A dude is an individual, typically male. The female equivalent, which is used less often, is "dudette" or "dudess". However, "dude" has evolved to become more unisex to encompass all genders, and this was true even in the 1950s.

The word ''dude'' is an American English slang term generally used informally to address or refer to somebody and was once used primarily by adults but this has become a common slang term used in various age groups.

History

The original use of ''dude'' implied an individual unfamiliar with the demands of life outside of urban settings, as in ''dude ranch'', a ranch catering to urbanites seeking more rural experiences. The implicit contrast is with those persons accustomed to a given frontier, agricultural, mining or other exurban setting. This usage continues into the present.

The term "dude" was first used in print in 1870, in ''Putnam's Magazine''.

One of the earliest books to use the word was ''The Home and Farm Manual'', written by Jonathan Periam in 1883. In that work, Periam used the term "dude" several times to denote an ill-bred and ignorant, but ostentatious, man from the city. The term was also used as a job description such as "bush hook dude" as a position on a railroad in the 1880s.

"Dude ranches", to which wealthy Easterners came to experience the "cowboy life," began to appear in the American West in the early 20th century.

The oldest usage was typically applied to a well-dressed male, or one who is unfamiliar with life outside a large city. These definitions later gave rise to a more technical definition: "an Easterner in the West" (United States). Thus "dude" was used to describe the prude wealthy men of the rustic western expansion of the United States during the 19th century by German settlers of the American Old East.

The word became prominent in surfer culture in the early 1960s, but it wasn't until the mid-'70s that it started creeping into the mainstream. Some usages in mainly American pop culture have contributed to the spread of this word.

''Dude'' in popular culture

1883 - Political cartoon of Chester A. Arthur pictures the refined, well-dressed President, with the caption, "According to your cloth you've cut your coat, O Dude of all the White House residents; We trust that will help you with the vote, When next we go nominating Presidents."

1889 - Andy ''a dude'' and a chorus of dudes in the opera ''Leo, the Royal Cadet'' by Oscar Ferdinand Telgmann sing ''We are the Dudes'': "''We are the dudes you read about in all the papers Social Etudes, we captivate all hearts by our capers, Bai Gawge! Once every week the Bank pays each and all of us two dollars; But, by cold cheek we sport the latest thing in coats and collars, Bai Gawge! Weep ye, en masse! We're suffering most excruciating pain; For ah! alas! The Prince of Wales has ceased to carry a cane, Bai Gawge! Till we learn whether His Highness orders that the cane shall go; Each with a feather we promenade the city streets just so, Bai Gawge!''"

1889 - ''A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court'' by Mark Twain comments on how commoners in Medieval Britain worshiped nobility and title without question, for the sake only of a meaningless title: "...and the best of English commoners was still content to see his inferiors impudently continuing to hold a number of positions, such as lordships and the throne, to which the grotesque laws of his country did not allow him to aspire; in fact, he was even able to persuade himself that he was proud of it. It seems to show that there isn't anything you can't stand, if you are only born and bred to it. Of course that taint, that reverence for rank and title, had been in our American blood, too - I know that; but when I left America it had disappeared - at least to all intents and purposes. The remnant of it was restricted to the dudes and dudesses. When a disease has worked its way down to that level, it may fairly be said to be out of the system."

1937 - Laurel and Hardy's film ''Way Out West'' has James Finlayson's character describe the main protagonists as "Dudes".

1959 - Howard Hawks's film ''Rio Bravo'' has Dean Martin as "Dude," the drunk deputy to John Wayne.

1960 - Aaron Oberst-Horner is dubbed "The Duke Of The Dudes".

1962 - In John Ford's film ''The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance,'' Lee Marvin's bad guy title character continually and sarcastically refers to Jimmy Stewart's tenderfoot lawyer character as "dude."

1965-68 - ''I Spy'', a US television show, Bill Cosby's character Alexander Scott occasionally addresses Robert Culp's character Kelly Robinson as "dude."

1969 - In Dennis Hopper's cult film ''Easy Rider'', the protagonist Wyatt (Peter Fonda) is seen describing the word "dude" to George Hanson (Jack Nicholson) as "...a nice guy... a regular sort of person."

1972 - Mott the Hoople releases their hit album, ''All the Young Dudes'', named after the title cut, which was written for the band by David Bowie.

1973 - The premiere of ''Dude'', a musical by Galt MacDermot.

1974 - Steely Dan releases their album ''Pretzel Logic'', which features the song "Any Major Dude Will Tell You"

1982 - In ''Fast Times at Ridgemont High'', Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn) utilizes the word "dude" in its modern convention, "Make up your mind, dude, is he gonna shit or is he gonna kill us? "

1985 - ''Less Than Zero'' (a novel by Bret Easton Ellis) includes the first published usage of the now-common phrase, "No way, dude!", and the first mainstream display of "dude" having crossed the gender barrier. In a noteworthy scene, a young woman tells her mother, "No way, dude."

1987 - Aerosmith released a song called "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)"

1988 - ''Red Dwarf'', Holly ships computer greets the crew each time with "What's happening dudes?"

1989 - ''Hey Dude'' premiers on Nickelodeon; it would go on to run for three years. The cast of this teenage sitcom set on a dude ranch included Christine Taylor.

1989 - Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure Movie about two burn outs who travel through time in order to complete a history assignment. During their presentation, President Lincoln says, "seven minutes ago... we, your forefathers, were brought forth upon a most excellent adventure conceived by our new friends, Bill... and Ted. These two great gentlemen are dedicated to a proposition which was true in my time, just as it's true today. Be excellent to each other. And... PARTY ON, DUDES!"

1990 - Scatterbrain single "Don't Call Me Dude".

1992 - The film Wayne's World is released, containing many uses of the word "dude", such as, when Garth freezes on camera, "ever see that scene in Scanners when that dude's head blew up?"

1996 - Britpop band Kula Shaker titled the first track of their album ''K'' "Hey, Dude".

1997 - Less than Jake's song "We're all Dudes" from the soundtrack to the movie ''Good Burger''.

1997 - Blink-182 released an album called ''Dude Ranch''.

1998 - ''BASEketball'', featuring Trey Parker and Matt Stone as two young men who, at one point in the film, have an argument composed entirely of the word "dude," with their inflections conveying the meaning of each instance of the word.

1998 - ''The Big Lebowski'', a film by Joel and Ethan Coen and featured Jeff Bridges as "The Dude" ("or His Dudeness, or Duder, or, you know, El Duderino, if you're not into the whole brevity thing"), an aging hippie/beach bum, turns "Dude" into a philosophy. The film's narrator, an old-fashioned cowboy played by Sam Elliott, insinuates that he considers the term "dude" in its traditional sense, meaning a pretentious city-slicker type, rather than in its more contemporary sense.

2000 - ''Dude, Where's My Car?'', a comedy film directed by Danny Leiner, starring Ashton Kutcher and Seann William Scott.

2001 - "Dude, you're getting a Dell!", an advertising campaign by Dell Computer Corporation, starring Ben Curtis as "Steven the Dell Dude."

