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The Edge in Everyone Older pre-Much Music interview from Et Cetera The Edge Adds Some Edge February 2000 article from CHART magazine Beauty Behind the Scenes October 14, 1999 article from Eye.net And All These Years You Thought Fax Was About Buisness Appliances July 16, 2001 article from Kira's Eye zine Sanctuary Records Canada Are Now Sponsoring the "LOUD" Website on Muchmusic.com November 11, 2000 interview from TV Guide George Stroumboulopoulos Winter 2001 article from FAZE magazine Over The Shoulder December 2000 interview from Macleans Team Digital Investigates... January 30, 2002 article from EMI Music on LOUD site George Stroumboulopoulos is Living Life and Making it Count February 2002 interview from Muchmusic.com |
Babe of the Moment - George Stroumboulopoulos April 2002 article from TheGate.com The Man Behind the Punk May 2002 interview from Happy Grrls magazine
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The Edge In Everyone
Humber’s radio broadcasting program once had some edge to it with radio station Edge 102 personality, George Stroumboulopoulos. He walked the hallowed halls of Humber before graduating from the Radio and Broadcasting program in 1993. George has some sound advice to offer to aspiring Broadcast students. "Perspective is the biggest thing," he said. "People get the impression that what they do is the be all and end all. If you’re not saving people’s lives and you’re not making a cure that can save a child - what are you doing?" That’s food for thought is it not? Chow down because here’s some more. "You’re ripping yourself off, and you’re ripping other people off if you don’t do what you love," advised George, as he chuckled and then mumbled something about sounding like a father. You have to admit the 27-year old disc jockey has a point. The host of Live in Toronto and Over the Edge, has a bright outlook for Humber grads. "There’s a lot of people from Humber that are working," he said. "It’s a good time to be in this industry [radio] because everything is changing. After working as a sports announcer at The Fan 590 hosting a |
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| Beauty Behind the Scenes Stars can find that taking care of themselves requires as much effort as their day job. Here's how three approach the mind, body and soul. (I only copied George's blurb but the other two stars were Cathy Jones and Gwynyth Walsh.) George Stroumboulopoulos, 28, host on MuchMusic, used to be delinquent. "Now, I realize I can't live the way I used to when I was 18." Fitness: The work place leaves little time for the gym, but running around "prevents me from falling into a trap of laziness." Diet: Fruit and power drinks. Also loves oatmeal, pasta and butter tarts. Beauty: The day starts off with a good tooth brushing. Favorite personal care products include Black & White hair pomade and The Body Shop's exfoliating face scrub and body gel. Words to live by: "Do whatever you can to stay alive."  |
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| And All These Years You Thought Fax Was About Buisness Appliances Kira's Eye: You graduated from the broadcasting program... George Stroumboulopoulos: From Humber College, in spring 93. My internship took me out to Kelowna to work at the Lizard and I was there for a couple months. I got to sit in on the music meetings, host the metal show and got to be a part of the stuff that happened there. Then cause it was an internship and I wasn't making any money, they were nice enough to give me other shifts that paid, just to take care of me. KE: What initiated the big move from radio to TV? Was that your intention? GS: At one point I'd been doing radio for about 7 years, so when they asked if I was willing to do this kind of stuff I thought it was just time to make a move and it was the right step for me. I was working at the top radio station for what I do in Canada, working for CFNY The Edge in Toronto, and after that I was like, now what do I do? I grew up watching The New Music. Like a lot of what I've learned about bands I learned because of The New Music, so when I had an opportunity to be part of that history and legacy, I had to do it. KE: Do people ever follow you around? GS: Sometimes people follow me home. It's funny though, I'll just take a look out my window sometimes and there'll be someone parked out front watching. Most people are nice about it and I'm lucky because who I am on the air is exactly who I am off the air so I'm not pretending to be anything that I'm not. If you want to walk up to me I think it's awesome, but I think I'm just the same person as anybody. KE: Which 3 things are always in your fridge? GS: Water, pickles and syrup... and an empty pizza box. KE: What was the first concert you went to? GS: David Lee Roth KE: You've interviewed a bunch of interesting people. Has there been anyone that's starstruck you? GS: I was a little weirded out when I interviewed AC/DC just because it's AC/DC. When I was looking across at them I thought, holy cow, you're AC/DC this is unbelievable, I wanna die. KE: I was watching The New Music and noticed your name next to executive producer. Are you interested more in behind the scenes or more of what you're doing now? GS: I like being on the air because I think it's what I was designed to do. But I don't just want to be on air. I like to be behind the scenes and work on stuff and come up with story ideas, and luckily doing interviews I do most of my own research. I like