It's all fine and well to say that, but there's actually the meta-problem that Americans don't really want to watch non-Americans. Despite the dismal quality of network television, and drought of content for 24 hour news stations, no US television producer has thought, "We'll go to Canada and laugh at how they don't know how to make a Philly Cheesesteak!".
Seriously thought, did you watch the video? I should find the one where he says our Prime Minister is "Pierre Poutine".
But mistermann is right; his point is the critical one, and you've responded to it by changing the subject.
Another humorist who does this, in a meaner way, is Sasha Baron-Cohen. The lesson here is not how ridiculous the people being ridiculed are, but rather: Who controls the editing controls everything. Christopher Hitchens said brilliantly about the dinner party scene in Borat that it showed not how racist Americans are, but how polite they are.
Mercer's portrayals of Americans are not portrayals of Americans at all, but of Canadians' self-congratulatory caricatures of Americans. It makes me cringe with embarrassment.
> It's all fine and well to say that, but there's actually the meta-problem that Americans don't really want to watch non-Americans
Is a lack of exposure to Canadian television really a problem? Americans listen to quite a bit of Canadian music. And a sizable minority also watch a significant amount of British television (Downton Abbey, tons of Murder-Mystery stuff). Not to mention the huge amount of European literature we're exposed to in our education system or that we read for pleasure (Harry Potter). But that's just western culture. Looking East, you can also look at the huge impact Japanese Animation and Chinese Film has had on our culture as well.
Americans will voraciously consume any media that's 1) Made available to them (Most Canadian TV fails this test) 2) In English.
I find this amusing that every one of my friends watches the following religiously:
Top Gear, Doctor Who, Downton Abbey, Peep Show, QI, amongst others.
And from showing all of the rest of my non-british loving friends these shows they tend to become instant fans. So I think this meta problem is really not on the American side to be honest but the lack of availability if at all.
I don't think anyone would describe US television as "dismal". Maybe you've missed The Wire, The Sopranos, and Deadwood but there are some wonderful programs being produced in the US these days. Of course, there is some serious dross among those gems. Having seen a fair amount of Canadian television, I can tell you it contains some serious dross as well.
And yes, I don't think a show demonstrating foreigners lack of knowledge about US culture would be produced here. That sounds like a very boring show.
Seriously thought, did you watch the video? I should find the one where he says our Prime Minister is "Pierre Poutine".