2004 - HBO series, ''Deadwood'', in its first few episodes features the character Whitney Garret, a wealthy young businessman from New York city, who has come to the Black Hills in search of a claim to prospect for gold. He is referred to throughout his appearances in the series as "That Dude from New York", or just, "The Dude".

2004 - In the first season of TAPS ''Ghost Hunters'' (episode 5), one of the investigators coins the famous "Dude run!".

2004 - In the ABC series ''Lost'', the character Hurley repeatedly refers to other characters, both male and female, as "dude."

2008 - Bud Light airs an advertising campaign in which the dialogue consists entirely of different inflections of "Dude!" and does not mention the product by name.

References

External links

Dude - By Kiesling, Scott F., Published in ''American Speech'', Vol. 79, No. 3, Fall 2004, pp. 281–305

Dude, Where's My Dude? - Dudelicious Dissection, From Sontag to Spicoli, ''New York Observer''

Words@random: "dude"

Material for the Study of Dude - The etymological origin of the word "dude" by Barry Popik, David Shulman, and Gerald Cohen. Originally published in ''Comments on Etymology'', October 1993, Vol. 23, #1

Category:Slang terms for men

es:Dude ru:Чувак uk:Чувак

Coordinates	56°09′″N40°25′″N
name	Jessie J
alt	f
background	solo_singer
birth name	Jessica Ellen Cornish
alias	Jessie J
birth date	March 27, 1988
birth place	Chadwell Heath, London, England
genre	R&B;, pop, hip hop, soul
years active	2006–present
label	Lava, Universal Republic, Island, Gut
website
notable instruments	}}

Jessica Ellen Cornish (born on 27 March 1988), better known by her stage name Jessie J, is an English singer-songwriter, currently signed to Island Records. She began her career as a songwriter for artists including Chris Brown and Miley Cyrus. Her debut single, "Do It Like a Dude", was released in November 2010 and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Charts. Follow-up single "Price Tag" reached number one in the United Kingdom, France, Ireland and New Zealand, and reached the top 10 in nineteen other countries. Her debut album, ''Who You Are'', was released in February 2011 and charted at number two on the UK Albums Chart. In February 2011 Jessie J won a BRIT Award, Critics' Choice. It was revealed in October 2011 that Jessie J will be a coach and a mentor on the television show, ''The Voice UK''.

Early life

Jessie J was born Jessica Ellen Cornish in Chadwell Heath, London and was educated at Mayfield High School in the London Borough of Redbridge. She attended Colin's Performing Arts School and as an eleven year old was cast in Andrew Lloyd Webber's West End production of ''Whistle Down the Wind''. Jessie has two sisters, who are five and seven years older than her, who were both head girls at school.

Unlike her academic sisters, Cornish has stated she was "never really that good at anything". She said, "At school they were like 'oh, you're a Cornish girl' and they kind of expected me to be the same as my sisters. Give me something to draw or an outfit to pick for someone, or hair, make-up, acting, write a song, I'm fine with it, but anything to do with sums – it was never my thing." She also said she never based her intelligence on her exam results. She also said she was always good at singing and it was her "thing".

At the age of 16 she began studying at the BRIT School and at 17 she joined a girl group named "Soul Deep". She graduated in the class of 2006 along with singers Adele and Leona Lewis. At 18 she suffered a stroke.

Music career

2006–2009: Career beginnings

Jessie J was signed to Gut Records, recording an album for the label, but the company went bankrupt before any material was released. She then found success as a songwriter, gaining a Sony ATV publishing contract. She was also the support act for Cyndi Lauper during Lauper's UK dates of her 2008 Bring Ya To The Brink tour (Lauper invited J to join her on stage for the performances of Girls Just Want To Have Fun). Jessie has also written lyrics for artists such as Chris Brown and Miley Cyrus, including "Party in the U.S.A.".

Jessie J was also part of a girl band, called 'Soul Deep', for two years, however she left due to thoughts that "it wasn't going anywhere". Despite people thinking that her first notoriety was through YouTube, Jessie was signed for four years before her first video was posted.

Jessie first came to the attention of Lava Records when her publisher at Sony/ATV, Rich Christina, sent Lava president Jason Flom a link to her MySpace page, which the record executive loved. After seeing an impressive U.S. showcase, Lava was, along with several other labels, keen to sign the artist but progress was hampered by her management's insistence on, what Flom called, a "crazy deal", and their refusal to let Jessie speak to any labels directly. Despite this, Senior Director of A&R; at Lava, Harinder Rana, made surreptitious efforts to meet Jessie on her own in winter of 2008. Later in the year a change in management to Sarah Stennett and Nadia Khan of Crown Music allowed record deal negotiations to take place. Jessie eventually signed with Lava as part of a joint venture with Universal Republic.

2010–present: ''Who You Are''

Jessie J began recording her debut studio album in 2006 and it was completed on 19 January 2011. She revealed that "Big White Room" would be on the album and was written from an experience she had when she was 11 years old, although she wrote the song at age 17, in hospital, where a ward mate, a little boy, died. Jessie J says the album's title track, "Who You Are", is one of her proudest creations, she said the song is a "positive role model for young people" and "I always say that I'm half-artist, half-therapist"

In late 2010 Jessie J released her first single, "Do It Like a Dude" which was co-written with George Astasio, Tj Normandin, Jason Pebworth, Jon Shave, Kyle Abrahams and Peter Ighile. Originally, she wrote the song with Rihanna in mind because "Rude Boy" was released at the time, partly inspiring the song. She then sent the song to her label, Island Records, before sending it to Rihanna's management. Island insisted the song become Jessie J's first single. She wishes to perform the song with Rihanna at one point. The single gained positive reception from critics. The single charted at number two on the UK Singles Charts. Her follow-up single "Price Tag" was released in late January 2011. This was written by Jessie J, Lukasz Gottwald, Claude Kelly, and Bobby Ray Simmons, Jr. and charted at number one in the top of the charts. "Price Tag" was released in the United States on 1 February 2011 and peaked at 23 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. "Price Tag" also charted at number-one in New Zealand and Ireland and is the most successful online video J has released. As of October 2011, the video has generated over 148 million views on Youtube and Vevo, making it the 22nd most viewed music video of all time. Her first American television appearance was as the musical guest on the 12 March 2011 episode of NBC's ''Saturday Night Live''.

On 25 February 2011 her debut album, ''Who You Are'', was released. The album first entered the charts on 6 March 2011 where it charted on the UK Album Charts at number two. The album charted into the top ten in a number of countries and number 11 in the United States.After the release she went on to release a third single from the album, "Nobody's Perfect". MTV reported that the single is, so far, only confirmed for release in the United Kingdom. The album's fourth single was "Who's Laughing Now". "Domino" was her second US single. The Dr. Luke-produced track was sent to mainstream radio on 6 September 2011. With the success of ''Who You Are'' in North America, Jessie was chosen to tour as the opening act for American pop artist Katy Perry's ''California Dreams Tour'' in 2011 but after she was unable to fully recover from her injuries during rehearsals she was forced to pull out under the doctor's orders.

Jessie J served as the house artist at the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards, performing several of her original songs along with covers around commercial breaks.

