Trailer Park Boys creator threw out 2005 Gemini award after watching this year’s ceremony
Trailer Park Boys creator Mike Clattenberg thinks the Gemini awards are trash, literally. After watching Sunday’s 25th annual Gemini awards for the best in Canadian television, Clattenberg picked up his own 2005 Gemini, carried it out to the curb, and plunked it down like the rest of his garbage. Then he took to Twitter to announce his actions: “Don’t know how it happened but my Gemini is out on the street. Seriously it’s there if you’d like one for yourself,” he tweeted.
Clattenberg has a long list of complaints about the awards show, but topping it is the fact that Canadians voted for the home reno show Holmes on Homes above his own Trailer Park Boys. This year, audience members were encouraged to vote for their favourite Canadian television show of the past 25 years. Degrassi topped the list, with Holmes on Homes coming in sixth and Trailer Park Boys finishing 12th. Sure, we could call Clattenberg a sore loser, but we agree with him. Holmes on Homes? Come on! He’s also miffed Holmes beat out other legendary Canadian programs, like The Kids in the Hall and The Beachcombers.
The award didn’t sit curbside for long. A loyal Trailer Park fan by the name of Neil Raynsford saw the tweet and drove by to pick it up. He says he’s planning to show off the golden award around town, “Just like the way the hockey players take around the Stanley Cup.” At least there’s one guy in Halifax who’s happy with his Gemini award, even if his involvement in the television industry is limited to cheering when Bubbles shotguns a beer.
• Gemini snub last straw for Trailer Park Boys creator [National Post]
Honestly, what a baby! He should be proud that TPB was 12th overall, considering it is a niche program with a very specific viewership. I feel badly for the other shows that lost out to Clattenberg in 2005 and who would have likely kept their Gemini Award on a mantle for all to see, admire and appreciate.
No class – this is something Mr Lahey would do. Pfft.
Wow,
I thought we made television for the viewers.Narcissism rules.
Clattenberg does not represent!
Good for Mike Clattenberg…
Is “Holmes on Holmes” even an actual television “show”. Have the Gemini f’ers not considered the fact that the Holmes shite is not an actual show. It is more reality bs.
The Boys’ still rule all current Canadian TV. And, if you don’t agree, then you obviously need to watch more reality tv (than you already do), so perhaps get off this site to PVR the next Holmes’ show. F-off Gemini’s
Clattenburg had some very valid points about the Gemini Awards. the Gemini “Academy” has a long way to go if they want to be taken seriously and they should listen to people like Clattenburg. This shouldn’t be about him, it should be how do the Gemini peeps turn themselves around and become more respectable.
For one thing how is that nobody I know even knew this vote for favorite Canadian TV show was even taking place? I?m a huge fan of Canadian TV, I’d like to think I keep up with what is going on in Canadian television but I was totally unaware that this vote was taking place. I found the site that held the vote a few days ago only because I searched on it after becoming aware the vote even existed. Did they not bother telling anybody? How did the people that voted find out about it? I can tell you that if more people had known then I would have a lot more respect for the results but as it is these results don’t mean a whole lot.
Sure congrats to Degrassi are in order but I’m sure they would have appreciated the results a lot more if a decent percentage of the Canadian TV viewing audience had even known about the vote. Trailer Park Boys was a Canadian original, a groundbreaking show that all Canadians can be proud of! I’m sure that if more Canadians had known about the vote then it and shows like Kids in The Hall, would definitely have placed higher than a home reno show that could have been produced in any country. ( I understand SCTV was not eligible because it came out before 1985)
The Gemini Academy should take the gesture by Clattenburg as a wake-up call and take steps to ensure that their awards are actually meaningful, as it is now they do leave a lot to be desired.
I first picked up Trailer Park Boys in Australia visiting a friend.
I watched like two episodes and was hooked.
I logged into chatrooms to see how I could watch the show here in Texas. It was not available. I found people in England and Japan that were addicted to Trailer Park boys. They sent out links to me like crazy so I could watch the show finally.
and I did just that. And when the show finally came out on DVD I bought every season as they came out.
There is no way I would ever put that much effort into any of the other shows listed in those awards. Oh and when was the voting held? No one ever mentioned it. Go to the Trailer Park boys forum and you will see they are all puzzled on how Holmes on homes won a vote by the people, because they never knew when the voting was held.
Oh fyi, the Gazzet and CBC quoted mike better with the exact same quotes. Only sooner. To bad this is 4th hand news and opinionated by reading to much into someone else’s news. but hey. it’s all news.
Please before you bash someone for their work. Get to know their work. Don’t like it? move along and find something you do like.
At first I was puzzled as to why Clattenburg would have thrown away such an award, but it seems that the Gemini isn’t quite the honour it should be – having to pay to nominate your show, then pay for an award just doesn’t seem right to me.
Trailer Park Boys is one of those shows that people either love or hate – I am firmly in the “love” camp, and have the utmost respect for Clattenburg, and the cast/crew of the show. The best award in the world should be the support they get from their fans!
I for one would like to give a big thumbs up to Clattenburg. Whether you’re a fan of the show or not, you can’t deny the success of Trailer Park Boys. Even now that there are no more episodes being made it’s really picking up steam in the States as well.
I don’t think Clattenburg was throwing out his Gemini because he didn’t win another one (that would be childish) it’s obvious in his comments that he was throwing out his Gemini because a show like Holmes on Homes won one over shows SUCH AS Trailer Park Boys, Kids in the Hall, SCTV, etc. which are much more iconic Canadian shows. Holmes on Homes is just like every other reality-based show out there whether it’s Canadian or not. Holmes on Homes fits that exact same cookie-cutter template of a T.V. show that I’ve seen time and time again and have completely saturated the market. In my opinion there are plenty of other Canadian shows that SHOULD have taken home that award over Mike Holmes.
Do I think Clattenburg’s actions were immature? Not at all! What better way to make your point more clear to people than to throw a Gemini award in the garbage? And after seeing a show like Holmes on Homes take a Gemini over the countless other shows that should have taken that Gemini, I agree with Clattenburg entirely. – I think the 2010 awards have completely damaged whatever integrity the Gemini’s once had.
I give Clattenburg a big kudos for doing what he did. He’s standing up for not just his show, but every other show that deserved that award. Besides, he PAID for that Gemini (what an honour…) so he can do whatever he wants with it!
“Trailer Park Boys creator Mike Clattenberg thinks the Gemini awards are trash, literally.”
I guess that’s why he put the Gemini on the sidewalk and invited anyone who wanted it to have it. Even congratulated the guy who picked it up.
A great story, made even more funny by all the hostility, ill-informed comments and misreporting around it. Like another commenter said, it’s Mike’s award, he paid for it, and he can do what he pleases with it. He’s made some very valid points about the problems with the Gemini awards, and I hope the Academy is listening.
The guy who now owns the award is actually one of the admins on the Trailer Park Boys forum – if they were handing out Geminis for TV websites, they deserve one for all the awesome work they do promoting the show!!