Rick Mercer
Richard Vincent "Rick" Mercer (born October 17, 1969 in St. John's , Newfoundland and Labrador) is a Canadian television personality, satirist and blogger.
Mercer became famous in Canada in 1990 when he presented his one-man show, Show Me the Button, I'll Push It, or Charles Lynch Must Die in Ottawa. This political satire made him known and he toured the country with it.
In 1992 he did his second show, I've Killed Before, I'll Kill Again , which he also toured with. Eventually he began producing for television with the series This Hour Has 22 Minutes .
The most famous scenes from 22 Minutes were the episodes of Talking to Americans , in which he asked students from different universities and people on the streets of big cities about things, leading to funny answers that illustrated the ignorance of US citizens about Canada. A well-known example revolves around the question of whether Canada should switch from the "20 hour day (65 minutes each)" to the "24 hour day (60 minutes each)" in the USA. This was greeted not only by residents on the street, but also by Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack . On another occasion, Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee helped Canadians preserve their national igloo.
Mercer also made headlines in 2000 when he successfully got George W. Bush to answer questions about the fictional Prime Minister "Jean Poutine ". Bush was not happy about this and has since refused to give interviews to the CBC . The CBC Special Talking to Americans brought 2.7 million Canadian viewers to the flickering box - never before did CBC comedy bring more ratings.
Mercer has received more than 20 Gemini Awards , as well as the Sir Peter Ustinov Award in 2003. Mercer has a longstanding relationship with television producer Gerald Lunz.
Web links
- Rick Mercer in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Official website
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Mercer, Rick |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Mercer, Richard Vincent |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Canadian presenter |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 17th October 1969 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | St. John's (Newfoundland) |