We’ve had an action hero as governor of California, a professional wrestler as governor of Minnesota, and now a reality tv star as a presidential contender. But Canada has us beat, a prime minister who’s a physical comedian! Yes, the newly elected Justin Trudeau (another JT). And I don’t apply that label the way many a politician is characterized as being a bozo, or the way President Ford was so clumsy that spoofing him helped jumpstart Chevy Chase’s career. Trudeau really can do stuff. For example, “accidentally” falling down stairs is (or at least was) his favorite party trick.
No surprise this video (of a younger Trudeau) went viral in Canada during the recent election, and was first widely seen in the U.S. when John Oliver included it as part of a hilarious October 18, 2015 piece on Canada.
During the campaign, Trudeau made an ad using an escalator as a metaphor for an economy going nowhere. (I guess a stronger visual than a mime walk.) The Canadian comedian Rick Mercer (The Rick Mercer Report) added on to the ad, turning it into a PSA for elevator safety while slyly referencing the Trudeau video:
Did you notice the stuntman switched escalators for the last shot? (Yes, I’m assuming that’s not Trudeau in the second half of the piece.) Another Trudeau physical bit, less daunting this time, led to another pretty funny Mercer parody, “The Pyramid Institute.”
And, oh yeah, it also helps that Trudeau’s not a fascist.
