The Ugly Canada Thread - Page 308

HomeInMyShoes · #**6141** Posted **Jun 15, 2016, 2:46 PM**

^Yeah, I'd call them deco-ish. I think you can chalk the other one up to being being hit with the ugly stick that is Kenmount Road.

O-tacular · #**6142** Posted **Jun 15, 2016, 3:07 PM**

SignalHillHiker · #**6143** Posted **Jun 15, 2016, 3:10 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by HomeInMyShoes

^Yeah, I'd call them deco-ish. I think you can chalk the other one up to being being hit with the ugly stick that is Kenmount Road.

What are you talking about? It's a gorgeous area of town. Took this only an hour ago...

O-tacular · #**6144** Posted **Jun 15, 2016, 3:23 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Reminds me of the World-class Richard World-class Ivey World-class School of World-class Business. Did I mention that it is World-class? If I didn't, I am quite sure IVEY faculty/grads/admin won't forget.

Worldclassworldclassworldclass

I like that one too.

niwell · #**6145** Posted **Jun 15, 2016, 3:40 PM**

Count me in as someone who doesn't mind the school of pharmacy or whatever it is. Not totally sold on the panels, but not horrible.

Now those streetviews of banal student apartments.... yikes. Literally zero redeeming features there.

MolsonExport · #**6146** Posted **Jun 15, 2016, 4:19 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Why on earth would one post the Ivey School in a thread of "Ugly". I am at a loss. Unless you're making a veiled reference to MBAs generally - now THAT we could discuss!

No, it was that certain elements of the KW bldg reminded me of the World Class Ivey School of World Class Business.

I don't think Ivey's World Class building is ugly. After all, it is World Class.

rousseau · #**6147** Posted **Jun 15, 2016, 5:05 PM**

Speaking of that style (which I think can be done right), they've torn down the building where the office in The Office was:

As John Betjeman so famously said it, "Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough!"

Acajack · #**6148** Posted **Jun 15, 2016, 5:11 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rousseau

Speaking of that style (which I think can be done right), they've torn down the building where the office in The Office was:

As John Betjeman so famously said it, "Come friendly bombs and fall on Slough!"

Is that building in your part of the world?

rousseau · #**6149** Posted **Jun 15, 2016, 5:30 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

Is that building in your part of the world?

You never saw The Office with Ricky Gervais? It was based in Slough, west of London. The building in the opening credits is (was) pretty iconic.

• Video Link

Not Canadian, I know, but somewhat tangentially related to the recently contentious topic at hand.

By the way, to anyone who's never seen the Office, torrent all 16 episodes and binge watch it now! It's a towering work of art, and one of the greatest televisions shows ever made.

Patapouf26 · #**6150** Posted **Jun 15, 2016, 5:55 PM**

This was my ugly-assed high school. Great experience, but uuuugly!

http://media.edimage.ca/photos/francophonie/CA/slides/335_ecole_m_martin.html

Here, have a walk about...
https://www.google.ca/maps/place/École+M...3d46.1004202!4d-64.7340363!6m1!1e1?hl=en

Acajack · #**6151** Posted **Jun 15, 2016, 5:57 PM**

I know of the show. I know it's based in a place called Slough. Or somewhere in PA in the American version. I know of Ricky Gervais.

Never watched an episode.

I do watch TV but I am often more interested in the socio-cultural phenomenon of TV as opposed to the actual content.

Proof Sheet · #**6152** Posted **Jun 15, 2016, 5:57 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by rousseau

You never saw The Office with Ricky Gervais? It was based in Slough, west of London. The building in the opening credits is (was) pretty iconic.

• Video Link

Not Canadian, I know, but somewhat tangentially related to the recently contentious topic at hand.

By the way, to anyone who's never seen the Office, torrent all 16 episodes and binge watch it now! It's a towering work of art, and one of the greatest televisions shows ever made.

Brilliant opening sequence to that show. I believe that the bus station has now been replaced.

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2583/4085843447_cccd3e3a5f_b.jpg

Watching the Office in 16 or so episodes is a great reminder of how shows can get stale after multiple episodes. Two or three seasons of 6 or so episodes are a great way to do a show.

The Fall, Happy Valley, Broadchurch ( all on Netflix) are good examples of this.

