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20 Comments

cityscape

Spotted: Rob Ford for Ex-Mayor

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SPOTTED BY: Barbs–, from the Torontoist Flickr pool.

WHERE: Spadina Avenue, Chinatown

WHEN: May 28, 2012

WHAT: We’ve seen some pretty unflattering anti-Rob Ford graffiti, but to our knowledge this is the first piece of street art to call explicitly for the mayor’s defeat in the 2014 municipal election. With Ford himself already in campaign mode (despite the fact that his current term isn’t yet half over), the overall message here seems fair. But calling him a “pig” is a little over the line.

Spotted features interesting things our readers discover in their journeys across Toronto. If you spot something interesting, send a photo and pertinent details to tips@torontoist.com.

Comments

  • Anonymous

    Bashing him personally will only help him.

    But he is a pig.

    • http://twitter.com/Welshgrrl Vashty Hawkins

      I agree with your first comment. Ford excels at playing the poor put-upon victim role any chance he can get, and this just fires up whatever is left of “Ford Nation”

      • Anonymous

        He’s probably happy to see this crap.

      • RLW

        I say set fire to what’s left of Ford Nation…or have they already burned themselves? Ashes to ashes…

        • Anonymous

          Did you say ‘asses to ashes?’

      • RLW

        I say burn whatever is left of Ford Nation…or have they already done that?

  • Joe

    Takes one to know one.

    • Anonymous

      Oik. I resemble that! Oink.

  • Anonymous

    This is an insult to pigs.

  • Anonymous

    This makes me wonder how hard it would be to convince people that Ford had decided not to run for re-election, when the time comes. Ford’s supporters seem to be of the “repeat it enough and it becomes true” variety, so it should work both ways.

    Pig-related: Riciduling someone as ‘fat’ or ‘obese’ could become a hate crime under an idea being floated by a group of [UK] MPs and a leading charity.

  • Artzychixx

    This same poster was up months ago in the spot where the Queen West fire occurred. It’s by an artist called Denial.

  • jp

    In the vernacular a pig is an unpleasant person or someone who’s a glutton, not a fat one. So entirely accurate, and not unwarranted. He’s done many piggish things!

  • Duke the Buzzard

    Agreed. Name-calling never swings anybody to your argument. Apart from that, the sentiment is shared.

  • Anonymous

    Arnold Ziffel probably would’ve been a better mayor.

    • Anonymous

      well, Arnold could hardly be worse… does Arnold have a dumb brother?

  • http://www.facebook.com/victoria.bowman.940 Victoria Bowman

    Loathe him as a mayor. Still not so keen on whatever is dripping from his mouth in the photo. And pig is way over the line. The guy has crappy analysis, principles, policy and presentation. There are a lot of things to dislike him for. Let’s not go after anybody on their appearance.

    • Anonymous

      You probably don’t like political cartoons, or any cartoons.

      The idea is that a person’s recognizable appearance is exaggerated, and conflated with aspects of their personality. Like a lot of ‘mature’ (for lack of a better word) comedy, it frequently skates between being edgy and offensive. If it manages not to offend anybody, then it’s probably not very effective (cf. George Grosz, Otto Dix, Thomas Nast and many, many others).

      I think this particular piece is both funny and effective. YMMV (obviously). If it were ridiculing fat people in general, I would agree that would be inappropriate, and offensive.

      Mayor Ford has made himself fair game, and he and his political allies certainly haven’t shied away from flinging excrement at their opponents. Indeed, they have made it their own, specially odious brand of public ‘debate’. Recall what was said at his swearing-in ceremony.

      He’s got a lot more coming to him.

  • Canuckfcuk

    He is a pig. It has nothing to do with his weight. He could look like Jake Gyllenhaalahahaal or who ever is the latest hottie and he’d still be a pig.

  • Anonymous

    Well, it might be a LITTLE over the top, but he calls me a lot of names, and nobody calls HIM on it. (Commie, pinko, leftard, dipper, taxpayer, fantatic, etc.)

    So, I don’t really care if somebody calls him a pig, or a slob, or a retard.

    I agree with the campaign sentiment and I hope he goes back to the sty and stays there.

  • guest

    It’s a shame that meaningful political debate is boiled down to hateful and demeaning comments.