Editing Rick Mercer (section)

==Career==

===Early work===
Mercer first came to national attention in 1990 when he created and presented his one-man stage show ''Show Me the Button: I'll Push It (or  [[Charles Burchill Lynch|Charles Lynch]] Must Die)''<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 4, 2022 |title=When Rick Mercer was an 'all-around wunderkind' in 1992 |url=https://www.cbc.ca/archives/rick-mercer-archives-1992-1.6600519 |access-date=June 8, 2024 |website=Canadian Broadcasting Corporation}}</ref> at the [[National Arts Centre|National Arts Centre's Atelier]] in [[Ottawa]].<ref name=canenc>[https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/rick-mercer Rick Mercer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304065752/http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/en/article/rick-mercer/ |date=2016-03-04 }} at [[The Canadian Encyclopedia]].</ref> A satirical political commentary on Canadian life after [[Meech Lake Accord|Meech Lake]], ''Show Me the Button'' made Mercer a national star as he toured the show across Canada.<ref name=canenc /> In 1992, he created and performed his second stage show, ''I've Killed Before, I'll Kill Again'' at the [[National Arts Centre|National Arts Centre's Studio Theatre]], which also became a popular touring show.<ref name=canenc />

===''This Hour Has 22 Minutes''===
In 1992, he began to work with former ''[[CODCO]]'' members [[Cathy Jones]] and [[Mary Walsh (actress)|Mary Walsh]], and fellow Newfoundlander [[Greg Thomey]], to create a new television series for [[CBC Television]] which became ''[[This Hour Has 22 Minutes]]''. In the first eight seasons of ''22 Minutes'', Mercer provided some of the show's signature moments, including an Internet petition (on the '' 22 Minutes'' website) to force [[Canadian Alliance]] leader [[Stockwell Day]] to [[Doris Day|change his first name to Doris]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/doris-day-petition-hits-the-mark-1.209426|title='Doris Day' petition hits the mark|publisher=CBC|date=2000-11-16|accessdate=2022-04-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/22-minutes-reaches-magic-doris-number-1.247532|title=22 Minutes reaches magic 'Doris' number|publisher=CBC|date=2000-11-16|accessdate=2022-04-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/stockwell-as-doris-would-make-surfers-day/article4168945/|title=Stockwell as Doris would make surfers' Day|newspaper=The Globe and Mail|date=17 November 2000|last1=Clark|first1=Campbell}}</ref> The website used for the petition was later repurposed as a way to have Canadians send Christmas cards to peacekeepers in [[Bosnia]]. Mercer hand delivered these to the troops in a December 2000 special.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/22-minutes-connects-peacekeepers-with-canadians-1.198866|title=22 Minutes connects peacekeepers with Canadians|publisher=CBC News|date=2000-12-20|accessdate=2022-04-03}}</ref> In 2001, following an incident in which an aide to federal [[Member of Parliament (Canada)|member of Parliament]] (MP) [[Rahim Jaffer]] posed as the politician in a radio interview, Mercer performed a parody rap based on [[Eminem]]'s "[[The Real Slim Shady]]", with the lyrics "Will the real Rahim Jaffer please stand up?

Mercer's two-minute "rants", in which he would speak directly to the camera about a current political issue, shot in a style similar to those [[Denis Leary]] used in [[MTV]] commercials, quickly became the show's signature segment. In 1998, he published a book, ''Streeters'', which compiled many of his most famous ''22 Minutes'' rants. It became a national bestseller. In 2007 he published his second book, ''Rick Mercer Report: The Book''.

In November 2010, Mercer contributed a rant he had previously recorded in 2007 on the subject of the [[bullying]] of gay and lesbian teens in high schools to [[Dan Savage]]'s [[It Gets Better Project]].<ref name="It gets better">{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/rick-mercer-joins-it-gets-better-campaign-1.967052|title=Rick Mercer joins It Gets Better campaign|publisher=CBC News|date=November 2, 2010|access-date=2015-09-16}}</ref>

====''Talking to Americans''====
{{main|Talking to Americans}}
One of Mercer's comedy routines on ''22 Minutes'' was ''[[Talking to Americans]]'', in which he would travel to a major American city or institution and conduct on-the-street interviews with Americans on topics such as Canadian politics and weather, using the subject's ignorance about Canada for comedic effect. One famous example saw Mercer asking Americans' opinion on whether Canada should change its "20 Hour Clock" to the 24-hour one used by the United States. He received approval from citizens and from the Governor of Iowa, [[Tom Vilsack]]. On another occasion he got the support of [[Arkansas]] Governor [[Mike Huckabee]] in calling on Canadians to save the "National Igloo".

Mercer made international headlines in 2000 when he pulled a ''Talking to Americans'' stunt on then-presidential candidate [[George W. Bush]]. He successfully got Bush to answer questions about non-existent Canadian Prime Minister "Jean [[Poutine]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/22-minutes-star-pulls-prank-on-george-w-bush-1.212339|title=22 Minutes star pulls prank on George W. Bush|publisher=CBC|date=2000-03-22|accessdate=2022-04-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB951954624643262149|title=George W. Bush gets ambushed by comic in another name gaffe|first=Julian|last=Beltrame|publisher=Wall Street Journal|date=2000-03-02|accessdate=2022-04-21}}</ref> Bush was not amused at the time, but he did make a joking reference to this incident during his visit to Canada in 2004. In the same US election campaign, Mercer asked Democratic candidate [[Al Gore]] to promise to visit the "Canadian capital city" of [[Toronto]] after his election. Gore did not question Mercer's incorrect identification of the capital of Canada.

