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Irish Independent
16-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Rob Ford: the crack-smoking mayor of mayhem who could out-Trump Trump
So Rob Ford could definitely have been Irish – or perhaps Australian. Instead, he was Canadian. Canadian! Ford was the type of politician who is usually described as a colourful character, a description that can cover anything from an unconventional love of red socks to an addiction to alcohol and crack cocaine. With Ford it was the latter. Your average Canadian politician he was not. And the electorate loved him. He had been a councillor in Toronto since 2000; one mild-mannered local politician remembered that no one wanted to sit beside Ford during council meetings because 'he was so aggressive'. Actually, he was an arch conservative with a far from traditional lifestyle and an obsessive interest in clientelist politics. Ford would fix it for you. This is Mayor of Mayhem, the second episode of the new documentary series on Netflix, Trainwreck. Ford was not pleased at losing some of his powers. 'It reminds me of when Saddam attacked Kuwait. You guys have just attacked Kuwait' The story is pretty much a one-man show. In 2010, Ford ran for mayor of Toronto, the biggest city in Canada. The experts and commentators said he didn't have a prayer. He romped home. Soon he was tearing up cycle lanes (nobody is all bad) and long before Donald Trump, he was attacking the media. He was making sure that council transport employees were re-classified as emergency workers, so that they were forbidden from striking. He shouted a lot. He had already been dismissed as the coach of the football team at Don Bosco Catholic Secondary School, a post in which he had been active for more than a decade. Sometimes he was coaching when he should have been at council meetings. You know yourself. But a controversial TV interview put an end to the beloved coaching. And then he was videoed smoking crack cocaine, in the company of gun runners. This is all old news in Canada, presumably. But it is strangely informative for the rest of us. First of all there are the spooky parallels with Irish political style. Then there is the strange spectacle of someone out-Trumping Trump, before Trump had even got started. Although Ford looks more like a baby than Donald Trump. Ford was round – very round – and various shades of pink. Mayor of Mayhem is also an object lesson in addiction and denial, which is sad. Ford denied to his closest friends and staffers that he had a drug and drink problem. Whilst drunk, he'd put his campaign manager in a headlock, and subsequently fired him when the man persisted in suggesting that Ford might want to go somewhere to detox. His behaviour became more and more volatile – rows and fights and a memorable rendition of Jamaican patois, performed solo in a takeaway. His speech became even wilder. We cannot provide you with the most shocking example of Ford talking to the press, because it is too obscene. But it is fair to say that Canadian journalists are still recovering. Those Canadian journalists come across here as the morality police, which will make some of us uncomfortable. Of course, I'd happily accept the offer of a video showing a politician smoking crack cocaine but it's a scary world when it is journalists – of all people – who are telling other people how to behave, and dancing on the high ground. Anyway, the video of Ford smoking crack took a while to surface, and when it eventually emerged, a poll of Toronto voters found that half of them thought the media had fabricated the recording. Meanwhile, the journalist who reported what she had seen when she'd viewed the video started getting death threats. And all of this before Trump, before Covid. This is really the story of someone falling apart in public. There is little exploration of Ford's relationship with his father, Doug Senior, who was a self-made millionaire and also an elected councillor. Yes, politics was a family affair for the Fords. Rob's first ambition had been to be a football player, but that didn't work out. His fellow councillors could not remove him from the post of mayor. But they started to remove his mayoral powers from him. Ford was not pleased, and reacted with his customary restraint. 'It reminds me of when Saddam attacked Kuwait. You guys have just attacked Kuwait,' he said. When he was diagnosed with cancer his brother, Doug, ran for mayor instead of him. Rob, after all the shenanigans and a spell in rehab, actually got re-elected to Toronto's city council. People still loved him. But he died in March 2016, aged 45. Donald Trump was elected for the first time the following November. This film shows a small political circus spinning out of control. It's mesmerising, and I don't want to spoil the spectacle, or the thrill of our disapproval, but it would have been better if it had concentrated a little less on its roaring leading man, and a little more on the pain that made Rob Ford the way he was. 'Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem' is available on Netflix from 8am on June 17