to be a part of that stuff. I'm not just some guy that talks on television. KE: Do you have any nicknames? GS: Here I'm Hutch but not cause of the TV show. I tried on this shirt once and on the front it said Hutch and I was like fuck yeah. But in Kelowna I was The Lizard. KE: They burnt that costume GS: Did they? I wore that costume. KE: Whats first thing you notice about the opposite sex ? GS: Physically? KE: Lets do both GS: Well physically I first obviously figure out whether or not I'm attracted to her but otherwise she just has to chill. I don't want to be with someone who's a maniac. Honestly, if she's cool, I don't care what she looks like. She can be as hot as hell and if she's nuts, then forget it. There are a lot of freaky people out there. KE: On the Much Music website it titles you as the anti-host of Loud and the New Music. Is there any meaning behind that? GS: I like music, I like to talk about music but I don't really care what the medium is. I don't look at TV as some big ass deal, cause I know it's not. Saving lives, it's a big deal. Fighting fires, its a big deal. Being a cop, that's a big deal. Those are big gigs. I talk about records and that's an important and a big deal for me, and the death of John Lennon is a big deal and the death of Kurt Cobain is a big deal to me but I know a lot of people don't care cause it doesn't directly affect them. I love it. It gets me through the night. I'm so passionate about it so that music is everything I talk about but, it's still just records. It's fuckin Radiohead. I love Radiohead but it's Radiohead. What Radiohead didn't do was didn't discover insulin. Thats a big deal. Led Zeppelin didn't do that. Led Zeppelin thankfully wrote brilliant guitar licks to get me through what I'm saying, but it's still just Led Zeppelin. KE: During the election you interviewed candidates like Joe Clarke, Stockwell Day and Jean Chretien. Are you politically aware when you don't have to be? GS: Actually it was really cool to come to Much Music because I was working in radio and where I was, I really wouldn't have an opportunity to do politics the way I did here. I'm a very political person and obviously I give a shit about my surroundings. I care about what's going on and I know that politicians lie flat out. And I know that for the most part Canadians don't really put too much time into voting because the politicians for the last 30 years or even more, have shown us that they don't care and they do lie to us. So I'll just let it affect my personal life and I'll let my vote know it and it pisses me off that they lie and get away with it but they do. KE: Who will play you in the movie of your life? GS: They probably won't make a movie about my life. KE: Well let's just pretend they did. GS: Stephen Dorff, I think he's dirty enough to play me. KE: What would happen if MTV calls you up to take a position like Matt Pinfields? GS: To me it's all about the job and its all about the opportunity. So, when I get an opportunity to do what I wanna do, then I'll go wherever that takes me. I'm not lying to you, the idea of the States would be nice. It would be nice to live in a place where it's warm. I'm interested in a lot of other things about to the States but the reality of that, I like doing Canadian television. We don't have to put up with the garbage they do, we don't have that bible belt, that ridiculous censorship the Americans go through. KE: If you wouldn't have found your way to what you're doing now, what would you be doing now? GS: I have the feeling there'd be nothing else to do. I would've found this. I probably would have been in a band. I play the piano relatively competently and I just like music so I would've done something with records. KE: What's the worst thing about your job now? GS: There's no such thing. Music is what I do. |
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| Sanctuary Records Canada Are Now Sponsoring The "LOUD" Website On Muchmusic.com Sanctuary Records Group Canada (which are distributed through EMI Music Canada), are now official sponsors of the "LOUD" website currently featured on muchmusic.com. At long last the online counterpart to Much Music’s weekly showcase of the hard and heavy music underground "LOUD" has finally arrived. With the demand for heavy music increasing daily in an age of boy bands, manufactured mini-divas and pre-fab pop music, the new LOUD site is THE place for online aggro! " We are extremely excited about the design of the site and muchmusic.com’s desire to make a long lasting connection with the hard music fans of Canada." says Sanctuary Records Group Label Manager Adam Sewell. "Our interest in sponsoring the site is driven by muchmusic.com’s mandate to give a voice to hard and underground music fans that right now have next to none. Our artists, including Megadeth, C.O.C., Halford, Entombed, Motorhead, feed off of the contact with their fans. With the message boards and community atmosphere of the site, this is exactly what we hoped for." "It is very freaken cool! We finally have a web page dedicated to ‘us’ and it is as much your site as it is ours." - George Stroumboulopoulos host of LOUD (and hard music fan). |