In early 2011 she suffered a panic attack on stage after she was forced to perform in the dark. "I did a gig recently and had a panic attack on stage," she told ''NOW''. "The night was called 'Black Out' and I had to perform in the dark. I asked them to turn on the lights and they didn't. I was onstage in pitch black and, because I couldn't see anything, I started to panic. It was awful." James Morrison's third studio album, ''The Awakening'' features a collaboration with Jessie J called "Up", the song was released as a single on 4 December 2011. On 4 October Jessie announced that she will be one of four coaches for new BBC program, ''The Voice UK''.Jessie J re-released "Who You Are" on 9 November 2011, featuring the regular tracks plus "Domino" and two new songs. "Domino" became her second top 30 hit in the U.S., following the success of "Price Tag". The song also peaked at number 1 in January 2012 in the UK, before it was even officially released there.

Personal life

On 12 June 2011 at the Capital Radio Summertime Ball, Jessie ruptured several tendons in her foot during rehearsals, and performed her set the following day while sitting on a gilded throne. For her appearance at Glastonbury Festival 2011 on 25 June 2011, she performed on the throne again, claiming her physician had told her not to perform with her broken foot which would take six weeks to heal. Jessie J was scheduled to play at several festivals throughout the summer, however it was reported on 1 July 2011 that she would not be able to attend T in the Park, T4 On The Beach, Wembley:Orange, iTunes Festival, Lovebox and Oxegen due to the injuries to her foot. Jessie J personally tweeted before surgery; "Keep making nervous jokes with the doctor and he keeps looking at me blankly. Which is making me laugh even more. It's getting serious. I just took my nose stud out." Tweeting after the surgery, she wrote: "Can't keep tweeting. Still very dizzy and being sick. But I'm OK, I got through it." Her record label released an official statement on 30 June 2011 that under strict orders from her doctor, she will not be able to perform for a number of weeks so she can heal and recuperate properly. She returned to the concert circuit in late August, including sets at the V Festival and The Big Chill. For the 2011 VMA's she was still in a cast and using the throne to keep off of it.

Jessie J confirmed on 2 August 2011 that she would be shaving her hair off for charity in 2012. Speaking via her official Twitter account she said: “It’s hair, It will grow back. Even if it takes 2 years, if it saves lives it’s worth it. Even if its 1 life that’s something.”

Jessie J is openly bisexual and stated in an interview on the "In Demand" radio show on March 3, 2011, "I've never denied it. Whoopie doo guys, yes, I've dated girls and I've dated boys – get over it."

Music and voice

Although she was first identified as a soul singer, she primarily records songs of contemporary R&B; and pop music with hip-hop influences.

Music critic Matthew Perpetua of Pitchfork Media compared Jessie J to her peers Adele and Amy Winehouse, but admitted she was missing something: "Whereas Adele and Winehouse also have powerhouse voices, they fit into clear aesthetic niches and invest their songs with depth and humanity. Jessie J doesn't have even a fraction of their restraint." Perpetua added: "Her idea of showcasing her gift is to shoot for a blaring melisma on "Mamma Knows Best" that makes Christina Aguilera seem as subtle as Joni Mitchell by comparison." Ailbhe Malone of the music magazine NME also recognized Cornish's "undeniably potent voice". However, she pointed out the possible "identity crisis" that might have been caused by Jessie's songwriter past: "This is an album of singles for other artists. There’s Rihanna Jessie (‘Do It...’), Perry Jessie (‘Abracadabra’), Pixie Jessie (‘Mamma Knows Best’), Ellie Jessie ('Big White Room')."

Caroline Sullivan of The Guardian shared her positive opinion about the singer, saying that "if any singer has the potential to be the British Katy Perry or Pink, with the accompanying millions of sales, it's her". Sullivan also complimented Cornish's attitude: "[Her songs] are delivered with a confidence that money can't buy." Entertainment Weekly's music critic Adam Markovitz said of Jessie: "The 23-year-old Brit has all the tools, from a monster voice to an ear for hooks — she co-wrote Miley Cyrus' Party in the U.S.A. — and a manic persona that's equal parts Katy Perry, Kristin Chenoweth, and Alice Cooper.

Discography

''Who You Are'' (2011)

Filmography

+Television	Year	! Title	! Role	Notes
2012	''The Voice UK''	Herself

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Category:1988 births Category:Living people Category:Bisexual musicians Category:Electronica musicians Category:English female singers Category:English mezzo-sopranos Category:English pop singers Category:English rhythm and blues singers Category:English singer-songwriters Category:English-language singers Category:LGBT musicians from the United Kingdom Category:LGBT people from the United Kingdom Category:People educated at the BRIT School Category:Singers from London Category:Stroke survivors Category:The Voice judges Category:People from Chadwell Heath

af:Jessie J bg:Джеси Джей ca:Jessie J cs:Jessie J da:Jessie J de:Jessie J es:Jessie J fa:جسی جی fr:Jessie J fy:Jessie J ko:제시 제이 hr:Jessie J id:Jessie J it:Jessie J he:ג'סי ג'יי lv:Jessie J lt:Jessie J hu:Jessie J mk:Џеси Џеј nl:Jessie J ja:ジェシー・J no:Jessie J pl:Jessie J pt:Jessie J ro:Jessie J ru:Джесси Джей sk:Jessie J fi:Jessie J sv:Jessie J th:เจสซี เจ tr:Jessie J vi:Jessie J zh:Jessie J

Coordinates	56°09′″N40°25′″N
birth date	October 31, 1963
birth name	Robert Michael Schneider
birth place	San Francisco, California, U.S.
occupation	Actor, comedian, director, screenwriter
years active	1987–present
spouse	London King (1988–1990; divorced; one child) Patricia Azarcoya Arce (2011-present) }}

Robert Michael "Rob" Schneider (born October 31, 1963) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and director. A stand-up comic and veteran of the NBC sketch-comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'', Schneider has gone on to a successful career in feature films, including starring roles in the comedy films ''Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo'', ''The Hot Chick'', and ''Grown Ups''.

Early life

Schneider was born in San Francisco, California and grew up in the nearby suburb of Pacifica. He is the son of Pilar Schneider (née Monroe), a former kindergarten teacher and ex-school board president, and Marvin Schneider, a real estate broker. Schneider's father was Jewish and his mother was Catholic. Schneider's maternal grandmother was a Filipina who met and married Schneider's maternal grandfather, a Caucasian American army private, while he was stationed in the Philippines. Schneider graduated from Terra Nova High School in 1982.

Early career

Schneider started his stand-up comedy career while still in high school, opening for San Francisco favorites Head On, a band managed by Rob's older brother John. After high school, the Pacifica, California native played Bay Area nightclubs such as the Holy City Zoo and The Other Cafe, and was a regular guest on local radio programs. After opening a show by comedian Dennis Miller in 1987, Schneider won a slot on HBO's 13th Annual Young Comedians special, which was hosted by Miller. Schneider's appearance on the HBO special led to a position as a writer for the late night NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live''.

Schneider has signed with the CBS television network to star in and produce an as-yet-untitled comedy loosely inspired by his life.

