World media loves Canada’s matinee idol

Editor: Over the weekend, many international websites carried pictures and reports of our prime minister visiting the Calgary Stampede.

Every year, politicians of all stripes diligently attend the famed Alberta event, touching base with prospective voters while enjoying “on the hoof” cuisine.

No doubt, it’s a welcome respite from the many rubber-chicken-barbecue-circuit events they participate in every summer, while glad-handing with potential supporters.

An adoring global media depicted the PM wearing the obligatory “Good Guy” white stetson, along with his indelible selfie smile, and to their delight, he was greeted by a namesake. A new Canadian born to Syrian refugees was named JustinTrudeau Adam Bilal in his honour, and what more could a babycuddling politician ask for.

Names and pseudonyms have always interested me. For years, I have been exchanging columns, opinions and articles with a group of email buddies, and we have our pet monickers for politicians, mainly humorous and not derogatory. For example, the PM is often referred to as Trudeau The Younger, or Trudeau Version 2.0, or the Chosen One.

I recently begun calling him Juvenescent Justin, and shortened that to JuJu. Wikipedia informs that, as well as being a West African form of witchcraft, JuJu is derived from the French “Joujou” meaning plaything.

Without doubt, our PM has become a plaything of the international media, who just can’t seem to get enough of that ever-smiling face and matinee idol looks.

Bernie Smith, Parksville