Comedian roasts Toronto in new Netflix special

Multihyphenate talent Mary Beth Barone is the latest comedian to land her own Netflix special, and, somewhat unexpectedly, she found time to roast a very specific Toronto landmark for millions of viewers.

Barone's debut special, Galaxy Brain, premiered on Netflix on July 28 and is packed with her signature dry, deadpan observations on politics, misogyny, relationships and all the absurdities of modern living.

But perhaps the biggest surprise for fans watching the special came when the writer/actress/comedian/podcaster turned her attention to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.

"So there's an airport in Toronto called Billy Bishop, which... that's not the name of an airport," she said with unflappable delivery. 

"Billy Bishop? That's Macklyn, Decklan and Braden's dad," she continued. "That's my fake husband who I adore."

@twoniver it’s okay, it can stay ours 🫶🏽 #galaxybrain ♬ original sound - TWON | Big Hearts Club 💖

While some viewers considered it "slander," I found it funny that Barone insinuated that the airport sounds like the name of the most Caucasian man one could ever know. Akin to the name of a Utah man whose housewife is three levels deep in an essential oils MLM, you know? (Maybe I just watch too much RHOSLC). 

The airport, which first opened in 1939, was named in honour of Air Marshal William Avery "Billy" Bishop, who became one of Canada's most celebrated fighter aces during the First World War. Born in Owen Sound, Ont., Bishop was Canada's first airman to receive the Victoria Cross for bravery.

Barone has actually spent plenty of time in Toronto in recent years. She writes and stars in the wildly popular Amazon Prime show, Overcompensating, and its fictional "Yates University" was actually shot around the University of Toronto campus. It's likely she used Billy Bishop Airport to get to and from New York City, where she lives when she's not filming.

According to showrunner and co-star Benito Skinner, season two of Overcompensating wrapped production in June and is likely to come out later this year. 

Before Barone took aim, Billy Bishop Airport had already been making headlines of its own. Most recently, due to the Ford government's relentless push to allow commercial jets at the downtown airport. However, the feds rejected the premier's expansion bid last week, bringing the issue to a safe landing, for now at least.