The phrase, which is attributed to hockey legend Gordie Howe, is going viral on social media and appearing on government-subsidized protest placards in what some experts call a cringe-worthy push for national pride over Trump’s fair-deal tariffs.
Mike Myers Drops the Mic (and His Elbows) on SNL
Former funnyman millionaire Mike Myers, recently platformed the movement during a painful Saturday Night Live skit, which had Canadians cheering and Americans groaning and Googling “What’s a Gordie Howe?”
Myers, who most thought was out of the biz, appeared on SNL to poke fun at Elon Musk and Trump. Sporting a “Canada is not for sale” T-shirt, Myers pointed to his elbows and mouthed “elbows up” during the “Goodnight” segment of the past its prime-time comedy show. However, the nod to the keyboard warrior movement that’s sweeping the Great White North resonated with Canadians who want to join the so-called fight.
But economists are not laughing. One Canadian financial expert tells America’s Number One Source of Newstainment, GWU! that the funny thing is that Canada has a largely resource-based economy. “This place would cease to exist as a country if its resources were ‘not for sale.’ Why do people continue to look to celebrities for financial literacy?”
“It was so stupid,” he continued, shaking his head. “Mike Myers used to be so funny and culturally dialled-in. I guess all those years living in the US has made him as soft as the heavily tariffed softwood lumber.”
Canadians Speak Out
While the “elbows up” movement is gaining momentum, not all Canadians are ready to drop the gloves. Many who spoke to the GWU! expressed mixed emotions about the future of U.S.-Canada relations.
“It feels like something artificial. Like with COVID,” said Anna Summer, a mother pushing a stroller through Dufferin Mall in Toronto. “It’s like the TV told everyone to hate the US and now they do. It’s just like ‘stay home to stay safe’. How are people falling for this again?”
The sudden switch from the government trashing Canadian history and identity to ultra-national flag-waving set Summers’ nerves on edge having seen government propaganda up close when she protested in the Ottawa Freedom Rally. “I thought only racist anti-vaxxers flew the Canadian flag? Are we no longer a ‘post-national state’?”
Summer, like many Canadians, hopes the tension will eventually blow over and lead to a stronger partnership. “I think it’s going to get worse before it gets better,” she said. “But maybe it’ll make people realize how much we need each other. And that Canada actually should be the 51st state.”
