Hockey I Am I Canadian? Essay

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Of course, Fuller is not the only one to draw connections among hockey, the media, and differences between Canadian and American national identities. In fact, Gruneau and Whitson get the name of their book from Canada's most famous television program -- Hockey Night in Canada. Like learning to skate before learning to walk, the pair suggest that the Saturday night "TV program made us feel like part of a national community" (2). Thus, Fuller suggests that hockey is of utmost importance to the nation's identity, not only as a sport, but also as a major media event. In this world of globalization and satellite and Internet television broadcasting, media has become the defining feature of many nations. Thus, the use of media to depict Canadian and American values so antithetically is of utmost importance to Canadians and suggests that the sport is integral in the defining of a national identity.

In addition to simply highlighting the differences between Canadians and Americans, especially through media depictions, hockey has also been seen as a symbol of Canada's own values. This is most apart through Fuller's description of the documentary, Shinny. In fact, "the twelve rules of Shinny," around which the document is structured, are Canadian value qualities such as "make your own rules," "you always play for fun," and "no team is ever really beaten" (27). While these may be the rules of street or local hockey teams, they double as the rules, or at least values, of Canada. Canadians value freedom, and the ability to "make their own rules," their own fun, and live a united lifestyle without "ever being beaten," unlike Americans who stress competition. Furthermore, Fuller's depiction of the film suggests that shinny's ability to bring Canada together as one community is another one of its important traits.

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In fact, Fuller states that:

One could argue that there is something paternalistic, and even patronizing about the charitable efforts of these well-intentioned southerners. However, this is not the point-of-view that the film takes. Hockey (in its "pure" incarnation shinny) is portrayed as transcending differences in order to build community (28).

The previous statement directly relates to rich gifts of hockey items to poor, natives in far North Canada. Fuller suggests that the depiction suggests another one of Hockey's values that is truly Canadian, the desire for community and unity with all people. Gruneau and Whitson make the same argument by suggesting that they never realized the impact that hockey had on them as Canadians until years later (2). That, once again, Fuller uses media to make this point is suggestive of its importance both nationally and globally.

While some contend that Canada's hockey myth is just that, arguing that the sport is of no more importance than American baseball, Fuller's article argues otherwise. Hockey is not just a sport in Canada, but the agent by which Canadians have been able to separate themselves from Americans and defend their own cultural values. Through a survey of media, Fuller suggests that hockey is the prime venue by which to see how Canadians and Americans differ. American hockey media describes the sport as bloody and violent while Canadian hockey media suggests that it is the forger of community and unity, and the defender of Canadian values. Similarly, Fuller's use of media to suggest that hockey symbolizes Canadian values suggests its importance to Canada as the symbol of national identity.

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