A New York Times article proclaiming that Canada has suddenly become "hip" is prompting some cheers and jeers online.
The article, published Saturday, claims that a handful of major Canadian culture makers and shapers are carving out a name for themselves, as the country comes into its own.
Leading the way is Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who the article notes has "assumed the role of world leader with a heart" since winning the federal election last year.
"There's something very refreshing about a prime minister who is talking about compassion towards Syrian refugees and not about building walls," the journalist who wrote the article, Peter Stevenson, told CTV's Canada AM on Monday.
"He also comes from a great deal of political charisma."
Stevenson says that Trudeau, as one of the many Canadians making waves on the international stage, is representative of a "new Canada."
Also included on the Times list are artists Grimes, The Weeknd, Justin Bieber, Drake, actress Rachel McAdams, actor Ryan Gosling, directors Sarah Polley and Xavier Dolan, comedian Samantha Bee, and fashion designers Erdem Moralioglu and Tanya Taylor.
The article notes that, while there have been many "sultans of cool" coming from Canada in the past, including the likes of Neil Young, Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell, this new generation is notable because they are embracing their identity and shedding the stereotypical "modesty" associated with this country.
"To their credit, Canadians have always been very self-effacing," Stevenson said, suggesting this new group of Canucks are far more "outspoken" and "disruptive" than Canadian icons of the past.
"The self-recognition is perhaps a sense of pride and more comfort with just being Canadian," he said.
Online reaction to the article, however, was less conclusive.
While many took pride that our country had landed a profile in the New York Times, others argued that Canada has always been cool.
@nytimes Canada's always been hip!
— Theresa Kereakes (@TheresaKereakes) January 16, 2016
Yep! Known this for years! @nytimes @morganhoffman https://t.co/ShaXfJSnHl
— Denise (@NVGhost005) January 16, 2016
@nytimes It always has been. The US is just full of haters hell-bent on maintaining the delusion of cultural superiority.
— Vanessa John (@VanessaAJohn) January 16, 2016
@nytimes @shanesmith30 I think you're over a decade late. Especially in terms of music, Canada had a huge scene.
— Ricky S (@pessimysticizm) January 17, 2016
Others were angry that notable Canadians had been left off the list:
@YoungZipFile @nytimes Guess over the decades they somehow missed Diana Krall, Michael Buble, Jann Arden, Rush, Bryan Adams, kd lang, et al
— JaneAustenDance (@JaneAustenDance) January 17, 2016
.@nytimes also, how can you have an article with the word hip in the title, it be about Canada and NOT mention THE TRAGICALLY HIP.
— HT (@Tickelace) January 16, 2016
@nytimes How could you leave out John Candy
— 10S DIVA (@SOOTHE_) January 16, 2016
@nytimes Duh. Have you folks never heard of Alex, Neil & Geddy? Canada has always been cool, eh? @rushtheband @MMFlint
— Chuck Monan (@monan_chuck) January 16, 2016
Some, somewhat strangely, insisted that the Times was dead wrong in its assessment:
@nytimes NO WE ARE NOT.
— Kevin Kimmis (@KPKyeg) January 16, 2016
@nytimes Nice try, but, no.
— Einstein&Me (@Einstein_and_Me) January 16, 2016
And others used the article as a way to point out just how much better they believe Canada to be compared to the U.S.:
.@nytimes Try this: with the incoming #DonaldTrump, Americans have started thinking which direction to run. Thank us later.
— Yemi Ifegbuyi (@tweetyemi) January 18, 2016
@nytimes Canada is not better than before, it's just the United States has turned into a sewer so fast your head is spinning!
— Steven Steel™ (@DemolitionBlond) January 17, 2016
Meanwhile, other (very hip) Canadians shrugged off the article, noting that craving validation of from Americans was simply not cool:
@nytimes how unhip it is to be called "hip."
— Hillary (@disco_hits) January 16, 2016
@nytimes We've always been hip but it's so unhip to talk about it. So do be quiet.
— Jackie_RK (@Jackie_RK) January 16, 2016
@nytimes A laughable sentiment coming from a NY newspaper. NY hasn't been remotely cool in almost 25 years.
— Hag Whisperer (@HagWhisperer) January 18, 2016