2012 was a laugh riotous year for the city of Toronto. Here are the eight funniest things, intentional or otherwise, that turned the Big Smoke into the Big Joke.
8. #TEDxToronto and #BikeFurnace
As interesting as the talks at TEDxToronto were, it was hard to stay focused on the content when the conference’s twitter hashtag was highjacked by “weird twitter” jokes about the bikes locked outside the Sony Centre being confiscated by police under orders from Mayor Ford, cut in half and thrown into a Bike Furnace. It was a bizarre and hilarious stunt that skewered the conference and the overly earnest attitude it inspires and prompted an IRL comment from organizers.
7. The Awful Return of Len
“Steal my sunshine?” More like “License my B-Roll.” Maybe the most embarrassing music video of the year.
6. Chris Locke’s Halloween Show
The same week as he was voted Toronto’s Best Stand-Up Comic by the readers of NOW Magazine, Chris Locke hosted a halloween themed show at Double Double Land that proved to be his best show of the year. Reunited with his former Let’s Get Hot co-host Aaron Eves, Locke kicked off the show with a reading from a book of spell attempts written by a wannabe teenage warlock, then later attempted a virgin sacrifice but not before debating with his “volunteer” about whether she was actually a virgin or not. The parade of guests kept the crowd in stitches with bits like Steph Kaliner’s “Transcription of an Interview with a Vampire” and Tom Henry’s “Hurricane/Halloween Jokes for Jay Leno.”
5. Marty the Horse
During Grey Cup week, a bunch of Calgary Stampeders fans tried, and eventually succeeded, at bringing a full grown horse into the lobby of the Royal York Hotel. This is funny because 1) Torontonians are stereotypically uptight and this ordeal sort of proved that to be true 2) The media frenzy that ensued over an animal was so predictably over the top 3) The unspoken knowledge that horse shit was going to end up somewhere other than a barn 4) This was apparently “a tradition” 5) Horses are just funny for some reason.
4. DDP’s Elaborate Birthday Prank on Co-Host Tom Henry
It seemed like any other edition of “Don’t Get Bored of Us and Leave” until a literal busload of Japanese “fans” started filling up the seats in the back room of The Ossington. Instead of the regularly scheduled comedy, David Dineen-Porter surprised his co-host Tom Henry with an extremely elaborate birthday prank. According to the deep back story, DDP is hugely popular in Japan but Henry is reviled for his lack of emotions and throughout the night, DDP invited guests from Henry’s past onstage to probe the root of his ennui. It was a once in a lifetime show that I will never forget.
3. Ikea Monkey
It was a monkey. Wearing a coat. At IKEA. What’s left to say?
2. JFL42
JFL42 was the event Toronto’s hardcore comedy fans had been waiting for. With dozens of amazing comedians, flexible scheduling and a powerhouse anchor in Louis CK, this offshoot of the Just For Laughs festival transformed the city into a comedy candy store for a week in September. Though it served as a the butt of some jokes, the experimental credit system actually worked very well and was much easier to use and understand than it was to explain. Plus the fest was good for the local comedy scene. Some homegrown performers like K. Trevor Wilson, Mark Little, Dave Merheje and DeAnne Smith got billed as featured acts, while tons of other local comics were granted opening slots to bolster their resumes. Most importantly, it was all very, very funny. All in all, JFL42 was probably the best week for laughs in this city of all time.
1. Rob Ford Falls On His Face
The footage of Mayor Rob Ford falling face first onto the astroturf during a grey cup media event in Nathan Phillips Square is so perfectly hilarious, but not just because of the America’s Funniest Home Video principle (other people getting mildly injured makes us laugh). It was so funny because it perfectly represented Ford’s self-inflicted political injuries and tanking career. There he was — smiling for the cameras, looking comfortable with all eyes on him, poised to make the easy play when suddenly, perhaps out of his own eagerness, he pivots too quickly, overextending himself to the point where he loses control and goes crashing down more spectacularly than anyone could have imagined. In the video footage you can see that he actually recovers quite quickly, jumping back to his feet with a laugh, trying to act like the fall was no big deal, but the damage has been done and the in and out points of the gif have been set. The image that people will see is that one moment when he falls on his face and they won’t be able to help but laugh as it repeats itself over and over and over.
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Michael Kolberg is The Sprawl Editor at Toronto Standard. Follow him on Twitter for jokes @mikeykolberg
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