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| George Stroumboulopoulos For years, MuchMusic consistently fed us VJ's like cute boy-toy Rick The Temp, blonde bombshell Rachel Perry and eclectic Sook Yin-Lee juicing it up on the tube. Then along comes this guy, the dark horse of the bunch, who caught our attention with his facial piercings, spikey black hair and a really long last name. Who was this George Snuffleupagus? After a stint at Toronto’s modern rock radio station 102.1 The Edge, George Stroumboulopoulos came on board at MuchMusic last year, hosting both The New Music and Fax programs on top of his regular daily shifts on air. Boys like that he rocked, girls dug his style and everyone appreciated his devotion to music. The 28-year-old, who’s (get this interesting combo) part Ukrainian and part Egyptian and Greek, swears by Ben Harper (“He’s the man,” gushes George as we pass by a framed photo of the talented singer-songwriter in his home) and is content enough to gab about his love of music and the “real rock stars” in Canada: Matt Good, Danko Jones, Greig Nori and Hugh Dillon. And a word of warning to young ladies preparing to prey on George: he’s very near and dear to his pet python (who successfully kept our art director locked and hidden in George’s bathroom through part of our photo shoot). But as far as style goes, George has a pretty accessible one. Simple t-shirts, preferably those with band logos and names, and dark pants are the way to go. One thing’s for sure, though; you won’t catch him wearing Tommy Hilfiger just on principal alone.“There’s just something about it I don’t like,” he says with a suspicious look. |
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| Over The Shoulder This was a short article about Canadian celebrities and what books they're reading this summer, I only wrote George's blurb but the other celebrities featured were Valerie Pringle and Kevin Newman. George Stroumboulopoulos, MuchMusic host "I'm reading The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization, by Thomas L. Friedman. I've got elements of globalization that I'm cool with and elements that I'm not so cool with. I think it's important to know all of it -- this book provides me with a context I don't get on the news." |
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| George Stroumboulopoulos is Living Life and Making it Count Whether working a demanding schedule as a host on Much Music, filling the airwaves of CFNY’s Edge 102 or simply keeping himself extremely busy outside of his working life, George Stroumboulopoulos stays focused on living life. In George’s case that means a healthy interest in everything from politics and social activism to motorcycle riding and pet boa constrictors. He also never denies himself the opportunity to catch a good movie, read, play an admittedly lousy game of street baseball or sit down for a couple of hours at his piano. Don’t be fooled, it’s not always easy for the twenty-nine year old to find the time for all those pursuits. But like most people who have a lust for life, George makes the time to relish every opportunity to do what excites him. "You do what you love and you do what you need to do,” says George, “If you want to go and be an artist, go and be an artist if that makes you happy. Understand, though, that if there isn’t a market out there for what you want to do, don’t expect other people to fund you.” George has a strong sense of taking responsibility for ones life and has no time for those who refuse to pay attention or keep themselves informed. He is a strong proponent of getting involved. George doesn't suggest you go out there and riot. “If you read and learn about what’s happening in your world and it doesn’t bother you, okay. If it does, do something about it. But always stay informed,” he says. "{U2 singer] Bono is trying to make the world a better place. He gets a lot of abuse for it,” notes George, “but I don’t see the people that are giving him a hard time about it out there trying to make the world a better place.” What’s the use of complaining if you don’t do anything about it? As Canadians, he feels we are especially apathetic and vents, “I don’t know why Canadians are so surprised when it turns out their water is tainted. They didn’t do anything when they knew the government didn’t care.” "The people whose beliefs are fundamentally opposed to your beliefs are paying attention and they are voting. If you don’t care, and don’t vote, guess what, the people who are making your world a worse place, they are,” George says and continues, “[US politician] Ralph Nader said it perfectly when he said, ‘If you’re not turned on to politics, politics will turn on you.’” George is clearly a passionate guy; some might even say an activist. “I’m an activist in that I make myself aware of what’s going on around me - issues, stories, the news - and I try to get as much from independent sources as I can.” He adds that working in the media one really sees how some things can get twisted. George uses media convergence as a good example of where this is true. “Look at the attention the major newspapers give to the new digital channels that are being launched. They do it while focusing very heavily on the channels that are being launched by their own parent companies.” George says. He goes on to point out the often self-serving reports from the media: “That’s not the news. That’s about selling their own papers and digital channels. I’m ashamed at the media in this world, the mainstream media. I saw a great bumper sticker the other day that said ‘If you’re not outraged you’re not paying attention.’” His passion and attention to life is just part of the reason George has found a home at the nation’s music station and happens to succeed in a field that is so competitive “Some people talk a lot about their dreams but have