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Arts·Commotion

What does cultural resistance look like in Canada?

Arts leader Jesse Wente discusses how, in this current moment of U.S. politics, Canadians can think about the pillars of our national cultural identity — ie., the music, movies, and TV we choose to consume.

Arts leader Jesse Wente talks about what is inspiring some Canadians to boycott American content

CBC Arts ·
A sign in a white piece of paper is besides a group of bottles of wine.
A sign notifying customers that a store will stop selling U.S. liquor from Tuesday, in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's imposition of tariffs on Canada, is displayed on a shelf carrying U.S. alcohol in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, February 2, 2025. (Ed White/Reuters)

There was a clear shift north of the border when U.S. President Donald Trump began to talk about his plan to levy tariffs on Canada.

To start, politicians at all levels of government urged citizens to buy local, and buy Canadian. Then, fans began booing the American anthem at hockey and basketball games. Now, there's another front to this brewing culture war: the music, movies, and TV we choose to consume.

Today on Commotion, author and arts leader Jesse Wente joins host Elamin Abdelmahmoud to discuss how, in this current moment of U.S. politics, Canadians can think about the pillars of our national cultural identity.

WATCH | Today's episode on YouTube:

You can listen to the full discussion from today's show on CBC Listen or on our podcast, Commotion with Elamin Abdelmahmoud, available wherever you get your podcasts.

Interview with Jesse Wente produced by Jess Low.

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