Editor's Note: Here follows text of Professor Brooks' formerly anonymous reading of first submitted version of previous essay--along with a reply from its authors. I thought readers would enjoy and value exchange. R.T. How important is Rant, and what does ad signify? Ms. Riegel and Messrs. Millard and Wright argue that Molson's much-discussed and highly successful ad for--well, at some level for its beer, but also for Canadian-ness--is the most spectacular manifestation of wider trend towards loud nationalism in Canada. There is no denying that Rant had an enormous impact on public consciousness in English Canada (The ad was not run on French-language television. Indeed, Molson's flagship beer, Canadian, is sold as Laurentide in Quebec). Rant was said to bring bars full of young Canadian males to their feet in primeval shouts of appreciation. It was discussed in newspapers, magazines, and on talk shows, achieving a level of secondary coverage that people in advertising industry usually only dream about. The ad was parodied on popular comedy shows like Royal Canadian Air Farce and Hour Has 22 Minutes. It was centerpiece of Canadian Heritage minister's presentation at a conference on globalization and culture held in Washington, D.C., a few months after ad first aired. It is quite likely that no other ad in history of Canadian television advertising has been as talked about and as liked by viewers as Rant. The ad's remarkable success was due to vicarious satisfaction that Canadians experienced in seeing worm turn. The Canadian became a bold lion of a patriot, in process letting Americans have both barrels of what clearly was Joe Canadian's pent-up anger and frustration over his neighbors' ignorance of what Canada is all about. Among my acquaintances and students only a few claimed to be made a bit uncomfortable and embarrassed by Rant--the response one would expect from diffident The vast majority loved it. Rant is not only piece of evidence adduced by Millard, Riegel, and Wright in making their case that a wave of brash in-your-face nationalism is sweeping over English Canada, laying waste to old stereotype of Canadian. They point to a number of other ads and ad campaigns that, in ways ranging from use of evocative symbols and settings to various anti-American messages, use nationalism to attract positive attention to a company and its products. They also suggest that various nationalist websites, The Tragically Hip rock band, and Ontario government's proposal to require singing of national anthem and reciting of a citizenship oath in that province's schools as further corroboration that Canadian has been replaced by a more assertively nationalist version. I must confess to having serious doubts on this score. I will concede wild popularity of Rant and fact that several Canadian companies have used, in recent years, nationalist messages in an effort to nurture a positive corporate image and sell their products. I will also concede that Canadian flag appears these days to show up on more than backpacks of Canadian students traveling abroad. The fact of a few aggressively nationalist websites and nationalist appeal of Tragically Hip are, I would suggest, largely inconsequential, or at least cannot reasonably be interpreted as serious indications of a shift in Canadian popular culture in direction suggested by authors. This reed is just too weak. If significance of a handful of websites and cultural significance of one rock band from Kingston are discounted, as I think they ought to be, all of instances of flag-waving cited by these authors involve either corporate manipulation of this national symbol or state action. …