In 2001, Mercer co-produced a CBC special based on ''Talking to Americans'', which attracted 2.7&nbsp;million Canadian viewers—the highest-rated television special in Canadian history. Later, the respected [[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]] program ''[[Nightline (US news program)|Nightline]]'' would devote a show to it. This was his last major project related to ''22 Minutes''—at the end of the 2000–2001 season, he announced his departure from that show to focus on his other television show, ''[[Made in Canada (TV series)|Made in Canada]]''. ''Talking to Americans'' was nominated for a [[Gemini Award]], but following the [[9/11 attacks]], Mercer declined the nomination.

===''Made in Canada''===
{{main|Made in Canada (TV series)}}
Mercer co-created the series ''[[Made in Canada (TV series)|Made in Canada]]'', which ran for five seasons on [[CBC Television]] from 1998 to 2003. The show was a fast-paced [[situation comedy]] which [[self-reference|self-referentially]] satirized the Canadian TV production industry, often drawing from details of its own production companies and including thinly veiled parodies of contemporary programs. It was syndicated abroad as ''The Industry'' and won several [[Gemini Award]]s (which were themselves satirized in subsequent episodes).

===''The Rick Mercer Report''===
{{main|Rick Mercer Report}}
In 2003, ''Made in Canada'' ended its run, and Mercer began to work on a new CBC series, ''[[Rick Mercer Report|Rick Mercer's Monday Report]]''. Similar in format to ''22 Minutes'' and ''[[The Daily Show with Jon Stewart]]'', the show debuted in January 2004. Also in 2003, Mercer went to [[Afghanistan]] to visit the [[Operation Athena|Canadian troops stationed there]], resulting in the television special ''[[Christmas in Kabul]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/programguide/personality/rick_mercer|title=Rick Mercer|publisher=CBC|accessdate=2022-04-21}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thenextchapter/full-episode-dec-18-2021-1.6286603/rick-mercer-s-new-memoir-talking-to-canadians-reflects-on-a-life-building-rapport-with-others-1.6286671|title=Rick Mercer's new memoir Talking to Canadians reflects on a life building rapport with others|publisher=CBC|date=2021-12-17|accessdate=2022-04-21}}</ref>

Despite reports of a long-standing feud Mercer invited Walsh to appear on ''Monday Report'' as a special guest to promote her own series ''[[Hatching, Matching and Dispatching]]''.

At the end of its second season, ''Monday Report'' was the highest rated arts and entertainment show on the CBC. Former Prime Minister [[Paul Martin]] gave him a private tour of [[24 Sussex Drive]] and former [[New Democratic Party of Canada|New Democratic Party]] leader [[Ed Broadbent]] made snow angels with Mercer on [[Parliament Hill]]. Other prominent guests were [[New Democratic Party of Canada|NDP]] leader [[Jack Layton]] (who was Mercer's own MP); [[Conservative Party of Canada|Conservative Party]] leader [[Stephen Harper]] (former Prime Minister); [[Green Party of Canada|Green Party]] leader [[Elizabeth May]]; then-Conservative MP [[Belinda Stronach]]; Conservative MP [[Peter MacKay]]; former Newfoundland and Labrador Premier [[Danny Williams (Canadian politician)|Danny Williams]]; Olympic gold medallist [[Kyle Shewfelt]]; author [[Pierre Berton]]; recording artists [[Jann Arden]], [[Bif Naked]], [[Rush (band)|Rush]], [[bassist]] [[Geddy Lee]], [[drummer]] and [[lyricist]] [[Neil Peart]], and [[Sarah McLachlan]]; publishing mogul [[Conrad Black]]; and former [[prime minister]] [[Jean Chrétien]]. When Mercer hosted a relief [[benefit concert]] for the victims of the [[2004 Indian Ocean earthquake|2004 Indian Ocean tsunami]] at the [[Pengrowth Saddledome]] in [[Calgary, Alberta|Calgary]], musical guests [[Barenaked Ladies]] appeared in a segment Mercer shot backstage completely naked.

In 2005, the CBC moved ''Monday Report'' to Tuesday nights, which caused the show's name to be changed to ''The Rick Mercer Report''. On his blog, Mercer wrote of the time slot shift that "we ended the season as the highest rated comedy show on the network. Clearly some drastic changes were needed."

In 2017, it was announced that the ''Rick Mercer Report'' would end production after its 15th season; the last episode aired on April 10, 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://mediaincanada.com/2018/05/01/mercers-final-rant-gets-big-ratings/|title=Mercer's final rant gets big ratings|website=[[Media of Canada]]}}</ref>

===Other film and television work===
Mercer has hosted ''[[It Seems Like Yesterday]]'', which examines pop-culture from the 1950s to the 1980s. He has appeared in a few films, including ''[[Secret Nation]]'', ''Understanding Bliss'', ''[[How to Be Deadly]]'' and ''[[Bon Cop, Bad Cop]]''.

In late 2014, he guest starred in the second to last episode of the [[Republic of Doyle]] television series.

In 2022, he launched ''[[Comedy Night with Rick Mercer]]'', a [[CBC Television]] series showcasing stand-up comedy performances by emerging Canadian comedians.<ref>Greg David, [https://www.tv-eh.com/2022/06/01/cbc-unveils-2022-23-programming-slate/ "CBC UNVEILS 2022-23 PROGRAMMING SLATE"]. ''TV, eh?'', June 1, 2022.</ref>