Yesterday: Rick Mercer

Rick Mercer makes me proud to be Canadian.

I flew from YYC-YVR yesterday. It’s a short flight of about an hour. I flew on Westjet, which meant that I had the opportunity to watch satellite TV in-flight. (It’s a great perk, IMO.)

While I read a magazine (Newsweek’s special 2013 Issues edition– out of my desire and sadness that Newsweek is leaving the print world) for the first 20-30min, I did happen to catch the last half of Peter Mansbridge’s One-on-One programme, where he was in this case interviewing Rick Mercer.

These two men do Canadians proud, let me start with that. I won’t wax lyrical about Peter Mansbridge, as he wasn’t the reason I felt inspired, though he is certainly worthy of praise and more. Rick Mercer, though, is someone I’ve always admired and whose work I’ve loved, but I’ll admit I’ve never seen him interviewed. I’ve usually seen him on the other side, as (tongue-in-cheek) interviewer. They were talking about Mercer’s new book — which I MUST get my hands on — and Mansbridge was asking some great questions.

I now find myself wishing I had written down some of Mercer’s “quotables” from this conversation, as there were many. He is a brilliant man, a talented comedian, and a sharp political observer. Perhaps I’ll find a recording or transcript online later and return to update this post. Sadly my short-term memory has already disposed of the nuggets he uttered that had me nodding in agreement, smiling and beaming, or laughing out loud.

I tried hard to think of whether the USA has an equivalent. At first, I thought the most likely comparison is Jon Stewart. But the comparison only goes so far. While Stewart has politicians on his show as guests, you don’t see him traipsing around the White House or the Senate, chasing Obama or other politicians and asking them what their kids eat for breakfast.

I love Rick Mercer because he is funny, in a self-depreciating way. He’s from Newfoundland, the butt of so many Canadian jokes but a place we all love and respect with unusual understanding, considering most of us have never been there. He is smart, he is respectful, he is tuned in. He is also proud to be Canadian but doesn’t pound his chest about it.

…and yet, he makes me proud to be Canadian.