''Saturday Night Live''

Schneider was hired at ''Saturday Night Live'' in 1988, and was the first Asian-American to be a cast member on the show. Schneider swiftly graduated from writer and featured player to full cast member. From 1990 to 1994 at ''SNL'', he played such roles as "Tiny Elvis" and "Orgasm Guy." His best known recurring character was "Richard Laymer," an office worker whose desk was stuck beside the photocopier, and who addressed each of his fellow employees with an endless stream of annoying nicknames. Schneider is featured in the video release ''The Bad Boys of Saturday Night Live'', along with colleagues Adam Sandler, Chris Rock, David Spade and Chris Farley.

Recurring ''SNL'' characters

Richard Laymer ("The Richmeister"), an office worker who annoys people by giving them nicknames

Carlo, from the Il Cantore Restaurant sketches

The Sensitive Naked Man, a nude man who gives advice to other characters

Celebrity impersonations

Fred Schneider from the B-52s

Former ''SNL'' cast member Billy Crystal

Adolf Hitler

k.d. lang

Jeff Gillooly

Erik Menendez

Soon-Yi Previn

Rick Dees

Elvis Presley

Feature films, sitcoms, and other work

After leaving ''SNL'', Schneider played supporting roles in a series of movies including ''Surf Ninjas'', ''Judge Dredd'', ''The Beverly Hillbillies'', ''Demolition Man'' and ''Down Periscope''. He also appeared in a recurring part on the TV series ''Coach''. In 1996, he co-starred in the NBC sit-com ''Men Behaving Badly'', an American take on the hit British series of the same name. The U.S. version ran for two seasons.

Schneider starred in the 1999 feature film ''Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo'', a tale of a fish-tank cleaner who incurs a massive debt and is forced to become a "man-whore". This was followed by ''The Animal'', about a man given animal powers by a mad scientist; ''The Hot Chick'', wherein the mind of a petty thief played by Schneider is mystically switched into the body of a pretty, but mean-spirited high school cheerleader (Rachel McAdams); and the sequel ''Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo''. The latter movie was not well-received by critics or moviegoers, and as a result, Schneider won a 2005 Worst Actor Razzie Award for his role in the film.

In 2006, Schneider co-starred in the baseball-themed family comedy ''The Benchwarmers'', along with his fellow ''SNL'' alumnus David Spade as well as Jon Heder. Other film roles include Schneider's appearance with Jim Henson's Muppets in the 1999 film ''Muppets from Space'', and his role as a San Francisco hobo in the 2004 remake of ''Around the World in 80 Days''.

Schneider's directorial debut, the comedy ''Big Stan'', was released in some overseas markets during the fall of 2008, with a U.S. release in early 2009. In the film, he stars as a con artist who is arrested for perpetrating real-estate scams. He is sentenced to prison, so he takes a crash-course in martial arts to survive incarceration.

Schneider has also appeared in numerous comedies starring his ''SNL'' comrade Adam Sandler, most recently on 2010's ''Grown Ups''. The comedic characters Schneider plays in these films include an overly enthusiastic Cajun man who proclaims the catch-phrase, "You can do it!"; an amiable Middle Eastern delivery boy; a prison inmate; and Sandler's one-eyed Hawaiian sidekick, Ula. Schneider has uttered the line "You can do it!" as a running gag in Sandler's films ''The Waterboy'', ''Little Nicky'', ''50 First Dates'', ''The Longest Yard'', and ''Bedtime Stories'', as well as in a deleted scene from ''Click''. (A sample of Schneider saying the phrase also turns up in the song "Original Prankster" by The Offspring.) Returning the favor, Sandler appeared in a cameo to spout the same line in Schneider's ''The Animal'', in which as a reference, Adam Sandler utters: "Yeah! You can do it!," and showed up briefly in Schneider's ''The Hot Chick''. Schneider narrated Sandler's 2002 animated movie ''Eight Crazy Nights'', and voiced the part of a Chinese waiter. Schneider also had an uncredited cameo as a Canadian-Japanese wedding-chapel minister in the 2007 Sandler-Kevin James comedy ''I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry'', and played a Palestinian cab driver who serves as the title character's nemesis in the 2008 Sandler film ''You Don't Mess with the Zohan''.

Schneider played a variety of roles in the 2005 TV special ''Back to Norm'', starring another former ''SNL'' player Norm Macdonald, and appeared on episodes of the popular TV shows ''Seinfeld'' and ''Ally McBeal''. Schneider hosted the ''Sports Illustrated: Swimsuit '97'' TV special, and the 2005 ''Teen Choice Awards'', and is a frequent guest on NBC's late-night variety program ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno''. (Schneider's most recent appearance with Leno was on the July 24, 2007 episode of ''The Tonight Show''; he showed up in drag as actress Lindsay Lohan after Lohan cancelled following a controversial arrest for driving under the influence.

Besides his efforts in movies and television, Schneider released his first comedy album ''Registered Offender'' in July 2010. ''Registered Offender'' is composed of audio sketches and songs, with Schneider himself doing all of the character voices on the recording. He also revived his stand-up comedy career in 2010 with an international tour of theaters, clubs and casinos.

Schneider appeared in the music video for country singer Neal McCoy's "Billy's Got His Beer Goggles On," as the song's title character. McCoy and Schneider met while the two went on a USO tour in support of U.S. troops two months after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

Satire and parody

In Schneider's movies, the main character often undergoes some type of transformation, be it an unlikely career change, or a supernatural or science-fictional transformation. This formula was spoofed on the satirical animated television series ''South Park'', in the episode "The Biggest Douche in the Universe." (The title refers to television psychic John Edward, and not to Schneider.) In the show, trailers are shown for a series of movies that feature Schneider undergoing absurd transformations: a stapler, a carrot, and even the ''South Park'' character Kenny. Asked about being parodied on ''South Park'', Schneider responded in an About.com interview: "I loved it. That was genius. I thought the only thing, they were too nice to me...When you're spoofed by the best people in the business, that's an honor."

Criticism and controversies

Disputes

Schneider has engaged in a number of high-profile disputes with public figures:

In January 2005, film critic Patrick Goldstein of the ''Los Angeles Times'' said in an article that ''Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo'' was overlooked for an Academy Award because "nobody had the foresight to invent a category for Best Running Penis Joke Delivered by a Third-Rate Comic." Schneider responded two weeks later with full-page ads in ''Daily Variety'' and ''The Hollywood Reporter'', saying he had done research and found that Mr. Goldstein had never won any journalistic awards, commenting, "Maybe you didn't win a Pulitzer Prize because they haven't invented a category for Best Third-Rate, Unfunny Pompous Reporter Who's Never Been Acknowledged by His Peers." Schneider also wrote, "Patrick, I can honestly say that if I sat with you and your colleagues at a luncheon, afterward, they'd say 'You know, that Rob Schneider is a pretty intelligent guy, I hope we can do that again.' Whereas, if you sat with my colleagues, after lunch, you would just be beaten beyond recognition." He also called Goldstein a "real scumbag" in an appearance on ''Tom Green's House Tonight'' when referring to his criticisms of the film, and opined that Goldstein's criticism was unimaginative. Patrick publicly asked, "Who are Schneider's colleagues and why would I want to have lunch with them?"

