2006-08-16

Canada's Walk of Fame Continues to Baffle

Canada's 'Walk of Fame' is slowly becoming diluted - like the Hockey Hall of Fame. Too many people are getting in and one in particular continues to stand on the periphery of its cemented grounds. How Andy Kim continues to be shunned is beyond me. Especially considering Brendan Fraser and few others were recently inducted.

It's like letting Clark Gilles in but not Dino Ciccarelli. It makes no sense.

You will never convince me that Brendan fricken Fraser has done more for Canadian arts and entertainment than Andy fricken Kim. Just on the force of 'Sugar, Sugar' alone Kim beats Fraser by a mile. But it's not about beating anyone. Fraser has done well, but he should not have been honoured before Andy Kim.

Note to CWOF: Get it right once and for all. Until then, the walk is just another sidewalk to me.

11 comments:

  1. Anonymous8/06/2007

    I absolutely agree! I have nominated a Canadian actress who's been in Hollywood for three and a half decades and has done VERY substantial work in very well-known TV series around the world. They preferred to give a star to Jill Hennessey instead. It's not that I don't think Ms. Hennessey deserves it, but it was the same case where they've chosen Branden Frasier ahead of Andy Kim (kit has crossed my mind that maybe a movie studio 'bought the star' for him). Anyway, I had no idea Andy Kim was Canadian. I used to dance to 'sugar sugar' as a little girl and listen to it to this day.

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  2. Assuming you ever come back here, it would be interesting to know who you nominated. Thanks for the comment. I suspect that there are many Canadians being overlooked. Heck, aren't we just plain good at that?

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  3. Anonymous6/03/2008

    Now that the illustrious Canada's Walk of Fame has the list of the 2008 inductees, time for me to vent!!!! And what better place than this wonderful blog! I do agree with their choices according to the achievements of this year's inductees. But having Brian Adams and Michael J. Fox inducted again? Gimme a break! I know they were not able to join in for the festivities the first time... so the Walk of Fame should have given 2 more stars to make up for the repeats. I have been so disgusted through the years. What about Keanu Reeves (The Matrix, Speed and others)? And Neve Campbell (Party of Five and the Scream movies)and Alan Thicke? Since you want to know, the actress I've nominated is the wonderful Belinda Montgomery (of Doogie Howser fame, she played Doogie's mom and the series was a hit). She's such a lovely and underrated actress. If Jill Hennessey deserved to receive a star for just doing Crossing Jordan, so does Ms. Montgomery. And Andy Kim, overlooked again! Shame on Canada's Walk of Fame and its politics! Don't you tell me that ALL the inductees so far have had international impact... yeah right!

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  4. Anonymous6/03/2008

    What about Leonard Cohen?????, artist Robert Bateman and environmentalist David Suzuki (The Nature of Things).

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  5. Anonymous6/03/2008

    I have a good one: Oscar Peterson

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  6. Anonymous6/03/2008

    Dear Commentator, thanks for your brilliant post, where you tell us what Canada's Walk of Fame is all about. I have nominated someone (Leonard Cohen) several times, for the past six years to be exact, to no avail...

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  7. Thanks for the kind words.

    Indeed, politics obviously seems to play a role.

    That Leonard Cohen and Oscar Peterson haven't been nominated was so unbelievable to me that I had to go check it out - you're right! They aren't there! WOW!

    What a joke.

    Celine Dion is in - remember she turned down a Juno (I think) because she claimed she wasn't an anglophone singer. Until she made millions in the U.S. that is. Then she was as Anglo as they come.

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  8. Anonymous6/03/2008

    Indeed, what a joke! (I'm really starting to like this blog a lot). With all due respect to Lloyd Robertson of CTV... a friend of mine has nominated Torontonian JD Roberts (now John Roberts of CNN) a zillion times without success. Now you tell me, who is more internationally well-known of these two? According to the CWOF website, one of the requirements is that the candidate must have national or international impact to be inducted. Considering that JD Roberts has been a high profile news anchor in the US for such a long time (after being known in Canada), he would have gotten a star before Mr. Robertson (provided the rules were being followed by the book. And Brendan Fraser, has he done more high-profile work than Keanu Reeves? The latter has been in the movie scene way sooner. And Andy Kim was in the music scene before Brendan and Keanu were even born. Don't get me wrong, all of these wonderful people deserve it... but I am bitterly disappointed and incredulous at how this entire thing operates.

    Like yourself, Commentator, I do not believe that Oscar Peterson and Leonard Cohen haven't ever been nominated by the fans for an induction. Pretty unbelievable they are being ignored. Honestly, I think Canada's Walk of Fame give stars to people THEY like.

    Thanks again for giving me the opportunity to vent. I better get over it. I'll be fine tomorrow.

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  9. Anonymous, if this is indeed your real name, thanks for the kind words and I'm glad I have provided a place for people to vent.

    Not only that, Andy Kim was a Canadian rock pioneer. His career succeeded despite the massive odds against and more interesting he wasn't a counter-culture musician like Joni Mitchell or Neil Young so that's a double whammy against him.

    Yet, he became A HUGE star and Sugar, Sugar is easily one of the all-time great singles. It's not even a rock song - it's a piece of pop culture history. The song is known ALL OVER THE WORLD and has been translated into many languages. How many Canadians have pulled that off? What the frick more do these boobheads want?

    You're quite right about JD Roberts. Like we've both stated, nothing against the inductees but let's get real here.

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  10. Anonymous6/04/2008

    You tell me how this entire thing baffles! I have just found out how the nomination process happened for one of the inductees, Ms. Frances Bay. Her Winnipeg cousin submitted a 10,000 signature petition and several letters from fellow actors on her behalf. Nothing wrong with knowing celebrities. If you do, great. But the average Joe like myself has no access to a rollodex full of famous contacts. I have my doubts that a substantial petition counts, as my husband has participated in a very strong campaign for Canadian wrestler Stu Hart to get a star on the Walk since 2004. But so far, Stu has been shunned. So it is really about being recommended by celebrities. Canada's Walk of Fame should come clean and tell people how it REALLY works and spare us wasting our time with unfruitful nominations. Maybe they should pick the nominees themselves, like the Canadian Film and Television Hall of Fame does (theirs is closed to the general public as far as I know).

    I will never bother with CWOF again. And who are they to decide how much talent Oscar Peterson, Leonard Cohen and Andy Kim have? Oscar is playing piano for the angels and Leonard has a Rock'n Roll Hall of Fame induction under his belt besides his other amazing accolades. We the fans know they are true icons. And I saw Andy Kim last year at his Christmas concert in Toronto and it was pure magic.

    Canada's Walk of Fame is a joke!

    I only wish CBC had a Hall of Fame for TV/Film/Music. Maybe I should suggest it to them, ha ha... just dreaming here... but I think they would have handled it better... maybe...

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  11. Celina, that was great. Thanks.

    Stu Hart. Interesting nomination indeed.

    You were at the show? Wasn't it great? I've been to the first two and plan to head there this year.

    Watching 'Rock me Gently' and 'Sugar, Sugar' live is amazing.

    Anything in Canada lacks transparency by the way. We're not good on the accountability thing. I have no idea who these people are.

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