The fall out is spectacular. Sure, the comics have choice meat to grind and we wince a little, even as we chuckle along.
Brilliant as he is, Jon Stewart is managing to puncture our pride with every punchline. But something else is happening, something magnificent and momentous.
We are engaged again. Is this the end of apathy?
Every social circle I’ve encountered in the last weeks have whirled around rage. How dare he? Who is he? Why are we letting this happen? How did it happen? What about our kids? How will they ever believe?
Everyone has an opinion. Citizens (those of us who pay taxes but aren’t reduced to mere bottom lines) are sitting up.
Will we cease muttering at coffee shops and take our city back?
Toronto City council has come together in their disgust. There are deep chasms yet to cross but surely this is worth a pause.
Americans are mocking us. Isn’t that okay as we slip out from under some kind of backwater boredom? We know we’re exciting and don’t need anyone to remind us of our vibrancy but maybe our American friends will now understand us better. As we basked in the light, we retained our high moral false postures. We aren’t better here. We don’t have their problems but we do have our own. If Rob Ford’s malfeasance makes us look bad, so be it. We* voted him in.
Media are no longer “fucking maggots” as Ford famously claimed but heroes. Those that uncovered a wrong have now been exonerated. Investigative reporting, much of it exhaustive yet properly restrained, has never been better. There exists not one media but a collective of truth tellers across a brilliant spectrum. We are all media as we tweet and click. If there’s one myth worth busting, it is the dismissive “Them, the Media” that the Ford bros. brush away with ridiculous indignation. In doing so, they dismiss everyone but themselves.
Good material is good material. The comedians are sharp.
Communities have purpose again.
Musicians can turn up the volume because the audience is listening.
Maybe we should thank him on his way down.
* Not me. He never got my vote but a good number of fine people I know and still love will admit he got theirs once upon a time.
1 Comment
Nice, this is bang on. Thanks Rob Ford for providing the inspiration to get off our buts and get active in municipal politics and the direction of our city.