Duel for Dildo as Matt Damon fans challenge Jimmy Kimmel's mayoral bid
'Bite the bullet, Jimmy' and come visit as competition for ruling community ramps up
Politics moves quickly, even in rural communities on an island in the North Atlantic, and comedian Jimmy Kimmel's campaign for Dildo mayor now has heavyweight competition: actor Matt Damon.
As "Kimmel watch" continued Wednesday in Dildo, with devoted fans anxiously awaiting the late-night host's arrival in the Newfoundland community to take his honourable seat as mayor, a new contender challenged him.
The longstanding feud between Matt Damon and Jimmy Kimmel has poured like beer from the Dildo Brewery this past week and flowed throughout the town.
Who would you rather have protecting Dildo: Jimmy Kimmel, or Jason Bourne?- Russ Chafe
"Canada's a democracy and I don't think anyone should run unopposed and I think Jimmy Kimmel running for mayor of Dildo is fantastic, but I'd like to see some friendly competition," said Russ Chafe, co-founder of Damon's campaign with wife Joan Chafe.
"What better person to take on Jimmy Kimmel than his archnemesis Matt Damon?"
He's hoping Damon will visit the community as well.
"Who would you rather have protecting Dildo: Jimmy Kimmel or Jason Bourne?"
Is Kimmel chicken?
Carolyn Stacey went to Dildo on Wednesday from St. John's, to catch some of the Kimmel For Mayor hype and grab a T-shirt.
"He seems to be a little bit chicken!" she said of Kimmel's failure to land in the town he wishes to run, despite a personal invitation from Premier Dwight Ball and guaranteed fun.
"I think he really needs to bite the bullet," she said. "Come on in, Jimmy!"
Lily Sezer lives in Corpus Christi, Texas, but said her grandmother is from the Dildo area so the timing of this visit is extra exciting.
Although she thinks Kimmel would be a great mayor, she has a message to deliver to campaign chair Rodriguez.
"Hey, I brought the beer salt so we can do shots of tequila!"
Official campaign video launch
Kimmel may not be in Dildo, but he released a campaign video on his show Tuesday night.
Along with another live hit with Rodriguez and a crowd of locals, the bit featured local media coverage of the internationally recognized mayoral bid, including CBC N.L.'s Adam Walsh.
On the ground Wednesday, Lauren Bolt said Kimmel would need to be "screeched in," so he can become an "actual Newfoundlander" before becoming mayor. But she supports him.
"He made a good point about the American president the other day, so I think that stands for itself," referring to Kimmel's line Monday: "If we can have a dildo running America, why can't we have an American running Dildo?"
The "Kimmel for Mayor" running gag started on his show Aug. 8 when he said he learned of the town's unique name and announced he wanted to be mayor of it.
"I was alerted to the existence of a place, maybe a magical place ... It's a real place in Newfoundland, Canada," Kimmel said at the time.
That same week, he dialed in a crew of people who live in Dildo, the small Newfoundland town about an hour's drive outside St. John's, to talk about the town's origins, as well as to announce he wanted to be its new mayor.
Ever since then, Kimmel's apparent appreciation of the town, and his mayoral aspirations, has continued and people have been wondering if or when the Hollywood star would land in Dildo.