Hamilton Spectator
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
‘Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem': Netflix releasing new Rob Ford documentary soon — Here's when you can watch it
A controversial Canadian political figure is about to get the Netflix treatment in a new documentary. 'Trainwreck: Mayor of Mayhem,' directed by Shianne Brown, will showcase the publicly scrutinized Rob Ford and his series of scandals that unfolded during his term as mayor of Toronto, and is set to hit the popular streaming platform on June 17. So, I'm in a new @netflix documentary about Rob Ford- coming out on June 17th. Lots to learn from that tumultuous experience during this time of Trump. 'Mayor of Mayhem' will be the second installation of an anthology series entitled 'Trainwreck' that explores controversial events that made headlines over the past decade. A Netflix synopsis on the upcoming documentary reads, 'In the 2010 Toronto mayoral election, firebrand city councillor Rob Ford unexpectedly throws his hat into the ring. Widely dismissed as a joke by other politicians and the media, he defies critics with a shocking victory. But his administration soon becomes a slow-motion disaster, as an avalanche of scandals and allegations of hard drug use lead to an international media frenzy.' According to the Netflix app, the running time for this documentary is 49 minutes. Also included in the 'Trainwreck' anthology are stories titled 'The Astroworld Tragedy,' 'The Cult of American Apparel,' 'The Real Project X,' and 'Poop Cruise,' among others. Rob Ford, who served a term in the limelight as mayor of Toronto between 2010 and 2014, repeatedly made headlines worldwide for controversial decisions stemming around drugs, alcohol consumption and domestic disputes. While he rose to popularity during his term due to his infectious charisma, Ford also faced public condemnation for the questionable decisions he made in office and in his personal life. Careless mistakes and irresponsible public behaviour were exposed in the media throughout his time as mayor, however, he attempted to run for a second term in 2014. In September 2014, Ford developed severe abdominal pains and was admitted to Humber River Regional Hospital in North York, where a biopsy would reveal a tumour. Ultimately, he pulled out of the mayoral race due to his illness. After a two-year battle with cancer, the former mayor passed away at the age of 46 on March 22, 2016. A trailer for 'Mayor of Mayhem' has yet to be released, but Netflix users can expect the highly anticipated episode to hit the streaming platform on Tuesday, June 17.
Toronto Sun
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Toronto Sun
Rob Ford story coming to Netflix as part of 'Trainwreck' series
The episode titled Mayor of Mayhem is set to become available June 17 Former Toronto Mayor Rob Ford. Photo by Joe Warmington / Toronto Sun Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Rob Ford's wild ride as mayor of Toronto is heading to the small screen. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Netflix has released details of its forthcoming documentary series called Trainwreck , which is slated to begin airing next month and will delve into what the streaming service says are some of the most scandalizing events that have gripped the public. The anthology's first installment was released back in 2022. It explored the infamous and disastrous Woodstock '99 festival. The series will explore eight more moments in recent history, including everything from the devastating Astroworld tragedy to the cult of American Apparel. The Rob Ford episode, produced by Ben Rumney, is titled Mayor of Mayhem . It is set to become available June 17. 'In the 2010 Toronto mayoral election, firebrand city councillor Rob Ford unexpectedly throws his hat into the ring,' Netflix says in its Trainwreck promo. 'Widely dismissed as a joke by other politicians and the media, he defies critics with a shocking victory. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'But his administration soon becomes a slow-motion disaster, as an avalanche of scandals and allegations of hard drug use lead to an international media frenzy. During his four-year stint as mayor of Toronto, Ford dominated headlines, which included a video of him smoking crack cocaine. The video surfaced in 2013 and the mayor later admitted to smoking crack. He was set to run for mayor again in 2014 but withdrew his candidacy after learning he had a cancerous tumour in his abdomen. The husband and father of two died on March 22, 2016 at age 46. Read More The Mayor of Mayhem episode is directed by Shianne Brown. It's not the first time the former mayor has received the Hollywood treatment. In 2019, a movie titled Run This Town tackled a fictional take on the political scandal from the perspective of city hall staffers and journalists. Rob Ford is the younger brother of Ontario Premier Doug Ford. RECOMMENDED VIDEO NBA Canada Toronto & GTA Toronto Maple Leafs Columnists
