I've been a loyal fan of Montreal native Rufus Wainwright for 10 years. I've been a Torontonian for 13 years. Wainwright is one of my favourite performers today, I love all of his music. I also love living in Toronto.
It's too bad that Wainwright felt the need to spout off about his apparent contempt for the Big Smoke for Xtra recently.
Said Wainwright: "I hate visiting Toronto. I can't stand it. The place drives me mad. I have friends there, I work there, but I find it really hard to like. I will have to go back there, but I wish I didn't have to."
It sounds all so very Montreal/New York snobby, the kind of criticism we've gotten used to from types like Rufus, who himself couldn't wait to get out of Canada for New York and parts of Europe in his 20s. It's been funny listening to Wainwright struggle to compliment his native Canada for our progressive same sex marriage laws, while at the same time show general disregard for his birth country abroad.
I've attended numerous Rufus concerts in T.O. and have always felt he had a certain, subtle contempt for his Toronto audiences, people who had paid good money to see him perform. He once brought out a giant glass of red wine during his Convocation Hall concert and messed up a couple songs; I certainly didn't feel I got my money's worth at that one.
I think I might be through with Rufus concerts if this keeps up. Will I still listen to his music? Of course I will, but I'll probably only download it. Thank you Limewire! Maybe one day he'll learn to respect his Toronto fans and show a little love...
4 comments:
Hi there,
I love Toronto - lived there for many years before moving away. But what's the big deal if Rufus doesn't like it? It's a legitimate opinion. Toronto is exciting and vibrant; the lake is beautiful; the ethnic diversity is amazing... but it's also congested and polluted. I can see why it's not everyone's cup of tea. It makes me mad when Canadians from other areas criticize Torontonians because that's just stupid prejudice. But it seems fair for someone to say they don't like the city.
I stopped listening to that bitch when he started trashing Madonna recently.
Thanks, Ruth. Sure people can dislike a city for whatever reasons they want. If it's congestion or pollution, sure those are legit reasons (although any city nowadays has those problems.) There is also much to love in any city, let's face it. It's just that Rufus' comments really rub me the wrong way as I don't think much of his thought processes. He's always had that snobby, anti-Canada attitude. I don't think he thinks much of Canada as a whole, not big enough for him perhaps. He's like so many celebrities who abandon and forget about their home country in favour of the more superior (in their minds) USA.
Plus to completely diss a city for no particular reason other than obvious snobbery isn't so nice. He's just kissed away all his Toronto fans, as far as I'm concerned. Pretty dumb.
He's doing that typical Montrealer Toronto attitude thing.. I've gotten it so many times. Montreal is so much better, it's so European, Toronto is soooo American.
As a Winnipeger who has moved to Toronto, and travels a great deal, I get very tired of this Canadian regionalism.
I hadn't really listened to this guy, but I'm not so much interested now.
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