Fake Machine Gun Fake Mows Down Members of French Dance Troupe--THAT'S What the EX Considers Entertainment?

At the opening day of the Canadian National Exhibition (known to locals as "the Ex") yesterday, I watched a performance by a French dance/martial arts troupe called Cascade. The troupe's (admittedly tenuous) claim to fame is that it appeared last year on Britain's Got Talent, where even Simon Scowl liked it. On the show, the group got to perform with lots of snazzy special effects. At the Ex, there were no fireworks and flashing lights. In fact, the stage set could not have been plainer--or tackier: a painted backdrop that looked like it came from some High School performance of Romeo and Juliet. Not that the tacky set hampered the group's athleticism in any way. The six members back-flipped and karate chopped with great energy and much elan. That said, it wasn't exactly my cuppa. Too slapsticky. Too much emphasis on fake military drilling. And, oh yeah, too much fake killing. At one point, the leader got out a very authentic-looking submachine gun and, to the sound of very authentic-sounding gun shots, mowed down the rest of the group. I dunno. At a time when the news is showing people being gunned down for real, the exercise struck me as creepy, off-putting, and more than a little tasteless.