Bad Canadians

About Bad Canadians

The Canadians (formerly Bad Canadians) is a Canadian long-form interview series devoted to ideas, curiosity, and thoughtful conversation. Hosted by Jared Michael, the show creates a space where writers, journalists, and cultural observers can exchange ideas across traditions while avoiding the usual culture-war trenches. Each episode is a deep, unhurried conversation with people who think differently, challenge orthodoxies, or see the country from an unexpected angle. The goal is serious, open-ended discussion about culture, institutions, history, science, media, and the stories Canada tells about itself. Working-class roots. A Free Speech lens. Canadian contrarians. That means taking disagreement seriously and treating people as full moral equals, not caricatures or mascots for a side. The aim is to understand how thoughtful people actually think, especially when you disagree with them.

Publisher

Jared Michael

Category

society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

12 Dec 2024

Latest episode

6 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

27 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   6 Oct 2026

   The Leaders We Need: A Reflection on Leadership, Tribalism, and Self-Reflection | The Canadians Ep. 26

   We ask leaders to defend us, represent us, and fight for us. But perhaps one of the most important things a leader can do is help us see ourselves more clearly. In this solo minisode, Jared Michael reflects on tribalism, self-reflection, and the kind of courage required to challenge your own side. He explores why healthy societies need leaders capable of separating legitimate grievance from blind certainty, acknowledging uncomfortable truths, and helping their own communities recognize where they may be wrong. A reflection on leadership, humility, and why the ability to self-correct may be one of the deepest forms of social strength. The Canadians Links Website: https://www.thecanadianspodcast.ca/ Support Page: https://buymeacoffee.com/thecanadians Follow us on X: https://x.com/TheCanadiansPod Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheCanadiansPod Recorded on August 19, 2026 Opening Song: Aria 51 by MicroBongo Soundsystem, used with permission.

2. 

   22 Sept 2026

   David Thomas: Human Rights, Equality, and the Rule of Law | The Canadians Ep. 25

   David Thomas is a lawyer and former chair of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, a position he held for seven years. He has also worked as a mediator with the BC Human Rights Tribunal and is now a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. We discuss what Canada’s human rights tribunals were created to do, how they actually work, and David’s concerns about the direction they have taken. From there, we explore increasingly lengthy proceedings, financial awards, disputes involving speech, and whether the process itself can become a form of punishment. This is a conversation about human rights, equality before the law, and whether Canada’s human rights tribunals remain an important institution in need of reform, or whether the problems run deeper than that. David’s Links Articles at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute: https://macdonaldlaurier.ca/cm-expert/david-thomas/ Website: https://www.davidthomas.ca/ The Canadians Links Website: https://www.thecanadianspodcast.ca/ Support Page: https://buymeacoffee.com/thecanadians Follow us on X: https://x.com/TheCanadiansPod Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheCanadiansPod Conversation recorded on August 19, 2026 Opening Song: Aria 51 by MicroBongo Soundsystem, used with permission.

3. 

   8 Sept 2026

   Heather Exner-Pirot: Resources, Prosperity, and Canada’s Future | The Canadians Ep. 24

   Heather Exner-Pirot is a political scientist, senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, and one of Canada’s leading voices on energy, natural resources, and the North. We discuss Canada’s extraordinary resource wealth, the changing politics around developing it, and what resource projects can mean for Indigenous and remote communities. From there, the conversation broadens into questions of economic growth, national ambition, and Canada’s place in a changing world. This is a conversation about what Canada has, what we’re willing to build, and the kind of country we want to become. Heather’s Links X: https://x.com/ExnerPirot Articles: https://macdonaldlaurier.ca/cm-expert/heather-exner-pirot/ Macdonald-Laurier Institute Energy Program: https://macdonaldlaurier.ca/category/issues/energy-policy-program/energy/ The Canadians Links Website: https://www.thecanadianspodcast.ca/ Support Page: https://buymeacoffee.com/thecanadians Follow us on X: https://x.com/TheCanadiansPod Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheCanadiansPod Conversation recorded on August 10, 2026 Opening Song: Aria 51 by MicroBongo Soundsystem, used with permission.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

5,492

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Spotify

5.0 / 5

7 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 22 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

5

Social presence

0

YouTube

68

Engagement

32

Contact Bad Canadians

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.