CANADIAN HEROES - Alex Trebek's Moustache

Where else could our series on Canadian heroes start? From 1984 until 2001, this moustache could be seen five days a week on the television show Jeopardy (and Classic Concentration from 1987-1991). To millions of viewers around the world it said, "Canadians know how to dress an upper lip." It brought the kind of class and charm to game show hosting that Vanna White's dresses could only dream about. But just as quickly as this Canuck icon had come into our hearts, it vanished at the beginning of the 2001 season. Where it went, no one can say for sure (maybe you know?). But there is no doubt it's disappearance made an impact.

Ever since 2001, Mr. Trebek has not been the same television host. He seems even more pompous when correcting contestants after they leave one syllable out of a word. He brings little joy to asking contestants random "entertaining" facts about their lives during each shows Q & A, paying little attention while hearing about Contestant 1's chance encounter with Scott Baio in Hawaii. He no longer even pretends to care about Final Jeopardy when the game is a blowout. He seems less calm, less collected, less human and less hairy. But more than anything else, he seems less Canadian, and that, my friends, is the real tragedy.