Rob Ford

Amazing man. I love him.

well not politically or anything, but in the same way I love Ricky from Trailer Park Boys.


Rob Ford's highlights include a DUI in Florida, a fight at a Leafs game, a fight with a reporter, a video where he threatens to kill someone, a video of him smoking crack, his suggestion that cyclists deserve to get hit by cars, sexually harassing female opposition leader. It just goes on.

Here is a great BBC story discussing Ford's popularity.

Here is why it is not funny:
-substance abuse/addiction is not funny.
-sexual harassment is not funny.
-while hating on cyclists who ride in rush hour traffic is perfectly acceptable wishing them to be hit by cars is less so. This causes all of our insurance rates to go up.

Now here is why it is funny:

-It is Toronto.


Australians who live outside Sydney can probably relate to this.

Toronto loves to advertise itself as Canada's World City. Torontonians routinely compare their city to New York, London, Tokyo, Hong Kong or Paris. I have had Torontonians get angry at me because I don't support Toronto sports teams or Toronto based politicians. Not friendly debate, but full on anger. To support Toronto is to support a world Canada. Toronto beliefs and identities are "Canadian" identities and beliefs while those of Calgary, Halifax or Vancouver are just "regional".

Yet this city, this New York but better, routinely elects Matt Foley as Mayor. Ford, who routinely shows off his drinking buddy persona while arm wrestling Hulk Hogan (seriously).

Now this is not a class thing. Texans elected George W. as governor BECAUSE he wasn't an elitist. No one in Texas is advertising Dallas as New York south. That aspect of Texas is charming, it is what makes Texas Texas to the outside world. But you would simply never see the Mayor of London or the Chief Executive of Hong Kong order two city buses to kick off all their passengers in rush hour and use those buses to drive their football teams around. These are true world cities and those in charge of them act accordingly. The difference between London and Manchester or New York and Chicago are more than just population, it is an attitude, a mentality.

Rob Ford is a reminder to the globe that Toronto is what it hates and tries so hard not to be: a regular North American city. A city where beer swilling, pot smoking, sports crazy, lazy boy loving, big screen TV watching Rob Ford represents the majority and their priorities. That isn't a bad thing at all, unless it is what you desperately don't want to be.