The Mercer Report starts up again this week, and Rick has a book out as well, so he’s been in full-on promotion mode. Accordingly, The Hour gave him plenty of time to shill his various projects. Rick also gave a shoutout to Posterchild’s pasteup homage, as well as its inevitable decline.
He didn’t, however, talk about being gay. A lot of people at the CBC seem strangely embarrassed by gay people, and go to a great many contortions to avoid mentioning it first, even when it’s obvious to everyone. Maybe they’re just trying to be polite. For example, Strombo tells us that Rick has been working with Gerald Lunz for something like 18 years, but leaves out the lover part.
And who cares, right? What’s the big deal?
Which makes last weeks appearance by Mercer in both local fagrags so refreshing, where he talks about being gay, being politically active, and well, finally about being Rick Mercer.
Oh, same-sex marriage is not an issue. It’s only because Stephen Harper saw it as a great wedge issue and I don’t think he personally cares one way or the other, either. I don’t know but I’m guessing. I’m surprised he even knew there WAS such a thing as same-sex marriage. He’s an economist. That’s all he cares about.
Personally, I don’t care what he thinks about me—I’m a grown man with my own life on the go—but there’s no doubt that the entire debate has a devastating effect on lots of 15-and-16-year-olds. It’s incumbent on all of us to call him on that shit.
Both Xtra and fab have interviews, but the one in fab is the one to read.
A special thanks to Joe Clark for the links.
7 Comments
The claim that no one cares who is gay or not, just doesn’t ring true.
Wouldn’t at least a gay person care about who is gay or not at the CBC?
It strikes me as phony, as opposed to being honest with themselves, when someone wants to pretend that they’re above the human condition.
And incidentally, Dwight, if you want to save money, get in line behind me on the waiting list at the public library for Rick’s book.
I just know that I’ll be picking up the RMR book as soon as I can afford it. The rest of it?
*shrugs and moves on*
Indeed, it is a queer place.
CBC is the gayest media organization in Canada. We have at least one lesbian vice-president of a media line, one gay head of an all news network, dozens of on air personalities and reporters who bat for the team. Walk into the radio or TV newsroom in Toronto and there’s one on every show and in every programming unit.
I too was struck by Rick being on the cover of the local gay paper, and I think it’s significant, even more than his new book, that Canada’s most beloved comic is finally saying publicly that he’s no longer going to appear to be hiding his orientation.
Just don’t steal any rings at an auction, ok Rick? You’re Canada’s Bill Maher/Jon Stewart, and without you, there’s no one else.
Mercer’s book is perhaps a sad reminder for my friend Strombo that he does nothing at the CBC that can be re-cycled for personal profit the way Rick, Stuart, Visser, Gzowksi, Richler and others have been able to do so well.
I don’t think anybody really cares who is gay or not; that explains the lack of reaction. There are so many openly gay people at CBC it’s really a non-issue.
What might be more interesting, and also unsaid, is what an abusive person Gerald is to work for/with. People in the building in all areas tiptoe around him in case he goes off on someone for the slightest reason. It’s never pretty.
People say it’s because he is being protective of Rick. The reason doesn’t really matter.
Yawn.