The Current

Canadian Political Satire in the Age of Rob Ford

From drunken stupours to crack cocaine admissions, it was easy pickings for comedians this year, thanks to a certain Canadian mayor. We take a look at satire and how it helps us cope when our real life politics don't seem all that funny....
From drunken stupours to crack cocaine admissions, it was easy pickings for comedians this year, thanks to a certain Canadian mayor. We take a look at satire and how it helps us cope when our real life politics don't seem all that funny.

Rob Ford may have been the most famous mayor in the world in 2013 -- he may even have been the most famous Canadian.  And he certainly wasn't the only source of comedy.  For political satirists, 2013 has been quite the year.  With more on this year of Canadian guff, we were joined by three people who know a lot about the funny side of politics:

  • Michael Bate is the publisher of Frank Magazine, which was re-launched earlier this month after a five year hiatus.  He was in Ottawa.

  • Terry Fallis won the Stephen Leacock award for his take on Canadian politics in his book The Best Laid Plans, which is going to be airing as a mini-series on CBC Television beginning on January 5th. He was in Toronto.

  • Suzanne Gallant, is the co-founder of Riotwire, a new political satire site. She was in Toronto.

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This segment was produced by The Current's Howard Goldenthal.