04.12.2010 01:05 PM

The most compelling reason to get rid of the Reformatories


The horror, the horror.

“…It’s also not clear if the Prime Minister will be in the Commons tomorrow given his schedule this week. Last night, however, Mr. Harper was rocking a different house. He, his son, Ben, and 17,198 others attended the Nickelback concert at Ottawa’s Scotiabank Place.

He went with some other neighbourhood fathers and their sons. The Harpers are huge fans of the band, according to spokesman Dimitri Soudas. They even had lead singer Chad Kroeger over at 24 Sussex Dr.

(Vote for the pickle!)

57 Comments

  1. James says:

    This story has had me giggling all day. Stephen Harper, a Nickelback fan? Somehow, it all fits. It all makes cosmic sense. Hours after reading it I was at lunch, I remembered this picture, and I started giggling into my pizza all over again.

    Awesome.

  2. Ted says:

    The question is: who’s reputation is more damaged by this photo?

  3. Jan says:

    I can’t decide whose reputation is more at risk by this photo.

  4. Brian says:

    Canada’s.

  5. Randy says:

    Stephen Harper always looks uncomfortable. Does anyone else remember when he went to Mexico to see Bush and Foxx? Remember the weird vest he was wearing. Stephen Harper is like the kid on the playground that was always a little off.

  6. Shelagh says:

    I get it now.

  7. Paul R. Martin says:

    To his credit, Harper does not seem to be a fan of punk rock

  8. kjm says:

    Nickelback is a populist band. Much like Tim Horton’s has horrible coffee, people line up every morning to get it, a lot of people like Nickelback. This kinda stuff is what Harper is all about. Not that it’s a good thing… but it works.

    • Jan says:

      Surely you’re not suggesting Harper chooses his musical tastes based on some possible political advantage? Surely. We do know he doesnt pick his shirts with that in mind.

  9. Logiola says:

    i wonder if Harper also thinks women look cuter with something in their mouth.. I think we should ask

  10. Justin says:

    “Much like Tim Horton’s has horrible coffee, people line up every morning to get it, a lot of people like Nickelback.”

    HA… Too true.

  11. jon evan says:

    If you know Nickelback, you will know that THIS is a Canadian success story with Western roots. This band is defiantely blue-collar! Not your Starbucks cup of tea? Well, for the conservative crowd it WORKS!
    Toronto types no, BUT it’s great to hear that you are laughing — good medicine that laughter — it will cool your angst and add a few years to your life methinks!

    • Warren says:

      Dude, there’s no angst at work. They are the worst band in the universe. Period. Full stop.

      • Brian Busby says:

        Odd bringing Starbucks into the picture, given that it inspired the name of the band. Former employee Mike Kroeger forever saying “Here’s your nickel back” when handing out change. Wish he still had that job, just as I wish this sort of trivia wasn’t cluttering my mind. Commercial drivel about commercial product is hard to avoid, is it not?

        “A Canadian success story with Western roots”? Well, if you say… sorta like Crocs were a Quebec success story, but you won’t catch me wearing them dancing to “How You Remind Me”.

      • jon evan says:

        But why then such hyperbole? Just because Harper likes them and therefore it means he must go! It’s the only logical diagnosis: angst! It’s just music my friend — to many peoples’ ears! 26 million+ albums bought. So many people like that PMSH likes Nickelback. Sure it must be?

        Yikes! Even the Quebecois nation likes this band! An Alberta band to boot! Shocking that!
        http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/music/Nickelback+fans+what+they+came/2785266/story.html

      • WJM says:

        Then you’ve never heard of Great Big Sea.

  12. Bob Loblaw says:

    I’m just surprised no one has made a comment about Steve’s shirt yet.

  13. billg says:

    Myself and 7 others go to Myrtle Beach every year for a week of bad golf and white lies, and, for some reason Nickelback is huge down there….so….at a great spot called Croc Roc’s where we visited every night we chipped in 10 bucks each and paid the pianists NOT to play anymore Nickelback. I believe those actions should have me short listed for the Order of Canada.
    And Mr Harper…unless your delivering an order of spicey fries to table 8 please dont wear that shirt anymore.

  14. Derek Lipman says:

    A beer-soaked buddy of mine told me he used to see Mike Harris in the audience at WWE wrestling matches. It reminded me of the erudite Max Von Sydow’s hilarious line to Barbara Hershey in Woody Allen’s Hannah and Her Sisters : “Can you imagine the level of a mind that watches wrestling?” 🙂

    So Harper’s Nickleback thing is not that bad. At least he is a good pop to his boy. Likewise, when Harper loses the next election, Nickleback can serenade the outgoing PM with their useless ballad “Too Bad”. The low point of that band’s career has to be their appalling, painful rendition of the Elton John hit “Saturday Night’s Alright (for fighting)”

  15. lisa says:

    oh man, this is just wrong on so many levels.
    the band sucks – period.

    what’s next!? PMSH & Carrie Underwood!?!?