In August 2005, film critic Roger Ebert of the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' responded to the Schneider-Goldstein conflict in his review for ''Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo''. While noting that an online search showed that Goldstein had won a National Headliner Award, a Los Angeles Press Club Award, a RockCritics.com award, and the Publicists' Guild award for lifetime achievement, Ebert said, "As chance would have it, I have won the Pulitzer Prize, and so I am qualified. Speaking in my official capacity as a Pulitzer Prize winner, Mr. Schneider, your movie sucks." (Ebert's 2007 collection of reviews of movies for which he gave negative reviews was titled ''Your Movie Sucks'', a reference to his review of ''Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo''.) In a later interview with ''Stuff'' magazine, Schneider called Ebert an "ass", saying that Ebert "irks" him and that he had been told that Ebert is "not nice to the people he works with." Ebert rejected the accusation, and reaffirmed his opinion of the film, stating, "If he's going to persist in making bad movies, he's going to have to grow accustomed to reading bad reviews." On May 7, 2007, Roger Ebert reported via his website that he had received a beautiful bouquet of flowers with a note stating it was from "Your least favorite actor, Rob Schneider." Ebert had recently undergone a very serious surgery to remove a cancerous salivary gland, and spent months recovering. Ebert saw the flowers as a kind gesture and publicly thanked Schneider, and said that Schneider may have made a bad film, but he was not a bad man. Ebert also expressed hope that Schneider would make a film that Ebert finds wonderful.

Following anti-Semitic remarks made by Mel Gibson during his arrest for a DUI in late July 2006, Schneider took out a full-page ad in ''Variety'' to send an open letter to the Hollywood community, pledging as "a 1/2 Jew" to "never work with Mel Gibson-actor-director-producer-and anti-Semite." He further wrote that "even if Mr. Gibson offered me a lead role in 'Passion of the Christ 2,' I, like Bernie Brillstein, would have to say 'No!'" Schneider also used the ad to make reference to his upcoming directorial debut, ''Big Stan''. In 2008, Schneider described this ad as "a comedic, satirical view of how I saw the situation with Mel Gibson, and also the hypocrisy of show business when they're all standing in line to say what a bad person he is when they're all a bunch of hypocritical assholes."

In early July 2007, film reviewers in Australia noted the similarities between the 2007 American movie ''I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry'' and the 2004 Australian feature ''Strange Bedfellows''. On July 18, 2007, the ''Sydney Morning Herald'' published an online article in which ''Strange Bedfellows'' director and co-writer Dean Murphy aired his concerns that ''Chuck and Larry'' may infringe on his copyright. The article reported that Michael Caton had stated he had passed a DVD of ''Strange Bedfellows'' to Rob Schneider when the two actors were working on ''The Animal''. Caton was then quoted as saying, "I'm going to have to get onto Rob Schneider and say you owe me one pal ... or Adam Sandler owes me one. They're really good mates and it's obvious [Schneider] said 'Hey, have a look at this'." In August 2007, Schneider took out a full-page ad on Page 10 of the ''Sydney Morning Herald'' in the form of an open letter, in which he repudiated the charges. Caton replied through the ''Herald'' that he was disappointed with Schneider for not understanding his earlier criticisms were "obviously tongue in cheek."

Accusations of ethnic stereotyping

A 2005 ''New York Times'' editorial admonished, "Watch Rob Schneider play Ula, a leering Hawaiian in the Adam Sandler movie ''50 First Dates,'' with a pidgin accent by way of Cheech and Chong, and you get the sense that Hollywood still believes that there is no ethnic caricature a white actor can't improve upon." In a letter to the editor, Schneider defended himself by asserting his Filipino heritage, adding that he believes that "Hollywood should give roles to the most talented person irrespective of ethnicity, race or in my case 'looks'."

In 2007, The Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA) criticized Schneider for donning prosthetic make up to play a Japanese minister in ''I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry'' by likening it to "yellow face." Richard Roeper said in his review that "Rob Schneider's Filipino background hardly excuses his portrayal of an Asian minister in perhaps the most egregious stereotype of its kind since Mickey Rooney in ''Breakfast at Tiffany's''."

MANAA also criticized Schneider for an Asian character's dialogue in 2005's ''Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo'', which he co-wrote. The organization stated that the portrayal of the character "perpetuated the tired stereotype that Asian men have small penises."

Personal life

In 1996, Schneider established the "Rob Schneider Music Foundation." The foundation returned music education to Pacifica's elementary schools by paying the teachers' salaries and providing funds for instruments and other equipment. Prior to Schneider's efforts, the school system had done without music education programs for many years.

Schneider once co-owned the DNA Lounge, a San Francisco nightclub.

Schneider's mother has made cameo appearances in her son's films, playing a cheerleading contest judge in ''The Hot Chick'', a restaurant patron in ''Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo'', and a nosy neighbor in ''The Animal''.

Schneider is an environmentalist. He drives a Toyota Prius hybrid automobile, and served as host for the 13th annual ''Environmental Media Awards'' in 2004.

On April 23, 2011, Schneider married Mexican television producer Patricia Azarcoya Arce in Beverly Hills, CA.

Filmography

+ Film
! Year	! Title	! Role	! Director	Notes
1990		Voyeur Martian
1991		Chuck Neiderman
1992	''Home Alone 2: Lost in New York''	Cedric the Bellhop
1993	''Surf Ninjas''	Iggy
1993		Erwin		Uncredited
1993	''''	Woodrow Tyler
1995		Fergie, Herman Ferguson
1996	''Down Periscope''	Lt. Martin Pascal
1996	''''	Volpe
1997	''Steve Polychronopolous''	The Agent		Music video
1998		Tommy Hendricks
1998	''''	Townie
1999	''Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo''	Deuce Bigalow
1999		Nazo, the Italian Delivery guy
1999	''Muppets from Space''	TV Producer
2000	''Little Nicky''	The Townie
2001	''''	Marvin Mange
2002	''Mr. Deeds''	Nazo, the Italian Delivery Man	, Jared Harris
2002	''Eight Crazy Nights''	Chinese Waiter & Narrator
2002	''''	Clive
2004	''50 First Dates''	Ula
2004		Hobo
2005	''''	Punky
2005	''Deuce Bigalow: European Gigolo''	Deuce Bigalow
2006		Yuri
2006	''''	Gus
2006		Prince Habeeboo		Uncredited
2006	''Shark Bait''	Nerissa		Voice only
2006		Dinosaur Rex		Uncredited
2007	''I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry''	Asian Minister		Uncredited
2008	''You Don't Mess with the Zohan''	Salim
2008		Indian horse seller/scammer		Cameo role (uncredited)
2008	''Big Stan''	Stan Minton
2009	''Noah's Ark: The New Beginning''	Zed (voice)
2009		Ed Curtzman		Clare Kilner
2010		Rob Hilliard
2010	''''	Paul Zadzik

