JIM GAFFIGAN: THE PALE TOURIST: Episode 1.1: Jim Gaffigan: Canadian American

Name: JIM GAFFIGAN: THE PALE TOURIST: Episode 1.1: Jim Gaffigan: Canadian American
Item: JIM GAFFIGAN: THE PALE TOURIST: Episode 1.1: Jim Gaffigan: Canadian American
Author: Tess Farrand

"Comedy Teasing Canadians"

Content: -1 Caution advised for older children, including teenagers, and sensitive adults.

Entertainment Quality:

	None	Light	Moderate	Heavy
Language
Violence
Sex
Nudity

Credits →

What You Need To Know:

“Jim Gaffigan: Canadian American” is the first episode in the two-part comedy special, JIM GAFFIGAN: THE PALE TOURIST. The special opens with footage of the Gaffigan family traveling through Canada, spliced with traditional Canadian images of hockey, unique food dishes, lots of snow, polar bears, and, of course, Gaffigan eating. Jim pokes fun at himself and Canadian idiosyncrasies and passions.

“Jim Gaffigan: Canadian American” is a funny routine, with a strong Christian, biblical worldview and refreshing references to Gaffigan’s Christian faith. He calls himself a “good Christian man.” Later, he declares that America’s the best country on the planet because “God loves America more.” Gaffigan references St. John and makes a joke about “God’s plan” when going to a pop music concert. “Canadian American” has no foul language or depicted violence, though one joke discusses being trampled by a moose. Sexuality is briefly discussed regarding one Canadian city, but Gaffigan doesn’t sound supportive. Alcohol use is discussed, and there’s one joke where Gaffigan makes fun of people who are drunk. MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for older children for “Jim Gaffigan: Canadian American.”

Content:

(CC, BB, PC, So, V, S, AA):

Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:

Strong Christian, moral worldview presented as comedian specifically calls himself a good Christian man, discusses God’s plans and talks about how much God loves America, with some politically correct elements that briefly mock President Donald Trump and praise Canada’s free socialized healthcare

Foul Language:

No obscenities or profanities, some brief scatological jokes, discussion of sexually transmitted diseases, how inappropriate Regina sounds, jokes about Mounties and beavers, and a discussion of French curse words that aren’t actually curse words

Violence:

Brief reference to a moose being large enough to kill a tourist, and a cartoon sequence depicts comedian falling in the snow

Sex:

No overt or implied sexuality, some discussion of sexually transmitted diseases, how inappropriate the word Regina sounds, and jokes about Mounties and beavers

Nudity:

No nudity in the special, but marketing materials include upper male nudity as Gaffigan is depicted as a centaur

Alcohol Use:

Jokes about a popular Canadian singer’s fans being drunk and awake, references to a type of Canadian cocktail that includes clam juice, and jokes about President Trump being like an alcoholic parent

Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:

No smoking or drugs; and,

Miscellaneous Immorality:

Nothing else objectionable.

More Detail:

“Jim Gaffigan: Canadian American” is the first episode in the two-part comedy special, JIM GAFFIGAN: THE PALE TOURIST. The special opens with footage of the Gaffigan family traveling through Canada spliced with traditional Canadian images of hockey, poutine, lots of snow, polar bears, and, of course, Gaffigan eating.

Gaffigan’s opening jokes are by far the most crude in the performance and somewhat sour the routine. Gaffigan pokes fun at Saskatchewan Province, its capital Regina, and makes multiple sexual jokes about the people there. However, he also uses this time to say he’s a “Good Christian man” and won’t engage with illicit activities. During this time, he uses no foul or explicit language, and the punchlines are dependent on the viewer’s understanding of euphemisms. Gaffigan moves on after a few minutes and focuses his jokes on other Canadian locations, idiosyncrasies and passions.

In classic Gaffigan fashion, the comedian has multiple jokes about food and his weight. He highlights Canadians’ obsession with poutine – French fries covered in gravy and meat – and doner – a type of kebab that originated in Turkey but is popular in the Canadian provinces. He does make some scatological jokes about the food’s effects on his stomach, but the punchlines are more childish than gross.

The routine includes some politically correct elements, including jokes about free healthcare and briefly pokes fun at U.S. President Donald Trump. Gaffigan refers to Trump as an alcoholic parent whom the children try to take away his phone (although Trump does not drink). There are some other alcohol references, as well, as Gaffigan discusses a “Caesar Cocktail,” which he describes as the Canadian version of a Bloody Mary but with juice.

The episode has a Christian/biblical worldview with multiple references to Gaffigan’s faith. Early in the special, he calls himself a “good Christian man.” Later, he declares that America is the best country on the planet because “God loves America more, and that love is measured in feet.” Gaffigan also references St. John and makes a joke about “God’s plan” when going to the concert of Drake, a famous musical performer, rapper, singer, and songwriter from Canada.

The episode has a solid production value that’s easy to consume. There are no obscenities or profanities. One joke discusses being trampled by a moose. Sexuality is briefly discussed in association with Regina, but Gaffigan doesn’t sound supportive. Also, there’s no nudity in the episode, though promotional materials depict Gaffigan as a muscled centaur, hence some upper male nudity in the poster. Alcohol use is discussed, and there’s one joke about drunkenness where Gaffigan makes fun of people who are drunk and awake.

MOVIEGUIDE® advises caution for older children.