(Image: Christopher Drost)
Okay, the tale of Rob Ford and This Hour Has 22 Minutes has become decidedly unfunny. The news this week that Ford called 911 after Mary Walsh ambushed him at his home seemed pretty laughable at first, but we were somewhat sympathetic—maybe because we understand some public figures consider their home off-limits, maybe because one of Ford’s children was allegedly involved, or maybe because of those death threats. But then we saw footage of the event and changed our minds. In the larger media world, not surprisingly, Ford’s usual defenders are rushing to his side, and Ford’s usual opponents are roundly castigating him. Yet we think there’s a little more to this than the standard ideological saber rattling.
The National Post’s Kelly McParland has more (from the decidedly pro-Ford side):
Lots of people are mad at [Ford], since he’s not the most polished guy in the world and he hasn’t exactly been diplomatic while pursuing his promise to chop the massive city budget and eliminate a spending gap measured in the hundreds of millions. The local papers treat him like some lame-brained buffoon who stumbled into city hall while trying to avoid a Pride parade.
So maybe he did in fact realize his attacker was just an actor and he wasn’t really under threat, and maybe he just didn’t feel like going along. Mary Walsh has unleashed her Marg character on lots of other politicians, though generally during the work day when they’re on their political rounds, not on the front lawn at 8 a.m. They usually react in one of two ways: they either spot the character and play along, making it all very jolly and a bit boring, or they don’t get the joke and are a bit cool. People must like it, because they’ve been doing it for years.
Either way, Ford wasn’t up for the gag. Can’t really say I blame him. Politicians aren’t game animals; you can’t just hide in the woods and fire at will.
These are all fair points. McParland also devotes some space to the image of Ford as an everyman: someone who still drives himself around town, goes to football games and is “a big, overweight guy with a brush cut and a big round face, who is easy to make fun of.” Of course, the mayor’s supporters probably would have made these points whether or not Ford tried to defend himself (the Toronto Sun’s Joe Warmington even called the CBC stunt a coordinated effort by lefties to discredit the mayor).
What’s strange about the whole brouhaha, though, is that Ford couldn’t just tell the truth about the whole scenario and let his fanboys (and fangirls) in the press back him up. In his statement, Ford said it was dark when he was ambushed when it clearly wasn’t, and Walsh is disputing the mayor’s claim that his daughter was present. Plus, after watching the clip, it’s difficult to not to find Ford’s reaction was just a wee bit melodramatic.
• Toronto mayor had no time for This House Has 22 Minutes [Toronto Star]
• Ambush at mayor’s home no joke [Toronto Sun]
• Kelly McParland: CBC plays unfunny joke on unamused mayor [National Post]
Ford = drama queen…
October 26, 2011 at 3:08 pm | by torogrrlAs a true Canadian patriot and a proud conservative, I can safely and unbiasedly say that this is further evidence of CBC’s plot to discredit Rob Ford by making him appear foolish on comedy television shows. Rob Ford was completely justified in calling 911 and begging for someone to come and save his family from this communist lady intent on slandering his good name. The CBC just doesn’t like him because he is good with money, and the CBC, like all socialists, is bad with money and has none lololololololol vroom.
October 26, 2011 at 4:06 pm | by True ToryAs an Atlantic Canadian I wonder if it is just another attempt to discredit we poor folk from the east. This one ranks right up there with calling out the Army because of a snowflake or two.
October 26, 2011 at 4:17 pm | by Halifax CanadianI really hope “True Tory” was being sarcastic in their comment. I also really hope there wasn’t a REAL emergency going on when the Mayor called the cops. 911 is not your personal “get nosey reporters off my property” hotline. He clearly could tell she wasn’t a real threat, how many hooligans bring their own professional cameraman to video tape an assault? I’m guessing after initial contact Ford figured it was easier to call the police to make them go away rather then go along with the joke.
October 26, 2011 at 4:57 pm | by Seriously?“True Tory” is really “Missy” or “Queens Quay Karen” or whatever the heck her name was.
October 26, 2011 at 6:22 pm | by EMSAnyways. This person is a Rob Ford Troll. She trolls around BlogTO along wtih other sites and doesn’t realize that she sounds the same every single time and is easily identifiable.
Rob Ford’s story didn’t match the footage.
While one can argue the ambush was ill timed,
October 26, 2011 at 6:56 pm | by DrewIt was an opportunity missed for Ford to take a few jabs at the left… “Warrior princess, i need help to fight those dangerous union reps and deficit defenders… can you fight along side me?” Being likeable helps create political capital that you can use later to get your way.
“The local papers treat him like some lame-brained buffoon who stumbled into city hall while trying to avoid a Pride parade.”
