Doug Ford dances to Electric Avenue in his weirdest press conference ever
Ontario Premier Doug Ford appeared in Oshawa on Friday to announce the rollout of new fully electric zero-emission GO buses, but it's Ford's awkward little dance to a 1980s hit that has the internet talking.
In a display of typically Fordian folksy showmanship, the premier performed a brief dance number during Friday's electric bus press conference, one that has overshadowed the actual news Ford was on hand to announce.
"I have a new theme song here, okay?" says Ford as he reaches for a smartphone and hits play on the 1982 funk-reggae classic, Electric Avenue, by Eddy Grant.
The future is electric. Tune in to find out how we’re leading the charge.https://t.co/MiiXGH6DQR
— Doug Ford (@fordnation) May 12, 2023
Ford proceeds to awkwardly bob his head and shoulders with a hand swaying and thumb extended, in a dance that lasts just a few seconds but seems to go on for ages. Press attending the event can be heard laughing audibly at the antics in the background.
"That's the new theme song for Ontario; Electric Avenue, and we're going to build it right across our province," says Ford, ending his little shuffle and getting back to the announcement at hand.
How I’m trynna be this summer. Head empty, just vibes. pic.twitter.com/nRWUX6OC7o
— Dan 'Sheriff of Ethics Township' Seljak (@anotherglassbox) May 12, 2023
Charlie Pinkerton of The Trillium called it "probably the weirdest since last Aug. 12's bee incident" in a tweet. "A woman fainted, Ford told Islamophobes to get out of Ontario, & he played Electric Avenue off his phone speaker at the podium," added Pinkerton.
but.... could we.... get him to quit his day job to become a dancer??? 😄🤔😏
— Millennials for Democracy (@millennials4_wp) May 12, 2023
One commenter pointed out the irony of Ford — a staunchly conservative politician — using a protest song written to denounce police as part of his announcement.
In today's news conference Doug Ford played his new Theme Song Electric Avenue off of his phone. Electric Avenue is a protest song about policing in London’s Caribbean community.https://t.co/Lg75eXhCOj
— P.b.Freire (@Freire1Pb) May 12, 2023
Others are taking aim at Ford's style of dancing, which several commenters have compared to former U.S. President Donald Trump's famously cringe moves.
Learned from the best. pic.twitter.com/7xzWoTLZm5
— morecowbell11 (@morecowbell11) May 12, 2023
But the most common response to Ford's dancing by volume appears to simply be the clown emoji, a single-character mega-burn recognized almost universally for its implication of buffoonery.
fordnation
