The fictional television newsman who taught us the importance of having great hair has delivered a crucial lesson to Toronto’s embattled mayor: every candidate needs a catchy theme song.
Fortunately for Rob Ford, Ron Burgundy has saved him the trouble of picking a tune for next year's re-election campaign.
In a mocking tribute, Burgundy – portrayed by actor and comedian Will Ferrell in a pair of films – showed his support for Toronto’s scandal-plagued mayor by singing Loverboy’s “Working for the Weekend” on “Conan” on Wednesday night.
Before the performance with host Conan O’Brien’s band, Burgundy called Ford a “dear friend” and an “outstanding individual.”
“I hold him in the highest regard, he is the best,” said Burgundy, who was on the late night talk show to promote his “memoir” and the upcoming “Anchorman” sequel.
As Burgundy set up the gag, he said Ford asked him to sing the theme song.
“He’s a controversial figure,” O’Brien said.
“He’s controversial because he’s so damn honest,” Burgundy replied.
During the performance, Burgundy ad-libbed the chorus with a message for the mayor: “Don’t do anything stupid, Rob.” Burgundy then broke into a scorching flute solo.
Late night talk shows have had a field day with the Ford scandal and it appears the mayor was a fan of Ferrell’s comedy bit.
Ford shared the video with his Twitter followers in a tweet sent from his official account: “Good morning Toronto. I had to laugh at my friend Ron Burgundy & his take on my 2014 re-election campaign song.”
Ferrell and Ford met last year when the actor visited Toronto to promote a film.
@ChrisKitching is on Twitter. For instant breaking news, follow @CP24 on Twitter.