References

External links

The Rob Schneider Music Foundation

Environmental Media Awards

2009 interview with Bullz-Eye.com

Category:1963 births Category:Actors from California Category:American actors of Asian descent Category:American comedians Category:American film actors Category:American people of Filipino descent Category:American people of Jewish descent Category:American screenwriters Category:American television actors Category:Living people Category:People from Pacifica, California Category:People from San Francisco, California

ar:روب شنايدر cs:Rob Schneider da:Rob Schneider de:Rob Schneider es:Rob Schneider fr:Rob Schneider hr:Rob Schneider it:Rob Schneider he:רוב שניידר hu:Rob Schneider nl:Rob Schneider ja:ロブ・シュナイダー no:Rob Schneider pl:Rob Schneider pt:Rob Schneider ru:Шнайдер, Роб simple:Rob Schneider sr:Роб Шнајдер fi:Rob Schneider sv:Rob Schneider th:ร็อบ ชไนเดอร์ tr:Rob Schneider uk:Роб Шнайдер vi:Rob Schneider zh:勞伯·許奈德

Coordinates	56°09′″N40°25′″N
name	Beenie Man
background	solo_singer
birth name	Anthony Moses Davis
alias	Ras Moses, The Doctor, The Girls Dem Sugar, Henry Morgan
birth date	August 22, 1973
origin	Kingston, Jamaica
genre	Reggae, dancehall, reggae fusion, Ragga-Soca
occupation	Musician, Songwriter, Deejay, Producer
years active	late 1970s–present
label	BrooklandUniversal RepublicIsland Jamaica/PolyGram RecordsVirgin/EMI Records
Associated acts	Don Omar, Snow (musician), Talib Kweli, Memphis Bleek, YoungBloodZ, Pastor Troy, Johnny J
website	www.beeniemanmusic.com }}

Anthony Moses Davis (born August 22, 1973), better known by his stage name Beenie Man, is a Grammy award winning Jamaican reggae artist. He is the self-proclaimed "King of the Dancehall".

Biography

Davis was born in the Waterhouse district of Kingston in 1973. He was involved in the music industry from a young age, starting toasting at the age of five, and was encouraged by his uncle Sydney Wolfe, who played drums for Jimmy Cliff. He won the Teeny Talent contest in 1981, and Radio DJ Barry G introduced him to local sound system operators, who helped to establish the popularity of the young deejay, who became known as Beenie Man. He recorded his debut single, "Too Fancy", with record producer Henry "Junjo" Lawes in 1981, with Lawes also including him on the 1983 album ''Junjo Presents Two Big Sounds'' alongside established stars such as Dillinger, Fathead, and Ringo. His debut album, ''The Invincible Beenie Man: The Ten Year Old DJ Wonder'' was produced by Bunny Lee and released in 1983, his first hit single following the same year with the Winston Holness-produced "Over the Sea". In 1984 Beenie Man recorded some material with Barrington Levy (released ten years later), but his music career was put on hold while he finished school, and spent time travelling to the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada.

1990s return

Beenie Man continued performing and honed his craft beside the then dominant dancehall figures including Ninjaman, Admiral Bailey and Shabba Ranks. He found his artistic home at the Shocking Vibes studio where he continued to record singles with only moderate success in the early 1990s. His career gained momentum after a performance at the ''Reggae Sunsplash'' festival in 1992, and a rivalry with Bounty Killer began the following year after Beenie Man was accused of stealing Bounty Killer's style and catch phrases. The rivalry was captured on the 1994 album ''Guns Out'', with the two artists settling the feud with a soundclash. Beenie Man had his first number one single in Jamaica in 1993 with "Matie", and he won the DJ of the Year Award the same year, the first of eight consecutive awards.

International stardom

Partially as a result of prodding from his producers, Sly and Robbie, with whom he recorded cover versions of Bob Marley's "Crazy Baldheads" and "No Woman No Cry" in 1994, the latter a Jamaican chart-topper, Beenie Man converted to the Rastafari movement, as did several of his contemporaries at the time, although in 2005 he stated "I have not converted. I was baptised an Ethiopian Orthodox and at the age of 10 I became a Judah Coptic." In 1994, he was signed by Island Records and released the critically acclaimed album ''Blessed'', which established his reputation internationally. In 1995 he toured the UK and joined up again with Barrington Levy to record an updated jungle version of Levy's "Under Mi Sensi".

In 1995, Beenie Man collaborated with Dennis Brown and Triston Palmer to release ''Three Against War'' and Mad Cobra and Lieutenant Stitchie on ''Mad Cobra Meets Lt. Stitchie & Beenie Man''. He also collaborated with Lady Saw on "Healing", Sanchez on "Refugee", and Michael Prophet on "Gun 'n' Bass", further establishing his reputation. He took another step up the ladder in 1996, releasing the seminal ''Maestro'', produced by Patrick Roberts and shot him to UK fame. During the period from the mid to late 1990s, Beenie Man dominated the Jamaican charts to the extent that he perhaps had a good claim to the crown of "Dancehall King", a title only bestowed previously on Yellowman in the early 1980s. Beenie Man's first real break into the United States came in 1997. He heard an instrumental rhythm by an unknown producer named Jeremy Harding, and demanded to add his voice to the rhythm. So this was the birth of his first international hit; he recorded "Who Am I" and the single quickly went Gold. It opened the doors for the world to see a new reggae star in the pages of Newsweek and other major media outlets. The same year, Beenie Man topped the Jamaican singles chart with seven different singles.

In 1998, Beenie Man headlined ''Reggae Sunsplash'' and signed to Virgin Records to release albums in the United States. His first American offering was ''The Doctor'' (1998). During the late 1990s, Beenie Man began his conquest of America with the hits, "Romie", "Who Am I", and "Girls Dem Sugar", which featured American R&B; singer, Mýa. During this time he received an impressive number of international music awards including a MOBO Award for Best International Reggae Act in 1998, while remaining at the top of the local charts. In 2000, Beenie Man released ''Art & Life'', which featured Arturo Sandoval and Wyclef Jean (The Fugees), for which received a Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album. In the same year he co-produced (with Wyclef Jean) the debut album by actor Steven Seagal. Beenie Man, like many dancehall artists is outspoken on a number of social issues, as exemplified by songs such as "Steve Biko" and "Murderer".

In 2002, he had a sizeable hit with a duet with Janet Jackson called "Feel It Boy", but his biggest break in America came in early 2004 with the release of a remix of "Dude", featuring guest vocals by fellow Jamaican Ms. Thing, as well as rhymes by Shawnna. He thus cemented his fan base on both sides of the Atlantic.

He had hits in the UK in 1998 with "Who am I" (#10), in 2003 with "Street Life" (#13) and "Feel It Boy" (UK #9), a duet with Janet Jackson, and in 2004 with "Dude" (#7) and "King of the Dancehall" (#14).

He was also a judge for the 6th annual Independent Music Awards to support independent artists' careers.

In April 2008 it was announced that Beenie Man was to co-write and star in the film ''Kingston''. In October 2010 Beenie Man came out with the EP "I'm Drinking Rum and Red Bull", which included 4 songs, "Im drinking Rum and Red Bull", "I'm Okay" , and two versions of "Stack and Pile". He later relaased the full album on February 28, 2011."Im Drinking Rum and Red Bull" features Future Fambo. In September 2008 Beenie Man was cleared of charges of tax evasion.

