This isn’t only about what Rob Ford wears or doesn’t wear. It’s about his attitude, too. One can look like George Clooney, yet have the behaviour of Charlie Sheen or Russell Crowe – after all, it took Eliza Doolittle from My Fair Lady/Pygmalion a while to speak with a “proper” accent – she wasn’t a lady until then, despite looking like one. However, Ford is a man who is mayor of the biggest city in Canada, yet has had a reputation of a less-than-stellar attitude, ranging from racist comments (this was before he was mayor) to more recently swearing at 9-1-1 dispatchers (which he has denied) when he was ambushed by a well-kn0wn character from a fake news show. Why would he do that? Wouldn’t he know that news travels fast, especially these days, with social media? Is it the lack of good media training or even, etiquette?
Toronto mayor, Rob Ford
I’ve often said that Rob Ford needs a makeover and a good stint at a finishing school. I’m not exactly kidding. A high profile personality like him, especially as a politician, can’t carry on like this, especially with another three years to go in this current term. This is a man who needs to look serious – and honestly, he does not. He doesn’t wear the best fitting suits (can’t he get something made? People who are not standard sized can’t just get something off the rack) and that, combined with his attitude on the arts makes me wonder how he even got elected. How can someone who looks sloppy, only cares about football and does not like to support arts and culture have this much support?
Sometimes, I feel like Rob Ford’s behaviour isn’t because he isn’t “sophisticated” but that he has to carry on a “reputation” to appeal to a certain demographic. However, he takes this a little too far, to the point that it is a caricature – you know, the “dumb, unsophisticated fat guy.” Toronto isn’t exactly the best place to behave that way, especially when we always want to be seen as “world class.” Since we can’t vote him out of office until the next election, it’s up to him and his people to change.
What do you think? Do you think the mayor needs to get better media and etiquette training? What about better-fitting clothes?
Image credit: By Shaun Merritt [CC-BY-2.0 (www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