Patapouf26 · #**6153** Posted **Jun 15, 2016, 6:01 PM**

More Moncton uglies...
- On a prominent street corner :
https://www.google.ca/maps/@46.0879357,-...pUvFFfXoJlq6w!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

- TD 'Monolith' behind beautiful historic property :
https://www.google.ca/maps/@46.0883129,-...CE9KV4wov5Svw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

- Another monolithic wall behind a beautifully cladded historic property (thank goodness for that tree!) :
https://www.google.ca/maps/@46.0883129,-...CE9KV4wov5Svw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1
(BTW, do a 180 to see the TD building again!)

niwell · #**6154** Posted **Jun 15, 2016, 6:05 PM**

The building the original Office is set in may be the best example of depressing post-war England. I mean, I kind of love it for that. But wow how British.

It's been a few years since I've watched I may break out the DVDs this weekend. Not during the week because I will need a drink to handle the cringe. Among my favourite British tv shows, although still not up at Peep Show levels IMO.

Some people disagree American version of the Office is actually pretty decent for starting about halfway through the first season up until the end of season 3 or so. You can make a convincing argument the differences between the two shows are a reasonable facsimile of the differences in culture between the two countries.

SignalHillHiker · #**6155** Posted **Jun 15, 2016, 6:15 PM**

Oh no. I found a whole subdivision where it looks like people are living in their garages. I didn't think they had any. This is out in Clovelley. I've never been - I think the streets are designed so you can't get there from my poor neighbourhood.

kwoldtimer · #**6156** Posted **Jun 15, 2016, 6:17 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

I know of the show. I know it's based in a place called Slough. Or somewhere in PA in the American version. I know of Ricky Gervais.

Never watched an episode.

I do watch TV but I am often more interested in the socio-cultural phenomenon of TV as opposed to the actual content.

Scranton. A pretty decent U.S. equivalent for Slough.

kwoldtimer · #**6157** Posted **Jun 15, 2016, 6:18 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

Oh no. I found a whole subdivision where it looks like people are living in their garages. I didn't think they had any. This is out in Clovelley. I've never been - I think the streets are designed so you can't get there from my poor neighbourhood.

At least I now know that houses in St John's can have garages. I was starting to think that they didn't exist.

The other thing that's odd about that picture - the equivalent street in Southern Ontario would have about thirty more cars in the photo!

hipster duck · #**6158** Posted **Jun 15, 2016, 6:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acajack

I do watch TV but I am often more interested in the socio-cultural phenomenon of TV as opposed to the actual content.

If that's the case, you really should have watched The Office. Or, really, both Offices, because the two shows really contrasted the differences in British and American humour.

I much preferred the British Office. The Brits have a stomach for darker, acerbic humour and there were scenes where Ricky Gervais' character really made you cringe. Steve Carrell's American equivalent was much more likeable, but the show didn't probe the psychopathies that are possible in a modern white collar workplace where the workers and their livelihoods are chained to the antics of a thoroughly incompetent and self-important boss.

One of the best things about the British Office is that they knew when to quit. If it would have lasted more than 2 seasons it would have been unwatchable. People can only take so much abuse.

rousseau · #**6159** Posted **Jun 15, 2016, 6:46 PM**

I was just about to chime in that the one caveat about The Office is that the British like to push the cringe "up to 11," and for a North American this can feel forced and kind of alien. You may not always know exactly what's going to happen, but you can be sure that either David Brent or his sidekick Gareth Keenan are going to keep going until they do or say something that makes everyone, including the viewer, incredibly uncomfortable. Something that brings great joy to the British soul.

If you find Ricky Gervais tedious, like my wife does, then The Office is not for you. Then again, a little discomfort over the course of two series and the dual-episode Christmas special makes the reward of the final scene of the final episode all that much sweeter.

I've watched the entire thing two or three times now, and I've never failed to dissolve into a puddle of blubbing tears at the very end. You know how Woody Allen in one of his famous movies (forget which one) lists off various nifty things that make life worth living? It's no hyperbole to say that the catharsis at the end of the final episode of The Office is so incredibly moving that it will reignite your faith in the human spirit.

A towering work of art.

SignalHillHiker · #**6160** Posted **Jun 15, 2016, 7:06 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

At least I now know that houses in St John's can have garages. I was starting to think that they didn't exist.

The other thing that's odd about that picture - the equivalent street in Southern Ontario would have about thirty more cars in the photo!

Presumably ours was just taken during the work day.