Every so often, someone decides Canadians are the problem.
We have been called rude. We have been criticized for standing up for our country. And, yes, Canadians have even been called “nasty.”
So we decided to have a little fun with it.
Sorry We Are So Nasty was created as a tongue-in-cheek response to the people who want to paint Canadians as nasty simply because we are proud of our country, willing to stand up for ourselves, or unwilling to quietly accept every criticism thrown our way.
Rather than getting angry about it, we decided to answer the accusation in the most Canadian way possible: with humour.
If Canadians are so nasty, what does Canadian nastiness actually look like?
Apparently, it looks like helping someone change a tire.
Offering a stranger a phone charger.
Helping someone carry their luggage.
Giving directions to a visitor who looks lost.
Offering your jacket to someone who looks cold.
Picking up the bill.
Or warning somebody that the roads might be a little icy.
Pretty nasty stuff, eh?
Where the Idea Came From
Canada has long had an international reputation for politeness, generosity and an almost excessive willingness to help.
Canadians hold doors for strangers. We apologize when somebody else bumps into us. We strike up conversations about the weather. We give directions. We offer a hand when somebody needs one.
That made the accusation that Canadians are somehow “nasty” particularly funny.
So instead of simply complaining about it, Made of Maple decided to turn it into a collection.
The idea behind Sorry We Are So Nasty is simple: take the accusation seriously for about half a second, then show what Canadian “nastiness” actually looks like.
Each design places the phrase “Sorry About Being So Nasty” beside an example of ordinary Canadian kindness, helpfulness or hospitality.
The contradiction is the joke.
Someone calls Canadians nasty.
Meanwhile, a Canadian is helping a stranger carry their suitcase.
Sorry about that.
Turning an Insult Into a Canadian Joke
There is something very Canadian about responding to an insult without taking ourselves too seriously.
The collection does not try to convince everyone that Canada is perfect. Canadians can disagree with one another, complain about the weather, argue about hockey and debate just about everything happening in the country.
But there is a big difference between criticizing something about Canada and accepting the idea that Canadians should be ashamed of who we are.
We are not.
And Sorry We Are So Nasty takes one of those criticisms and turns it completely on its head.
Call Canadians nasty if you want.
We will keep helping our neighbours.
We will keep welcoming visitors.
We will keep giving directions.
We will keep holding the door.
And, being Canadian, we might even apologize while doing it.
The Designs
Every design in the collection follows the same basic idea: pair the accusation of Canadian “nastiness” with behaviour that is unmistakably friendly.
There is Tire Change, where Canadian nastiness apparently means stopping to help someone stranded on the side of the road.
There is Phone Charge, because apparently lending someone a charger counts as aggressive behaviour now.
There are Hiking Directions, Driving Directions and Banff, celebrating that very Canadian habit of giving somebody significantly more directions and travel advice than they actually asked for.
You Look Cold captures another familiar Canadian instinct: seeing somebody freezing and immediately trying to help.
Luggage, Help w/ Luggage and Need a Hand? take the same approach to everyday situations where somebody could use a little assistance.
Then there are designs celebrating the other things Canadians cannot seem to stop talking about.
The weather.
The roads.
Maple syrup.
Poutine.
Camping.
Because if we are going to be accused of being nasty, we might as well be nasty while recommending where somebody can get a good plate of poutine.
Proud Without Taking Ourselves Too Seriously
Made of Maple was created around Canadian pride, but Canadian pride does not always have to be serious.
Sometimes it can be a maple leaf.
Sometimes it can be a statement about standing up for Canada.
Sometimes it can celebrate our mountains, forests, lakes and wildlife.
And sometimes it can simply be Canadians laughing at the idea that we are supposedly a bunch of nasty people.
That is where this collection fits.
Sorry We Are So Nasty is Canadian pride with a wink.
It is for people who love this country but still know how to laugh at ourselves.
It is for Canadians who have heard somebody take a shot at Canada and thought, Really? That's what we're going with?
And it is for anyone who understands that being proud of Canada does not require taking every insult seriously.
Sometimes the best response is a joke.
Wear the Joke
The collection works particularly well for Canadians who enjoy dry humour and do not mind poking a little fun at the country's reputation.
Wear one while travelling.
Wear one across the border.
Wear one camping.
Wear one to the airport.
Wear one while giving somebody directions they did not ask for.
And if somebody asks what it means, tell them the truth.
Apparently Canadians are nasty people.
We are so nasty that we might help you change your tire, carry your luggage, lend you a charger, recommend somewhere to eat and make sure you are warm enough before you leave.
Terrible bunch of people.
We apologize.
Sorry About Being So Nasty
At Made of Maple, we believe being proud of Canada and having a sense of humour can exist side by side.
The Sorry We Are So Nasty collection was our response to people who want to describe Canadians as nasty.
We could have gotten angry.
Instead, we made T-shirts.
Because if kindness, generosity, hospitality, helping strangers and being proud of your country qualify as “nasty,” then maybe Canadians should take the accusation as a compliment.
So, from all of us here in Canada:
Sorry about being so nasty.
We will try not to hold the door for you on the way out.
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