The joke is on Saskatchewan in B.C. Juno tickets contest
Radio station offers tickets for best Sask. joke
Darren Bernhardt, of The StarPhoenix
Published: Friday, February 09, 2007
A Vancouver radio station is offering a Juno prize package for the best joke about Saskatchewan.
The online contest, launched by CKNW News Talk 980 host Philip Till, asks listeners to complete the following sentence: "You know you're in Saskatchewan when . . ."
The responses to the station's website -- ww.cknw.com -- have largely been insulting, reinforcing a redneck Prairie stereotype.
Ironically, the prize package -- return airfare for two people, two tickets to the Juno Awards night and accommodation for two nights at a Saskatoon hotel -- was provided by Saskatchewan Industry and Resources Minister Eric Cline, who is touring the West Coast to promote the virtues of the province.
Rather than put the province on a pedestal, the plan has backfired. It has instead opened the door for demeaning comments that perpetuate stereotypes, says the Saskatchewan Party.
"There's a humorous side to it, but it's also demeaning to Saskatchewan people," said MLA Don Morgan. "And tickets to the Junos are scarce as hen's teeth, so what is the NDP doing giving them away to an out-of-province radio station that's going to make fun of us?"
The Saskatchewan government is spending millions of dollars on advertising campaigns to convince young people to stay here and entice people living in other provinces to move here. With one fell swoop of a radio station contest, that has been wiped out, said Morgan.
"It's just going to reinforce those perceptions that we're a bunch of hayseed hillbillies in pickup trucks -- old pickup trucks," he said.
A few responses were posted by Saskatchewan boosters, one of whom took a swipe at Till.
"You know you're in Saskatchewan when you can no longer pick up CKNW's Philip Till on the radio (thank goodness!)," wrote Gavin Bamber.
"You know you're in Saskatchewan when the smiles that welcome you are as wide as the prairie sky and the hand we offer you is as honest as in days gone by," wrote someone only identified as Frances.
Bob Ellis, a spokesperson for Cline's office, confirmed the prize pack was provided by the Department of Industry and Resources. Department officials approved the contest after trying to convince the radio station to do something less controversial.
"They (Till and station personnel) were adamant about the question they wanted to use. They pushed for it," said Ellis, noting a number of staff at the station are originally from Saskatchewan and thought it would be fun.
"We were prepared for it to pick on some of those traditional stereotypes, but some responses spoke to the affection people have with the province," Ellis added. "We also used it to identify the myths we needed to bust during the program."
Cline had plenty of opportunity to do a "serious pitch" of Saskatchewan and its high quality of life and booming, diverse economy, Ellis said. Cline touched on the province's research and development, synchrotron, oil and gas reserves, availability of jobs, affordability of homes and short commutes, Ellis said.
"It was a chance to show we're more than wheat fields and agriculture. It was good exposure on one of the top stations in the Vancouver market."
Premier Lorne Calvert gave the same prize pack to a Calgary TV station during a similar promotion last week. In that case, however, the station held a benign trivia contest to test people's knowledge of their neighbouring province.
Cline was aware, going in, what to expect from Till, who was described to the minister as "cheeky," Ellis said. The minister's on-air appearance occurred on Thursday morning, but Till's intent was clear a day earlier.
On a Wednesday posting on the website, Till facetiously referred to his Saskatchewan guest as "a highlight of my 35-year career in broadcasting! So brace yourself for tomorrow's show -- a Saskatchewan special: It'll be a (ahem) barnburner."
As for the contest, Till jokingly said first prize is a trip for two and second prize is a trip for four. As entries started pouring in, Till remarked, "Who knew that many people would voluntarily go to Saskatchewan?"
Cline took some ribbing during the show, but "he gave as good as he got" and proved Saskatchewan people have a sense of humour as healthy as the province's economy, said Ellis.
dbernhardt@sp.canwest.com
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YOU KNOW YOU'RE IN SASKATCHEWAN WHEN:
- You can reason with a barnyard animal.
- You fill your pickup with gas and it doubles in value!
- Your monthly heating bill costs more than your mortgage.
- You can buy a house on your credit card and not go over your $10,000 limit . . . it's true!
- The birds start migrating south in July because they know that winter snows start in August.
- Every year at the local fair Mabel wins the blue ribbon for her "gopher pie."
- The local air show means the first crop of mosquitoes has hatched.
- The community bring their chairs to the local town hall for the premiere of Corner Gas.
- "Double/double/strung/no foam" means two bales of hay, two bales of oats, twine around both and no manure on the bottom.
? The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2007
Saskatoon StarPhoenix
My response to Till's question would have been ... "You know you're in Saskatchewan when . . .you tune to 980 and pick up CJME rather than CKNW"