In April 2009, Beenie Man signed with Brookland Entertainment, a new record label formed by Eric Nicks and The Trackmasters, in preparation to release his new album, "The Legend Returns". The music video for the release of his new single “Gimme Gimme” will be shot in Canada on April 18, 2009.

Personal life

Beenie Man married Michelle "D'Angel" Downer, Bounty Killa's ex-girlfriend and the pair set up the MAFIA House Production Company together. They have a son together, Marco Dean, born in November 2006. In June 2007, Beenie Man separated from his wife. In March 2010, they released the single "You Are My First" together, although (according to D'Angel) while still married they remained separate.

Lyrical Controversy

The lyrics to some of his songs have been criticized for inciting the murder of homosexuals. He was removed from the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards after protests by gay-rights activists. That same year, Beenie Man was stopped by police at Heathrow Airport in London, after the cancellation of a concert in England. He then issued an apology for the lyrics through his record company. In 2005, gay rights group OutRage! suspended their opposition to Beenie Man after he agreed not to play songs featuring homophobic lyrics, and he performed in London that year. The following year, he claimed his lyrics were anti-pedophilia, not against consensual homosexual relationships.

In 2007, it was reported that Beenie Man, along with several other artists, had signed the Reggae Compassionate Act, an agreement to cease performances of anti-gay material. He later denied that he had signed the act. As of 2010, protests have continued to cause cancellations of his concerts in some countries, including New Zealand, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Discography

Albums

Studio albums

1983: ''The Invincible Beenie Man: The Incredible Ten Year Old DJ Wonder'' - Bunny Lee

1992: ''Cool Cool Rider'' - VP

1994: ''Dis Unu Fi Hear'' - High Tone

1994: ''Defend It'' VP

1994: ''Guns Out'' with Bounty Killer - Greensleeves

1995: ''Blessed'' - Island

1995: ''Maestro'' - Greensleeves & VP

1995: ''Mad Cobra Meets Lt. Stitchie & Beenie Man'' - VP

1997: ''Many Moods Of Moses'' - VP

1999: ''Y2K'' - Artists Only

1999: ''Ruff n Tuff''

1999: ''The Doctor'' - VP

2000: ''Art and Life'' - Virgin

2001: ''Black Liberty''

2001: ''Youth Quake''

2002: ''Tropical Storm''

2004: ''Back to Basics''

2006: ''Concept of Life''

2006: ''Hundred Dollar Bag''

2006: ''Undisputed''

2007: ''Monsters of Dancehall''

2009: ''The Legend Returns''

2011: ''TBA''

Compilations

1995: ''All the Best''

2000: ''Best of Beenie Man''

2002: ''Gold - The Very Best of'' - Charm

2005: ''Kingston to King of the Dancehall''

2005: ''Greatest Hits So Far''

Live albums

2004: ''Live in San Francisco''

Mixtapes and unofficial releases

2000: ''Trendsetter''

2004: ''Cool Cool Rider - The Roots of a Dancehall Don''

2006: ''Its Ah! Beenie (riddim mixtape)''

2007: ''Monsters of Dancehall''

Singles

1981: "Too Fancy"

1983: "Over the Sea"

1993: "Matie"

1995: "Slam"

1995: "Romie"

1995: "Old Dog"

1995: "Healing" (with Lady Saw)

1997: "Dancehall Queen" (with Chevelle Franklin)

1998: "Who Am I (Sim Simma)"

1998: "Tell Me"

2000: "Jungle Boogie" (featuring Sly and Robbie)

2000: "Love Me Now" (featuring Wyclef Jean)

2000: "Girls Dem Sugar" (featuring Mýa)

2002: "Fresh from Yard" (featuring Lil' Kim)

2002: "Feel It Boy" (featuring Janet Jackson)

2002: "Red Red Red" (with Robyn)

2003: "Street Life" (featuring Assia)

2003: "Bossman" (featuring Sean Paul and Lady Saw)

2004: "Dude" (featuring Ms. Thing and Shawnna)

2004: "King of the Dancehall"

2005: "Specialists" (featuring Vybz Kartel)

2006: "Girls" (featuring Akon)

2006: "Hmm Hmm"

2006: "Dreaming of You" (featuring Alaine)

2007: "Give It Up" (featuring Barbee)

2008: "Wine Gyal"

2008: "Pickney Nah Hold Yah Dung"

2008: "Gimme Gimme"

2010: "I'm Drinking/Rum & Red Bull"

Featured singles

1996: "Sound Clash" (Dream Warriors featuring Beenie Man)

1996: "Hands In the Air" (Doug E. Fresh featuring Beenie Man)

1999: "Outa Space (UFOs)" (Machel Montano featuring Beenie Man); album Any Minute Now

2000: "Money" (Jamelia featuring Beenie Man)

2001: "I'm Serious" (T.I. featuring Beenie Man)

2004: "Compton" (Guerilla Black featuring Beenie Man)

2005: "Soul on Fire" (KMC featuring Beenie Man)

2006: "Belly Danza" (Don Omar featuring Beenie Man)

2006: "Zingy" (Ak'Sent featuring Beenie Man)

2006: "Flow Natural" (Tito El Bambino featuring Deevani and Beenie Man)

2006: "Heaven Baby" (Brooke Hogan featuring Beenie Man)

2007: "Back It Up"

2008: "Better than Dem" (Natasja featuring Beenie Man)

2008: "Scorpion" (Nisha B. featuring Beenie Man)

2008: "Burnin' Burnin" (Ms. Triniti featuring Beenie Man)

2009: "Get It On" (Rasun featuring Beenie Man)

2009: "Giggle" (Busta Rhymes featuring Beenie Man)

2009: "Woman"

2009: "International" (Chali 2na featuring Beenie Man)

2009: "Pleasure" (2G featuring Beenie Man and Chris S)

Notes

References

Further reading

Wray, Milton: ''Who Am I?: The Untold Story of Beenie Man'', 2008, Great House/Omnimedia, Kingston, Jamaica, ISBN 978-9769519930

External links

Official website

Category:1973 births Category:People from Kingston, Jamaica Category:Virgin Records artists Category:Island Records artists Category:Dancehall musicians Category:Reggae fusion artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Jamaican reggae musicians Category:Living people Category:Sony/ATV Music Publishing artists Category:Pseudonymous musicians

de:Beenie Man es:Beenie Man fr:Beenie Man it:Beenie Man ht:Beenie Man hu:Beenie Man ja:ビーニ・マン pl:Beenie Man sv:Beenie Man

Coordinates	56°09′″N40°25′″N
name	Rick Mercer
birth name	Richard Vincent Mercer
birth date	October 17, 1969
birth place	St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada
website	http://www.rickmercer.com/ }}

Richard Vincent "Rick" Mercer (born October 17, 1969) is a Canadian comedian, television personality, political satirist, and blogger.

