Ron James reflects on Canada ahead of Blyth Memorial Hall engagement
BY SCOTT STEPHENSON
When The Citizen interviewed comedy icon Ron James earlier this month, the fast-talking funnyman had a lot to say ahead of his upcoming show at Memorial Hall in Blyth on Oct. 3. So much so, in fact, that there were quite a few quips and comments left over at the end of the day to cobble together a whole new article for this week’s issue! Ticket sales have been understandably brisk, so here’s a second shot of James’ spillover thoughts to satiate any readers who aren’t among those lucky few who will soon be experiencing the real deal.
James feels that his latest special, The View from Here, is a natural expansion of his ongoing exploration of the always-changing Canadian identity. “This show is a reflection on what was, a look at what is, and a comedic perspective on what could be,” he told The Citizen. “And it’s a boomer’s look at our own recognition, as baby boomers, of what we’re facing, in terms of our own mortality - what we’ve achieved, and what we haven’t, in a world of constant change. And we can process the daily drama of life’s chaos in the language of laughs.”
It may be an old adage, but James is confident that laughter really is the best medicine. “I think that laughter guarantees longevity,” he asserted. “My mother’s 94, and she laughs every single day. She still loves a good story!”
Beyond the obvious health benefits of laughing along with him, James has also spent decades honing those holistic comedy chops into a high-powered tool designed to speak truth to power. “I’ve always tried to acknowledge the imperative of the art form - it’s not a comedian’s job to ride in the apple cart of the status quo - it’s to tip it over,” he declared. “You have to be able to address some of the issues that are occurring in this world, and do them with a degree of caution, compassion and concern.”
What makes James’ weapon of choice so effective is his understanding that it takes all kinds of people to fight the power. As a cross-country comedian, James plays to crowds of all shapes and sizes, and has found that each and every one of them equally deserves to feel seen and heard. “It’s all in how you do it,” he pointed out. “Canada is an urban country with a rural heart… it’s imperative that you deliver a standard of comedy in the smaller towns that isn’t going to alienate certain values - I never, ever want to lose the room. And that was a mandate that I had with all my specials for the CBC. When they started putting us on New Year’s Eve, that became more than a million viewers.”
That’s over a million values not alienated at the advent of each year, every year - not bad for an artist that so often finds himself described with that inescapable prefix “Canadian” firmly affixed ahead of his name. Even in-country, one always hears phrases like “Canadian comedy icon Ron James,” rather than “American comedy icon George Carlin,” as though the USA is known worldwide as the default birthplace of any and all icons, unless otherwise specified. “Stand-up, and all the cultural arts in Canada, are always eating at the little table - if they’re even invited in the house,” he acknowledged. “We are constantly measured by the success of those in America, or in Britain.”
Rather than being irked by being branded with that “Made in Canada” label, James embraces it wholeheartedly. “Canada’s the second largest national landmass on Earth,” he told The Citizen. “As I said in my first special, a thousand years ago - ‘it’s not the Grail at the end of the trail that matters, but the steps of the journey you take to get there.’ That’s why I love playing all corners of the country - it’s an authentic way of walking through the world. I get to see this nation, I can experience it in all its moods, in all sorts of seasons, and I have never, ever thought that this is an impediment to my career.”
While James has learned a lot about Canada in his many years criss-crossing the country, part of the ethos driving him to keep touring is knowing that there’s always more nation to get to know. “There was a saying that we had at Second City: ‘don’t play above your own intelligence.’ So - you learn what you can when you come into a place, and hope that you’re saying the right thing,” he said.
Over the years, James has sought to both excavate and illuminate the enduring legacy of the Canadian “hoser” persona. “The ‘hoser,’ I think, does not say that we are naive, but that there is a warmth and an innocence and a willingness to help each other in times of need, rather than the ‘sink-or-swim’ mentality of our neighbours south of the border,” he told The Citizen. “When you only understand winning, you don’t understand the fight itself. We define ourselves as not American - but what does that mean, that we’re not American? Well, I put this in my show, and I don’t want to play my hand yet!”
And so, ticketholders will have to wait until Oct. 3 to hear all about the difference between Americans and Canadians from the motor mouth of the man himself: Ron James. As for all those masses who didn’t act fast enough to attend the show, you’re not out of luck just yet, James will be releasing a recorded version of The View from Here sometime next year!