Conan O’Brien, who isn’t allowed to “be funny on television” until the fall as a condition of his $45-million buyout from NBC, has launched a North American comedy tour to pass the summer until he’s inevitably picked up by Fox.
The Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on Television Tour has three stops in Canada: Vancouver (two shows April 13-14), Enoch, Alta.(just west of Edmonton, April 17), and Toronto (May 22).
Sadly, Montreal isn’t on this list (though neither is Calgary, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Halifax and a bunch of other cities). People have been pleading on Twitter for him to come, hoping that the eight-day hole after his Toronto stop could be easily taken up with something at a Montreal venue.
Rob Kemp, the afternoon host at CHOM, has taken it a bit further, starring in a video in which he dons a wig and does Conan’s “string dance” in front of some local attractions.
(He even helpfully translates “Bell Centre” into the Americanese “Bell Center”)
At least Ontario taxpayers aren’t paying him gobs of money for the Toronto show like they did years back (’04?) when he hosted his NBC show at the Elgin Theatre.
Of course, back then he featured the infamous Quebec City visit from Triumph the Insult Dog lampooning French-speaking Canadians which drew an avalanche of criticism, especially in Quebec. Thus, maybe it’s payback.
Rob Kemp is not funny. And in front of the Orange Julep we see that the “official” CHOM vehicule is a huge SUV! Wonder why they play old and boring songs!And losing listeners. They’re not very “hip”!
Sorry you feel that way Benoit. Thanks for taking time to write.
Cheers,
Rob