Satirist Rants, Raves About New Anthology
By
STEPHANIE WRONA - Ottawa Sun
Sunday, April 19, 1998
Rick Mercer has transformed his proverbial opinions into something innovative and tangible.
After entertaining audiences for five years on This Hour Has 22 Minutes, the political craftsman has compiled his impromptu satire into Streeters: Rants and Raves from This Hour Has 22 Minutes, an anthology of previous segments from the comedy show.
"It's interesting to look at because it's a satirist's history. You read it and you think, 'Oh, I remember when this was happening,'" says Mercer.
The comedian/writer will be in town Tuesday at both Chapters and the National Gallery for signing sessions, and, of course, to "rant" a few of the monologues for his fans.
For those who decide to purchase the book, he suggests "you stand up and read the segments really loud."
Mercer himself is no stranger to being a one-man act.
The 28-year-old Newfoundland native exploded on the scene at the NAC in 1991 with his politically astute and satirically biting Show Me The Button, I'll Push It -- his response to the fallout from the failure of the Meech Lake Accord.
A year later he was back in Ottawa for his one-man rant -- I've Killed Before; I'll Kill Again.
But he is best know for his political commentary on 22 Minutes which are now carried once a week on the local CBC newscast.
"It's going really well," Mercer says of the show. "Every year we start and we never really know what's going to happen, but every year the ratings remain strong. You've gotta love that."
Mercer credits much of the success to the main-stream media which inadvertently provides much of the fodder for the comedy writers.
"Our segments are provided by the politicians and the people who run the country.
"We just have to go for the punchline."
It's therefore understanding why taking a summer hiatus from 22 Minutes and his streeter routine can be frustrating.
"Being a news junkie I do enjoy the breaks. But of course, as soon as the show finishes we all say, 'Oh my God; I can't believe we're not covering Charest in Quebec.'
"Last year, the election happened about two hours after we finished taping our last show," he laments.
Mercer says when he decided to piece together Streeters, one of the issues he wrestled with was whether to edit them to a format more fitting for the print medium.
"I was initially going to rewrite the streeters, and I thought it over and in the end I decided to publish them exactly the way I did them on television," says Mercer.
Among the rants and raves his favorites include Impressions of Washington, where he cleverly condescends and compliments all in one statement: "Canadians should feel proud of them, happy for them. Because America is our neighbor, our ally, our trading partner, and our friend. Still, sometimes you'd like to give them such a smack!"
With the unavoidable question of possible over-saturation and exposure in the public eye, Mercer remains sure of his intentions.
"In this business, you always think it's going to be your last week of work, so when someone approaches me with an offer, it's hard to turn them down."