http://arts.nationalpost.com/2011/12...medium=twitter
Dave Bidini is a National Post columnist, filmmaker, playwright, broadcaster, musician and author of ten books, including Baseballissimo, Tropic of Hockey, On a Cold Road and, most recently, Writing Gordon Lightfoot. His next album with Bidiniband, In The Rock Hall, will be released on January 24, 2012. He will be guest editing The Afterword this week.
Presenting, the top 15 Canadians who rival Gordon Lightfoot’s “Most Manly” Canadian title.
15. Bruno Gerussi: Hairy-chested. Hosted a cooking show. Wore a medallion. Made reciting Shakespeare an extreme sport.
14. Victor Davis: Ripped swimmer. Threw a chair at (or near) the Queen. Tortured-soul. Rumble fish.
13. George Laracque: Punched heads for a living. Vegan. Leftist. As big as a VW van. Hab and Oiler.
12. Farley Mowat: Fired a shot gun at American planes. Irascible liar. Bearded. Good in the woods.
11. Brett Lawrie: Soon-to-be US baseball star born in BC. Helmet-thrower. Shoreline-long shoulders. Bulldog.
10. Dan Hill: Under-rated uber male. Smart, authorial, sensitive. Also bearded. 70s. Marathoner. Hit maker.
9. Hayden: Singer/guitarist. Torontonian. Excellent screamer. Poetesque. Hands like hambones.
8. Adam Kleeberger: Troll with Goliath complex. Charming and crazy. Likes beer. And mud. Worldly. Driven.
7. Charles Angus: Punk rock bassist turned politic. Northern soul. Eloquent but not elevated. Man for Canada. Snarl in a good suit.
6. Wintersleep: Maritime men as a single howling voice. String and skin thrashers. Build the club; play the club. Modest, over-arching. Hard and gentle.
5. John Vaillant: Forest and jungle warrior. All in a nice linen shirt. Good in literary darkness. Best seller. Tigers. Trees.
4. Chris Pronger: Mess you up. But funny, very funny. “How did you feel about getting hit” “They should have given me two minutes for hurt feelings.” Dryden, Ontario. Also likes beer.
3. Bret Hart: Snaggley hair, sweaty pecs. Jilted warrior. Spandex with fists of iron. A jumper. Nationalist. Comes from good, if outrageous, stock.
2. Don Cherry: Bar-rom bard. Loudest guy in the room. Flowery jackets. Loves wife and dog. Fallible, in his own way. Kingstonian.
1. Gordie Howe: Simpsons’ writers’ idea of the uber-Canadian. Strong-willed and gentle-voiced. Forever devoted to Colleen and the boys. Hall of Fame. Gretzky’s idol. Saskatchewan. Perfection.