I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw this dude on a billboard. My first thought: who in the world put their money behind this? My second thought: why???
Yes, he is sort of funny in a shake-your-head-feel- sorry-for-the-poor- dude kinda way. And he's not homeless, by the way. He's got a place in Etobicoke. I last saw him in Yorkville right in front of Sassafraz (now burned down) during the Toronto international film festival doing pushups for a crowd that was like five people deep. JA Firebrand can back me up on this. Incredible! Now he's looming above one of the busiest corners in Parkdale. Is this what it takes to get yourself up above the crowd? I know of a lot more people who really deserve to be put up on a billboard. Some commenters love it and others don't but it seems this was done all in the name of liberated art. I've dined on patios where he comes around, shirtless as always, flexing his muscles and acting the fool. He may not be deemed dangerous, but I think he's just plain old nasty. I vote for "Mark Clarke" (the self-named "mayor" of Parkdale) to be next in line to get up on a billboard. He, too, may be a bit on the nasty side, but he rollerblades, makes chalk drawings of hearts on the sidewalks, preaches from his fire hydrant pulpit or street corners and has become quite the character of my little village. I heard he used to be a professor at one time. Even the folks over at the Drake don't shoo him away when he hangs outside their toney Queen West establishment. So that's my rant on the billboard thing. You've started the artistic billboard ball rolling Fauxreel!
