Toronto Mayor Rob Ford gets roasted on Jimmy Kimmel's show

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford gets roasted on Jimmy Kimmel’s show

By Patrick Kevin Day

March 4, 2014 12:31 PM PT

Embattled Toronto Mayor Rob Ford made the trek south of the border to appear on Jimmy Kimmel’s show on Monday night, but he may have been reconsidering his decision after the ABC late-night host openly mocked Ford for most of his time in the guest chair.

The plus-sized Ford -- who told Kimmel he’d lost 40 pounds -- appeared red-faced and sweating on Kimmel’s show for three segments in which he answered critical Internet comments and reacted to the various video clips of the mayor that have added to his media legacy.

“I wasn’t elected to be perfect, Jimmy,” he said.

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Kimmel revealed that he’d managed to book Ford through the simplest, most direct way possible. He got hold of Ford’s widely distributed phone number and gave him a call. When Ford accepted, Kimmel even picked him up at the airport.

Kimmel seemed surprised at the level of vitriol he saw in Internet comments after it was announced that Ford would be appearing on his show, and even read some of the comments aloud to Ford to get his reaction.

“You know about Rob Ford’s domestic abuse, drunk driving, racism, homophobia and inability to tell the truth, too, right?” Kimmel read aloud.

“Is that all I got?” Ford replied.

But Kimmel wasn’t through. He brought Ford over to a large screen and replayed some of Ford’s most notorious moments, including the surruptitiously recorded video of Ford ranting about his displeasure with someone, threatening to rip his throat out and poke his eyes out.

“Who was that?” Kimmel asked. “You don’t know? You have that many enemies?”

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Kimmel also contrasted images of the sometimes cartoonish Toronto mayor with L.A.’s more photogenic Mayor Eric Garcetti.

“Last week you dared the police chief of Toronto to arrest you .... Is that a good idea?” Kimmel asked.

“It’s all politics,” Ford said.

Ford is notorious for admitting to smoking crack and public drunkenness, among other activities. In November the Toronto City Council voted to strip him of most of his duties as mayor. He has since registered to run for reelection.

While a trip to Hollywood may have helped raise his visibility, it may not have been the image enhancer he hoped for.

Ford’s brother, Doug, told the Toronto Sun after the segment taped that Ford was “a little upset.”

However, Ford himself told the Sun, “There were some tough questions, but it was fun. I had a blast.”