You call that funny?

One of the harmless myths that Canadians live by is that we're funnier than our neighbours to the south.  There's some historical evidence for this.  A century ago, Stephen Leacock managed the remarkable double play of being both an economist and a wit.  If you've never heard of him, think a slightly gentler, non-Jewish version of SJ Perelman, the guy who wrote most of the Marx Brothers' material.*

More recently, Canadians have played major roles in ensemble comedy shows like SNL and Second City -- people like John Candy, Mike Myers and the acerbic Norm Macdonald all hail from this side of the border.  And we mustn't forget Lorne Michaels, who may not be funny himself, but has kept SNL loaded with fresh talent for going on three decades.

But there are strong counter-arguments: Jim Carrey, for instance, who was briefly the highest paid star in movies until someone realized that watching someone gurning wasn't worth a whole lot.  Nowadays he can't get himself arrested, more's the pity.

And then there's Martin Short, a Second City alumnus who unaccountably went on to a lengthy post-SNL career.  He pitched up in Toronto this past weekend to host the Canadian Screen Awards show, a bizarre concoction that honours everything from movies to sportscasting.

To no-one's surprise, Short reeled off a litany of Rob Ford jokes, but then he let loose with this gem.  Looking at the audience of stars big and (mostly) small, he said "this reminds me of the luge at the Winter Olympics.  Most of you have got to where you are by lying flat on your backs".

That's not unfunny, but it's wildly sexist.  It sounds like something Rob Ford might have said.  And if Ford had said it, his critics in the media would have piled in on him unmercifully.

Aside from some gasps from the audience, Short got away with it.  Because of course, he's "Canadian Showbiz Royalty".  That may seem to you to be an oxymoron, and maybe it is.  But it's also a synonym, for "lives in Los Angeles".

* Interestingly, Leacock himself seems to have thought that the funniest person in the world at the time was Dorothy Parker.