  16. FTW says:

    Caption: “Does this shirt make me look fat?”

  17. MichaelB says:

    Potbelly Steve listens to Nickelback? Man, if I didn’t just smoke that doob I never would have believed it! See you in 9 months…..less a day for good behavior.

  18. Michael Bussiere says:

    John Lennon said – “If all politicians were like Mr. Trudeau, there would be world peace….you people in Canada don’t realize how lucky you are to have a man like Mr. Trudeau.”

    Yoko Ono said – “We’re just overwhelmed meeting Mr. Trudeau because he’s really such a beautiful person, more beautiful than we expected….& also we got great incentive by just meeting him & seeing that there are such people like him.”

    See it here, and weep at the contrast:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXXpiRmTz98

  19. campbell says:

    Harper on legalization of marijuana: Doesn’t think there would be any “respectable” businesses run by “respectable” people if it were to be legal.
    Kroger on if he was PM: Would legalize marijuana asap.

    Nickleback should stop pretending to be a stoner band if they aren’t willing to boycott the PM over his patronizing, backwards stance on pot. They are a walking study in how to appear shallow about your beliefs.

  20. allegra fortissima says:

    Don’t expect SH to wear sports jackets, cravats and sandals without socks – that was Pierre’s privilege on Parliament Hill. And it looked good on him – damn good:)

  21. SteveV says:

    When’s Harper’s due date?

  22. Iris Mclean says:

    Is that the same Chad Kroeger who, while being arrested for drunk driving in Surrey BC, was asking the arresting officer if he knew who he was?

  23. Student501 says:

    Mrs. Harper has much better taste, she listens to classic rock.

  24. Masked Evenger says:

    Shut up you worthless asshole. Harper is a bit or a dork. Nickelback is lame. So frickin what? Your “friend”, our former PM, is a thug and a criminal. You, personally, are a professional jackass and pile of shit.

  25. Jim says:

    Yeah, what a shame that the PM’s teen son Ben is not a fan of some band of over the hill punk farts called Shit from Hell.

    I am no Nickleback fan but they are a Western Canadian success story and have more money and popularity than a certain aging, balding Liberal “punk” could even imagine.

  26. George Kirk says:

    This is almost enough to make me rip up my Conservative party membership. Oh wait, it just lapsed, never to be renewed. Too bad there isn’t a credible alternative.

  27. D. says:

    I remember what Frankie (Venom) said about Nickleback’s music….something about wanting to ‘urinate on my own face’ as I recall…

    But then…context is everything, right?

  28. Ted says:

    I like Harper, but my opinion of him just went down a few notches.

  29. Dave says:

    Look at this photograph
    Every time I do it makes me laugh
    How did Steve’s shirt get so red

    ahh crap, the lyrics are toooooo banal, I can’t go on….

  30. Shawn says:

    It amuses me highly that some people compare Nickelback’s level of success to a punk full of middle aged men. Do you think Shit from Hell is trying to fill a stadium? They’re having a good time. Nickelback is ruining rock on a global scale. How do you even compare them.

  31. Shawn says:

    It amuses me highly that some people compare Nickelback’s level of success to a punk band full of middle aged men. Do you think Shit from Hell is trying to fill a stadium? They’re having a good time. Nickelback is ruining rock on a global scale. How do you even compare them?

  32. Glen says:

    Harper hanging out with another convicted drunk driver.

  33. Ashley says:

    http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2007/06/07/harper-bono.html
    Handling his schtick.

    I don’t hang out with celebrities/rock stars… that’s not my schtick. It is now, eh?

    • Albertosaurus says:

      H-Bomb doesn’t like to hang out with rock stars (and liberal, European rock stars to boot) that are smarter than him … and you know, work on progressive social change rather than just make dismal c*ck rock. Nickelback left Hanna, Alberta as soon as they could for Vancouver a long time ago, like many wannabe musicians in Canada that migrate to the larger urban centers for their careers – and Vancouver is more of a Pacific city, worlds apart from other Western Canadian cities like Calgary, Edmonton, Regina (etc.) so it may be a slight stretch to cal them a Western success. Feist is from Calgary originally, but no one claims her as a Western success.

  34. Elizabeth says:

    The red shirt looks like a tablecloth from a Stampede pancake breakfast.

  35. Elizabeth says:

    He had Jann Arden at his cottage – over Christmas? I’m about as fond of her singing as I am of Nickelback’s.

  36. MCBellecourt says:

    Good thing there’s no audio with that photograph, otherwise we’d be subjected to something akin to mangy old alley cats with COPD.

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