And the point is…. ?
As the article pointed out, the disturbing part is Ford lying about it all, plus his abuse of 911, as there’s no way he could have construed this antic as an “assault” I’d love to hear what he said to the 911 operator: “Help me, I’m the mayor and this old lady with a plastic sword is making me afraid of what I might say” … likewise, someone should check out what time his daughter goes off to school. Bet he lied about that too. She wasn’t anywhere in sight on the clip at least….
October 27, 2011 at 1:31 am | by Prevailing Westerly GeezeWell, now we know what he said to the 911 operator… He “allegedly” called her a bitch and said he was Rob f***ing Fordn the f***ing mayor…. yeah… I’ve had enough of this guy.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2011/10/27/rob-ford-911-call.html
October 27, 2011 at 7:10 am | by RacingGirlSometimes we screw up. Rob was off to a meeting ?? and didn’t need the interruption. A call to 911 was hardly necessary. There is no evidence his daughter was threatened.
October 27, 2011 at 7:29 am | by Gerry ErwinIt is indeed a shame a short fuse resulted in a second call and a political blunder. Why would police services be allowed to tweet this indiscretion ‘virally’?
Mary Walsh’s account (which I heard on CBC Radio) claims that they ambushed Ford at 9:30, not 8:00. I’d believe her over McParland any day of the week. I don’t think they should have ambushed him at his home, as is ultimately would make him appear sympathetic (if not, ya know, for the footage which shows he was lying about his daughter, and the 911 call abuse). Nonetheless, McParland (as usual) is playing fast and loose with the facts.
I suppose it’s possible she was still on Newfoundland time. :)
October 27, 2011 at 7:48 am | by Brian AltheimIts time to dump this loud mouth abusive plump!!He is a friggin disgrace!!!!!!!
October 27, 2011 at 8:29 am | by dangit274TrueTory wrote “Rob Ford was completely justified in calling 911 and begging for someone to come and save his family from this communist lady…”
Ah, TrueTory, you keep thinking those happy little thoughts of yours … and the majority of Canadians, who are NOT tory (far from it, actually) will struggle to find sympathy as we laugh at you, and your friends. It appears that Mayor Ford called 9-1-1, twice, cursing out the dispatchers and trying to intimidate them.
So … there’s your hero, with his feet, and face, planted firmly in the toilet. Good little Tory, eh?
Too bad both neurons weren’t firing that morning …
i suggest the Tories, as shown by this fool in office, show some class and leave. Ford should be sacked for being a bullying buffoon, by all of Toronto’s councillors.
October 27, 2011 at 8:41 am | by Thinking CanadianIf they were trying to make Ford look silly it worked in Spades. Rob Ford then helped it along by lying. 911 to take care of a Semi-retired lady from Newfoundland?
Tell her to get off your property and then when she doesn’t push her to the sidewalk. For christ-sakes Rob your like what 250lbs? Mary is half of that. Oh right she had a plastic sword. Those things can sting when used by an expert.
October 27, 2011 at 9:14 am | by DashLet’s face it. Rob Ford is a crass, redneck, 1950′s era buffoon. I still can’t figure out how this guy got elected. Can you imagine if he’s at a convention with mayors from cities like New York or San Francisco? I’d die of embarrassment! He’s like a blustering armchair warrior who watches TV and brags about how he’d fix everything he’s watching on the news. So he made all these claims how he’d fix the city…and the 905 blue-collars bought it. Yet at the end of the day, he’s shown he’s just an ignorant simpleton who had no idea about the complexity of what he’s getting into. Go eat another burger fatboy and wallow in your flatulance while you cut programs to the starving in our city.
October 27, 2011 at 10:20 am | by WASPhaterThe ‘first family’ of local Toronto politics does know important authors nor Canadian celebrity stars.
Ignorance (or witlessness) is a state of being uninformed. The word “ignorant” is an adjective describing a person in the state of being unaware and is often used as an insult. “Ignoramus” is commonly used in the US, the UK, and Ireland as a name of someone who is overwhelmingly ignorant.
Ignorance should be distinguished from stupidity, although both can lead to “unwise” acts. The informal use of ignorant is the same as rude and discourteous.
Writer Thomas Pynchon ( Ford won’t know him either) articulated about the scope and structure of one’s ignorance: “Ignorance is not just a blank space on a person’s mental map. It has contours and coherence, and for all I know rules of operation as well. So as a corollary to [the advice of] writing about what we know, maybe we should add getting familiar with our ignorance, and the possibilities therein for writing a good story.”
Well done Toronto. You are a world clASS act.
October 27, 2011 at 1:53 pm | by dave ernst