O'Brien Apologizes for Offending Quebec

Talk show host Conan O'Brien apologized Wednesday for offending any French Canadians during his NBC show's visit to Toronto last week, but not before trying to wring some laughs out of the flap.

"People of Quebec, I'm sorry," O'Brien said on NBC's "Late Night" telecast early Wednesday.

He had his remarks "translated" into French and subtitled: "People of Quebec, I'm an albino jackass."

"We meant no harm with our comedy piece the other night," O'Brien said.

The translation: "The other night, I wet the bed like a little girl."

And so on.

O'Brien's cantankerous sock puppet, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, drew the ire of French Canadian separatists with some of his jokes last week.
O'Brien did a week of shows from Toronto to try and pump up the SARS-disrupted economy.

"You're in North America, learn the language," the puppet hollered at one couple encountered at a visit to Quebec City's Winter Carnival.

"It's too late, but it's better than not giving his apology," said Madeleine Meilleur, Ontario's minister of culture and francophone affairs on Wednesday. "The comments should never have been made."

how interesting.

At least he still has some balls. It would've been sad if he'd publicly apologize seriously...

I think it says much about the Canadian ministers if they have the time to watch Conan and then critize a freaking sock-puppet...

Ice

Those French ****ers deserve everythig they get. They nearly ****ed up my travel plans due to their inability to speak English. They should choose one language and learn to speak it properly. At the moment, they can't speak either.

And Conan deserves to get Jay Leno's slot on TV. He is the best of the big four talkshow hosts.

And if they have interest in paying was it 60 million dollars or 160 million dollars to get Conan to do a week of shows in Toronto, knowing what kind of humour the show promotes, I think they have way too much time in their hands to begin with...

And just to add to my excellent first post. What's this I hear about some stupid law in Quebec that every French sign has to be in bigger writing than the English translation? and that there are LANGUAGE POLICE that go around crossing out English if it is too big. If this is true then they are a bunch of ****ing wankers who, if I was the Queen, would be glad to be rid of from our territory. ****ers.

It only cost 1 million dollars of taxpayers money to bring Conan to Toronto.

And Ice, I totally agree with you about the Canadian ministers. Some people found the skit hilarious, some did not. I thought Triumph was relatively nice to the French. And they call him Triumph the Insult Dog for a reason

Stephanie

/only/ one million????

I've always found people from Quebec quite hairy, anyone else noticed?

give the man should get a medal