and reconsider. I mean, where's our dignity?

I do know that eight years of the Bush administration deeply troubled the Canadian soul, as it did much of the world; I know nearly all of us up here are happy Obama won the election, and I know Obama likes music (since the CBC pointed it out), but these are not sufficient reasons to fawn, are they?

What's next? The man apparently likes basketball--does that mean Canada should develop a DVD full of the best moments from Canada's National Team? "Call in and name the Canadian Hoops One Hundred for the incoming Prez!" If you send it to him, maybe he'll really and truly love us then, Canada. Won't we be happy!