Megapundit Extra: “He continually fist-bumps the Stroumboulopoulos character”

A rather senior colleague has asked us to write about Jian Ghomeshi‘s column in today’s National Post, in which 25 per cent of Moxy Früvous says he’s “aspiring to become a caricature of myself.” It seems Mr. Ghomeshi was recognized on the streets of London—England, you know—by an “attractive young” Canadian named Diane, who professed admiration for his television work, but later conceded she may have only seen Shaun Majumder make fun of him on This Hour Has 22 Minutes. To wit:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHFuivyr0kQ

“Majumder makes stuff up,” Ghomeshi complains. “In Strombeshi [above], he continually fist-bumps the Stroumboulopoulos character and holds up an iPhone. I really don’t do that fist-bump thing, and I don’t have an iPhone.” Nor, he adds, unlike Majumder’s Ghomeshi, does the real Ghomeshi use the expression, “This is how I roll.” But seeing how much people seem to like the caricaturized Ghomeshi, he’s thinking about adopting the mannerisms. “Owning your caricature,” he says. “That’s the future.” Our only advice is this: if you find yourself just an iPhone purchase, a few fist bumps and a lame catchphrase away from the grotesquely caricaturized TV version of yourself, then perhaps the goal of becoming a caricature of yourself has already been largely attained.

The column transcends harmless masturbation and borders on indecent exposure, however, when Ghomeshi suggests none other than Barack Obama (whom he refers to at one point simply as “Barack”) follow his lead. Embrace your caricature as a “fist-bumping radical” (pictured at left), he advises, because some people seem to … prefer… the caricaturized … version? The terrorist capturing the Oval Office version? Hmm. Does that make a lick of sense?

No. No, we’re pretty sure it doesn’t.

(The pseudonymous Edward Michael George has written two rather more savage analyses of Ghomeshi’s writings.)