Mercer first came to national attention in 1990, when he premiered his one man show ''Show Me the Button, I'll Push It, or Charles Lynch Must Die'' at the Great Canadian Theatre Company in Ottawa. A pointed, satirical political commentary on Canadian life after Meech Lake, ''Show Me the Button'' made Mercer a national star as he toured the show across Canada. Mercer came to greater attention for his role in the satirical news show ''This Hour Has 22 Minutes'', and his spinoff special ''Talking To Americans'' was the highest-rated comedy special in the history of CBC Television, with 2.7 million viewers.

Television shows

In 1992, he created and performed his second show, ''I've Killed Before, I'll Kill Again'', which was also a popular touring show. Also in that year, he began to work with former ''CODCO'' members Cathy Jones, Mary Walsh, and with 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 change his first name to Doris.

Mercer's tightly scripted and performed 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 quickly 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 teen bullying in high schools to Dan Savage's It Gets Better Project.

''Made in Canada''

Mercer co-created the series ''Made in Canada'', which ran for five seasons on CBC Television from 1998 – 2003. The show was a fast-paced situation comedy which 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 Awards (which were themselves satirized in subsequent episodes.)

''Talking to Americans''

One of Mercer's trademark 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 average Americans regarding Canadian politics, the weather, etc., often with hilarious results as the subject's ignorance about Canada was illustrated. 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". Bush was not amused at the time, and thereafter refused to accept interviews from the CBC. However, 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 million Canadian viewers—the highest-rated television special in Canadian history. Later, the respected ABC 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. It was rumoured that he had decided to leave because of friction between Mercer and co-star Mary Walsh, although other reasons include focusing on his other television show, ''Made in Canada''. ''Talking to Americans'' was nominated for a Gemini Award, but following the 9/11 attacks, Mercer declined the nomination.

''The Rick Mercer Report''

In 2003, ''Made in Canada'' ended its run as well, and Mercer began to work on a new CBC series, ''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 Canadian troops stationed there (See: Operation Athena), resulting in the television special ''Christmas in Kabul''.

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. Mercer has had a who's who from the world of Canadian entertainment and politics appear as guests on his show. Ex-Prime Minister Paul Martin gave him a private tour of 24 Sussex Drive and former New Democratic Party leader Ed Broadbent made snow angels with Mercer on Parliament Hill. Other prominent guests were NDP leader Jack Layton; Conservative Party leader Stephen Harper (now Prime Minister); Green Party leader Elizabeth May; then-Conservative MP Belinda Stronach; Conservative MP Peter MacKay; Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams; Olympic gold medallist Kyle Shewfelt; author Pierre Berton; recording artists Jann Arden, Bif Naked, Rush bassist Geddy Lee, 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 tsunami at the Pengrowth Saddledome in Calgary, musical guests Barenaked Ladies appeared in a segment Mercer shot backstage completely naked.

Since Mercer launched his own show, he became a regular target of his old show ''22 Minutes''. Criticism of Mercer focused mostly on his ongoing support of the Canadian Forces and his personal wealth.

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."

A book by Mercer, ''Rick Mercer Report: The Book'', based on his television program, was published on September 25, 2007, by Doubleday Canada. This was Mercer's first book since his bestselling ''Streeters'' of 1998, and contained a collection of the best of Mercer's "rants" from the first four seasons of ''Rick Mercer Report'', together with choice moments from interviews for the program and other writings by Mercer. On CBC Radio's ''Sounds Like Canada'' on September 21, Shelagh Rogers said of the book that "it's the most fun I've had in bed in a long time." The book entered the ''Globe and Mail'' books chart on October 6 at number three. A continuing commercial success, it was number one in the ''Globe'' bestseller list in the week before Christmas 2007, and has been reprinted eight times.

An expanded and updated paperback version of ''Rick Mercer Report: The Book'', called ''Rick Mercer Report: The Paperback Book'', was published by Anchor Canada on September 16, 2008 and immediately entered the top ten of the ''Globe and Mail'' bestseller list. It continues to sell well and has been reprinted several times.

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'' and ''Bon Cop, Bad Cop''.

Awards

Mercer has received more than 20 Gemini Awards for his television work. He has also been a winner of the prestigious Sir Peter Ustinov Comedy Award, presented to him at the 2003 Banff Television Festival. In 1993, Newfoundland premier Clyde Wells honoured Mercer with the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council's Artist of the Year award. In 2004, Mercer was presented with the Governor General's Performing Arts Award. He donated his $15,000 cash prize to the LSPU hall, the theatre in Newfoundland where Mercer performed his early work.

He holds honorary degrees from Laurentian University in Sudbury, Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John's, Brock University in St. Catharines, McMaster University in Hamilton, Bishop's University in Sherbrooke, and the University of British Columbia. He received an honorary high school diploma for his outstanding efforts and determination from Landmark East School in Wolfville, Nova Scotia in 1999.

Mercer was awarded the 30th Annual Bob Edwards Award in Calgary.

In 2007, he was named honorary colonel of the 423 Maritime Helicopter Squadron, based in Shearwater, Nova Scotia; the squadron flies the Sea King helicopters.

Spokesperson and endorsements

Rick Mercer is co-chair, along with Belinda Stronach, in the Spread the Net campaign, partnered through UNICEF, which kicked off at Brock University on September 10, 2008. Spread the Net provides bed nets for $10 each to prevent the spread of malaria among children in Africa.

In December 2004 Mercer appeared on the commercials advertising the One-Tonne Challenge for the Government of Canada. Mercer also appeared as a model in a national ad for men's clothing store, Harry Rosen, wearing a Canali suit. All of Mercer's fees for the campaign went to Casey House, a hospice in Toronto for people living with AIDS. Casey House was founded by June Callwood, who appeared as a celebrity guest on ''Monday Report''.

In September 2005, Mercer became the national spokesperson for the 2005 Walk For Life, a series of 132 fund-raising walks across Canada that raise money for people living with HIV and AIDS. The Walk for Life is a project of the Canadian AIDS Society.

Mercer has narrated an animated science video on climate change for Science North in Sudbury.

In November 2010, Mercer joined the It Gets Better, Canada campaign, a series of videos that aim to help gay and lesbian youth to overcome bullying.

Personal life

Mercer was born in St. John's, Newfoundland. He dropped out of Prince of Wales High School in St. John's before completing his diploma requirements. However, in 2002 he was presented with an honorary doctor of letters by Laurentian University and in 2005 he was awarded an honorary doctorate degree by Memorial University of Newfoundland. He was a member of the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets when he was in his teen years.

Mercer's partner is television producer Gerald Lunz. Although the romantic relationship came first, Lunz is also Mercer's long-time partner in business, who discovered him, fostered his career, and is currently the executive producer of ''The Rick Mercer Report''. He regards his personal life as private, and says little about it in public.

References

Further reading

External links

Personal website

''Rick Mercer Report'' Official website

Category:1969 births Category:Canadian bloggers Category:Canadian satirists Category:Canadian television comedians Category:Gemini Award winners Category:LGBT comedians Category:LGBT people from Canada Category:LGBT television personalities Category:Living people Category:People from St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador

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