10 reasons why NS should stop harassing Letterman
Cats: CBC Radio, culture|Not to spoil the fun, but the party’s over, people.
The local CBC radio station launched a 10-Reasons-to-get-Letterman-to-Nova Scotia contest after local gal Ellen Page appeared on his show. It was all sort of fun until the politicos and branding people hopped on board. Then things started to get embarrassing.
Premier MacDodo pitched a YouTube video listing his top ten reasons to get Letterman to Nova Scotia. Then he showed the funny man of New York City how the Premier of Nova Scotia can fiddle and step dance – at the same time.
Mercifully, Letterman’s people politely declined the invitation. But no is apparently not enough and the campaign continues. The local CBC station is sending a care package and another plea for Letterman to visit.
Enough. Stop. They’ve said no. Call it a day, folks.
Sadly, I’m left with no choice but to give GT’s 10 reasons Premier MacDodo, the CBC and Nova Scotia should Leave Letterman alone now:
10. He said no. Presumably no means no in Letterman Land.
9. Saying you’d like to visit Nova Scotia while interviewing local gal Ellen Page and actually planning to visit the place aren’t necessarily the same thing. He was drawing out his charming interviewee by talking about her hometown and saying he’d like to visit. People do this all the time in conversation.
8. Telling Letterman that you can have a free triple-bypass in Nova Scotia (as Premier MacDodo did in his YouTube pitch) is a rather tasteless cheap shot to throw a quadruple bypass recipient from a country that does not enjoy the benefit of free health care.
7. Telling Letterman the triple-bypass is free in Nova Scotia is also a wrong-headed pitch as an American would not be entitled to free health care in Canada.
6. Nova Scotia hospitality was cited as a top reason Letterman should visit on CBC’s contest. The announcement of the winning entry was followed this morning by a story on the diabolical scandal of Nova Scotia taking $100,000 from immigrants who enrolled in the failed business mentorship program. Most of these people got no such training and were left out to hang dry by the Nova Scotia politicians who have been ducking and diving ever since. Some immigrants managed to get their money back but many haven’t. Is this Nova Scotia hospitality? No, it’s incompetence by Premier MacDodo and his band of Dodos.
5. Premier MacDodo says it’s 30 minutes to the sea anywhere in Nova Scotia, 35 in traffic. Clearly MacDodo has never sat on the Bedford Highway in rush hour traffic when it takes an hour to get from one part of the city to another.
4. Premier MacDodo thinks Letterman would get a laugh out of the sign to “Shag” Harbour. Hmmm, given his track record in the “Shag” Harbour department, perhaps he ought to leave well enough alone.
3. Trying to woo Letterman with stories of a love-struck moose in Cape Breton is a similarly injudicious pitch given stories of another Love-struck moose from Cape Breton.
2. Premier MacDodo’s attempt to one-up Huckabee makes him look like a Wannbe.
And the number 1 reason why NS should stop pestering Letterman:
1. Letterman is funny, witty and smart. Nova Scotia’s premier MacDodo is none of these things and having the funny man meet the dull-witted man would be excruciatingly embarrassing for the province.
January 14th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Ouch, these people have to stop slobbering so and humiliating themselves.
January 15th, 2008 at 4:25 am
I thought it was actually pretty funny and well done. I do agree however agree that it’s time to move on. It’s sort of like when you really, really like someone and they don’t return the fondness (like grade a eight date, you know what I’m talking about?) I’m starting to feel a little embarrassed for them (us?) now.
January 15th, 2008 at 7:42 am
Barbara, the whole thing makes my toes curl under with embarrassment when they start parading a scandalized premier for his fiddling and step dancing. It’s cheap.
YAM, I can’t swallow MacDodo for reasons above. Also, this is Letterman. His gags are sharp, slightly twisted, ironic, MacDodo’s are self-serving, self-congratulating, self-promoting. Of course, this is more about about building the Nova Scotia Brand than getting Letterman here, but I keep wondering what must be going through Letterman’s mind when he sees it.
January 15th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
GT..I agree with you.. seeing Mac DoDo (great name!) do his top ten list once was more than enough… it looked like a bad video taken by a JR High school student (Most Jr high school students could probably have put out a better quality video,,,,) On a side note I went to see Juno last night,,, it was great!Ellen Page was sharp and the movie has a really fun and quirky sound track that you will enjoy!
Nanc
January 15th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Nanc, I’m sure this whole thing was an embarrassment to Ellen Page too. It must be like having a bunch of dysfunctional relatives show up to get a piece of your fame. She belongs on Letterman … the rest were hangers on. Can’t wait to see the flick.
January 15th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
Dang, I’m ready to go for some free salmon.
January 15th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Hello WendyB, anytime, the salmon’s always on the grill.
January 16th, 2008 at 4:48 am
Tagbagger said this of the Delusional Calgaria campaign awhile back.Theis was the ill-advised attempt to get Nova Scotians to come home from Calgary where they are gainfully employed in good jobs … it is an excellent comment about these branding campaigns and applies to the Letterman thing:
…I have become much more cynical about enterprises such as this campaign since I read that they are really targeted at those of us who remain in Nova Scotia, rather than actually luring anyone back here. They are designed to make Nova Scotians feel superior and secure …
Likewise, Preem MacDodo’s fiddlin and dancin’ for Letterman is really directed at potential voters – he is after all a minority leader with a very questionable base of support.
thanx tb,