EYEWEAR'S PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR: ROB FORD

ROBERT FORD, TORONTO'S OUTLANDISH AND LARGER THAN LIFE MAYOR IS EYEWEAR'S PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR 2013

2013 WAS A YEAR OF GREAT AND PORTENTOUS ANNIVERSARIES, FOR INSTANCE THE DEATH BY RIFLE OF PRESIDENT KENNEDY.  IT ALSO SAW THE PASSING OF POLITICAL LEADERS OF TITANIC STATURE, SUCH AS MARGARET THATCHER, AND NELSON MANDELA.  IN FILM, SANDRA BULLOCK AND ROBERT REDFORD MADE CAREER-BEST MOVIES ABOUT SURVIVAL. IN MUSIC, DAVID BOWIE AND BEYONCE SURPRISED WITH DIGITAL RELEASES.  ON BALCONIES THE WANTED AND JUSTIN BIEBER CAUSED EXCITEMENT. IN TELEVISION, ANTI-HEROES DIED, AND WE FELT THE LOSS AS OF A REAL FRIEND, AS WITH WALTER WHITE OR SGT. N. BRODY.  IN FICTION, BEST-SELLING AUTHORS DAN BROWN AND JK ROWLING CONTINUED TO SELL THEIR BOOKS LIKE BIBLES. AND A CANADIAN WON THE NOBEL PRIZE. MORE WIDELY, PEOPLE OF GREAT MORAL FIBRE, LIKE MALALA, POPE FRANCIS, AND EDWARD SNOWDEN, VARIOUSLY REMINDED US HOW THE HUMAN SPIRIT SOARS BEST WHEN MOST ENGAGED IN BRAVE WORK TO IMPROVE THE WORLD.  HOWEVER, EYEWEAR IS ABOUT TO DISCOUNT ALL THIS, AND MORE, AND INSTEAD NAME A CRASS, OBESE, VULGAR AND DOLTISH CANADIAN MAYOR AS THE MEME OF THE YEAR, THE MAN OF THE YEAR, AND FINALLY, THE PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR, FOR SEVERAL REASONS THAT REQUIRE PORTENTOUS CAPITAL LETTERING.  FIRSTLY, NEVER BEFORE HAS A CANADIAN BEEN SO WELL-KNOWN WORLD-WIDE, AND THAT INCLUDES BEN JOHNSON, PIERRE TRUDEAU OR MARGARET ATWOOD.  AND NO OTHER CANADIAN FUNNYMAN, INCLUDING JOHN CANDY, HAS EVER GIVEN THE WORLD MORE CAUSE TO CHUCKLE.  MAKE NO MISTAKE, ROB FORD'S SWAGGERING POT-BELLIED FIGURE, PART-RABELESIAN, PART FALSTAFFIAN, AND PART DOM DELUISIAN, WAS AN AFFRONT TO HUMAN DIGNITY AND TORONTONIAN DECENCY.  BUT HAS ANY DEMOCRATICALLY ELECTED LEADER SINCE THAT FIRE IN BERLIN EVER SO SHAMELESSLY REFUSED TO STEP ASIDE AS MORE AND MORE IGNOMINY AND OUTRAGE PILED HIGH? INDEED, THE EXCUSE THAT HE ONLY SMOKED CRACK COCAINE BECAUSE HE WAS IN A DRUNKEN STUPOR IS THE NEW I SHOT THE SHERIFF BUT I DID NOT SHOOT THE DEPUTY - A CONFESSION THAT MIGHT BE WORSE THAN A DENIAL.  AND THE FORD SAGA IS ONGOING, AND MAY MAKE HIM THE PERSONALITY OF 2014 TOO, AN OVERSPILLING BEING OF ENDLESS INCORRIGIBLE TRANSGRESSIVE POSSIBILITY, THE BOUNDLESS AVATAR OF THE BUSTLING BIG NEW TORONTO OF THE 21ST CENTURY, NOT HOG BUTCHER TO THE WORLD, BUT, INSTEAD, GAG PEDDLER TO THE WORLD. ROB FORD IS A NEW KIND OF MAN, A SUPERMAN COME AT LAST, ONE WHO DOES NOT BEND TO THE WILL OF OTHERS OR MAKE APOLOGIES FOR HIS OWN DESIRES AND NEEDS.  HE IS AN ARTIST OF HUMAN APPETITES, AS ENTHRALLING AS A NATURAL DISASTER. HE WAS 2013.