By Sarah Boothroyd
For most, an election campaign over Christmas is no laughing matter. But for comics in the capital, the political frenzy is not only amusing, it’s as if Santa came early this year.
“It always strikes me as hilarious when opposing parties accuse one another of playing politics,” comedian Don Kelly jokes about election posturing.
“It is politics. It’s like the Ottawa Senators saying, ‘The Calgary Flames beat us last night, but they’re just playing hockey.’”
Local comic Alan Shain also mixes politics with humour. In fact, Shain says that “all art,” comedy included, “is political in nature.”
He’s working toward a Master’s degree on the connections between art and politics.
Both Kelly and Shain are paying attention to the election.
But they’re not just watching the issues that concern them; they’re also scouting out material for their stand-up acts.
They stand out among stand-ups in the capital because few comics here draw on politics for inspiration, despite the fact that Ottawa is both a hotbed for politics and a hotbed for comedy.
“Political comedy is not all that popular any more and hasn’t been for some time,” says Howard Wagman.
Wagman opened Yuk Yuk’s in Centretown 21 years ago and has seen his share of talented comics cross the stage.
Dan Ackroyd, Tom Green, Mark McKinney of the Kids in the Hall, and stand-up veterans Chris Finn, Jeremy Hotz, and Mike MacDonald have all called this sedate government town home.
Rick Kaulbars, local comedian, says Ottawa produces heaps of comics because people often react critically, “and eventually comically,” to the city’s staid and politically correct character.
“If you see the essence of comedy as the highlighting of the absurd, well, there’s certainly a fair deal of absurdity in this town,” says Ottawa comic Trevor Thompson.
Political activism meets “sit-down” comedy
“I know what you’re thinking, but no, I’m not drunk.” That’s how Alan Shain, disability activist and comic, warms up his audience.
Shain, who describes himself as a sit-down rather than stand-up comedian, will be listening for any mention of transportation and accessibility issues during the campaign. He’s also concerned about arts funding, since the festivals where he performs rely heavily on government grants.
“Cutting those means cutting many political avenues people have to express alternative viewpoints or visions of what our culture should look like,” he says.
For six years, Shain has performed Still Waiting for that Special Bus, a “comedy about love, romance, and sex.” The premise is that he’s waiting for ParaTranspo to pick him up so he can go on “a hot date.”
The very idea that someone with cerebral palsy goes on dates is political, says Shain, since it challenges common attitudes toward disabled people.
He says it’s not his disability that causes a struggle, but rather the structural obstacles he encounters, such as transportation and accessibility.
Physical access is an issue that concerns Shain, particularly when it comes to heritage buildings in the Centretown area, where he’s lived for 12 years.
“It’s absurd that I would have to phone for a bus two days in advance. And then it’s an hour late. It’s absurd to have to climb up two flights of stairs to get into a bar.”
Shain says he chooses humour as a vehicle for his political message because “comedy is very powerful when you’re questioning authority. It’s a great way to put power in its place, to take control of framing the issue differently.”
Assembly of First Nations by day, stand-up comedy by night
“Someone asked me, ‘Do your people celebrate Thanksgiving?’ I said …‘Oh yes, last year I had a traditional Native Thanksgiving. The European guy who lives next door came over, claimed he discovered my apartment, and now he’s living in the place.’”
Don Kelly, who first set foot on stage at Yuk Yuk’s 10 years ago, says this joke “generally works — which means that people ‘get it.’ It may not change their entire opinion of Native People or the history of this country, but if it just gets them thinking a little bit, that’s a start.”
Like Shain, Kelly uses humour to attack stereotypes, and he’s also keeping a close eye on the election.
As the Communications Director at the Assembly of First Nations, he’s looking to see how aboriginal issues play out in the campaign.
When asked for his favourite joke about Ottawa politics, Kelly pulls a page from the history book:
“One of the best Ottawa jokes I’ve heard was an actual incident when Conservative leader Stephen Harper sent a letter to all the Native Friendship Centres in Canada wishing them a ‘Happy Republic of India Day.’
“Granted Columbus made the same mistake, but that was 500 years ago. Probably it was just a clerical error, sure I’ll give him that, although I can hardly wait until Pride week when he sends the congratulatory letter to the Lebanese community.”