Allegations against Toronto Mayor Rob Ford are making international headlines.
Two Toronto Star newspaper reporters claim they watched a video showing someone that looks like Rob Ford smoking from a pipe while surrounded by people the reporters allege are drug dealers. Word of the alleged video was broken by Gawker last night followed closely by the Toronto Star who reported that their reporters had seen the video two weeks ago.
International media has been quick to jump on the story. Taiwan’s Next Media Animation, who has produced videos of Tiger Woods’ infidelities and Angelina Jolie’s mastectomy, has a video parodying Rob Ford including scenes of cyclists being hit and bottles being thrown at pedestrians.
New York magazine printed a list called, “19 Things Worth Knowing about Toronto’s Crack-Smoking Mayor, Rob Ford” including his Florida DUI and marijuana possession. Miami’s New Times Riptide blog has also done a piece on Ford’s actions in their state, “Rob Ford, Toronto’s Newly Elected Mayor, Was Arrested for DUI and Pot Charges in Miami.”
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Washington City Paper reached out to Marion Barry, the DC mayor who was convicted for misdemeanor drug possession in 1990, for his opinion on Ford. Barry told the paper, “Unless he was entrapped by the government, it’s not similar” and chose not to comment further.
The news has even made Hollywood or rather the Hollywood Reporter. The site also took the opportunity to bring up previous headline-making incidents from Ford including TV pundit Keith Olbermann calling Ford the “worst person in the world” for calling 911 on a CBC TV crew filming “This Hour Has 22 Minutes.” Daily K0S offers commentary with their reporting, tagging the story with “Rob Ford,” “Ontario” and “Crack Cocaine”.
Ford isn’t just making news in North America. In Europe, the BBC, the Guardian and the Daily Mail are all reporting the story as well as Italy’s il Post with the headline, “Il sindaco di Toronto fuma crack?”
Mayor Ford told reporters in Toronto this morning that the allegations are ridiculous.
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