Who knew!?

And to think, all this time I had no clue that my entire understanding of Canada, its people, its landscape, its history and its place in the world was solely thanks to the brilliance, insight and wisdom of Peter Mansbridge.  Wow!

"He's a Canadian icon," waxed an enraptured Jennifer McGuire, general manager of CBC news.  "For a lot of us, we experienced this country and history through his guidance.  He's been the front door to our understanding of our country and our world.  I think there's a relationship there and that happens in broadcast in a very real way.  They feel they have a relationship with Peter," said the hypnotized McGuire.  For a moment there, I thought she was going to need a cigarette. 

No wonder he is referred to with such reverence as "Pastor Mansbridge".  I feel completely chastened for not having acknowledged him in the religious sense for so many years. 

But wait a minute, what about other -- albeit minor -- Canadian historians?  What about Peter Newman, Pierre Berton, Farley Mowat, Mel Hurtig, Michael Bliss and all those high school history teachers we had?  And to think The Pastor is even superior than the most renowned Canadian critic and historian ever, Northrop Frye!  Didn't they all tell us a bit about our history?  I realize they weren't a patch on His Lordship, but I seem to recall these people having had something to do with what we know about Canada. 

But I have to be wrong because other luminaries such as Adrienne Arsenault (who?), Tom Clark (who again?) and Mark Kelley also went into paroxysms of praise for the soon-to-retire Pastor.  "Peter has incredible insight on what goes on inside the CBC and even outside the CBC," swooned Kelley.  Wow, a supposed journalist who actually may know what goes on outside the Mother Corp!  That's an incredible feat. 

He claims one of his most inspired hires was 'Power and Politics' host Rosemary Barton, but I beg to differ.  In my view, Barton is an unserious, mouthy, giggling, fat, inappropriate mass of buffoonery.  As to Mansbridge himself?  He is a lazy journalist (and I use the word lightly) who just reads what's put in front of him every night.  If you compare the BBC's coverage of an event with that of the CBC, you'll see that absolutely no original research ever goes into anything the CBC reports on.  Ever.  His worst sin, among so many, is how he introduces 'The National' every evening.  "Good evening, I'm Peter Mansbridge and this is The National."  No, shouldn't it be, "This is The National and I'm Peter Mansbridge."  Incredibly, he actually puts himself above world news and current events!   

Mansbridge can't hang it up fast enough for me, but guess what?  He's not actually hauling his egomaniacal ass out the door after all.  No, he's going to be doing specials on "things that interest me".  Well, that would be a series of features on himself.

OMG.  Please, just go away.....