Ford debacle veers from comedy to tragedy

Toronto mayor needs tough love to save his life

Afew days ago, U.S. comedian Stephen Colbert referred to Rob Ford as a “Chris Farley tribute mayor.” It was a clever line that perfectly captured what Toronto’s political farce must look like to outsiders.

For much of the past two weeks, people have been making light of Ford’s situation. And it’s hard to ignore the comedic quality of the story. For late-show writers, it must be like shooting fish in a barrel. Ford is a cartoon character who is in such an astonishing state of denial about the severity and consequences of his behaviour that his daily apologies are filled with unintentional punchlines. Just when you thought he had peaked, Ford managed to outdo himself with Thursday’s crude comments.

But whether intended or not, Colbert’s comparison says as much about the tragedy of the story as it does the comedy. Chris Farley died young of substanceabuse problems. And if Ford continues down the same path, there are high odds that he will, too. And unfortunately, many of those who are trying to demonstrate their support for him may be prolonging his career but hastening his personal downfall.

The Ford situation says a lot about how our society views alcohol and drug use. Being drunk or stoned is still considered funny at parties and in movies. So when a public figure is seen with a bottle or a crack pipe in his hand, the default is humour.