absolutely no desire. You can teach people any skill, you can’t teach them passion and desire. That’s what separates the ones who are going to do something from the ones that aren’t.” George says matter-of-factly. But nobody’s perfect, and George admits that he has some off days when he feels like he can’t get a word out of his mouth straight. “Anyone can do this job when they’re feeling great,” George says, “It’s how you react when you are feeling down that makes the difference.” He goes on to say, “We don’t hit home-runs all the time. In baseball if you fail [at bat] seven times out of ten, you still go to the Hall of Fame,” and adds, “It’s impossible for everything you do to be brilliant.” But there’s nothing wrong with a swing-and-a-miss as long as you step up to the plate. But becoming one of the most recognizable hosts at Much Music didn’t happen without sacrifice, “I had to give up my pets because I was too busy. I couldn’t handle it anymore,” says George of his companions, which at one point included nine snakes and a pit bull. He quickly acknowledged that he couldn’t do it all. He’d have to stay focused in order to excel. As hard as it was to give them up, George had his priorities straight and knew it was the only fair thing to do given the many extreme demands on his career. "I’ve got a cool job that I’m truly happy in, and for that I’m truly blessed,” says George, but he dissuades people from moping around because there’s something wrong. “If your retail boss is a jerk, fine, quit. There are lots of jobs out there. Don’t like your town, move. It’s really that simple,” he states. The point is, if you don’t like the direction your life is taking, then change it and keep changing it until you do. But, if you have to take a job doing something you don’t like, that’s okay, but make sure in your off time you’re doing something worthwhile. "When I work here it’s not costing me my soul,” he says, “What I realized was that this doesn’t feel like a real job. I get to come here ever y day and I never take that for granted. I talk about issues, but I love to talk about music. While I want the world to be a better place socially and politically, my job is fun, it’s music, TV and radio - and you can’t have a bad day doing that.” Still in his twenties, George has a valuable message for his younger viewers, “This is the time in your life when you start to build who you are. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, because you will. And that’s part of learning - and you won’t stop learning - but start to build a sense of inner strength, because no one except you knows what you need.” George’s commitment to his career and things he is passionate about become obvious very quickly as he is disarmingly honest about who he is; to himself and those around him. As for the prospect of a new dog and some pet snakes, George says he can wait until he has the time and the space. |
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| Team Digital Investigates: Case No. 005 - George Stroumboulopoulos TD: You obviously have a full day on your hands with several live MuchNews hits a day - what's your daily routine? Breakfast & the trades? GS: Every morning starts with me trying to crawl out of bed about 2 hours after I got in. Shower, dress and on the motorcycle to work. I try not to hang around the house in the morning because I'll just fall back asleep. As soon as I get to work I grab a snack from across the street and start the day. All the while, I am scanning different radio stations trying to find a good song... almost no luck. Radio stations play the same 4 songs over and over again (oops, was that my out loud voice?). TD: What's your involvement with gathering the entertainment news stories each day? GS: There are three of us on MuchNews who scan the internet, wire services and other sources for information. From that point on, we start writing them and putting our own twist on things. TD: You always manage to add an ounce or more of your own opinion when delivering MuchNews. Do you ever have to hold yourself back from going too far? GS: Every damn day :-) TD: Information retention. What's your secret? GS: No secret. Just practice and focus. It's less about memorizing and more about understanding the information and what you want to get across. The trick to looking comfortable on the air... is be comfortable. TD: What news sources do you turn to - TV, radio or online? GS: There are a million music and entertainment web sites. The key is to find the grain of truth from a story and then research it and follow-it-up. Radio and television (for the most part) leave a lot to be desired when it comes to breaking stories. A few of my favourite news (and music news) sites are: DrudgeReport.com: Home of controversial Internet political gossip columnist Matt Drudge and links to many online news sources. TheOnion.com: America's finest news source. Okayplayer.com: Online community of like-minded recording artists and visitors to the site. Theprp.com: For up-to date metal news. Indymedia.org: A collective of independent media organizations and hundreds of journalists offering grassroots, non-corporate coverage. Salon.com: Magazine of books, arts, and ideas dedicated to the power of the written word. Adbusters.org: Online component of the magazine, oncerned about the erosion of our physical and cultural environments by commercial forces. Fair.org: Site dedicated to fairness and accuracy in reporting. TD: Which news reporters, anchors or TV personalities do you respect ? GS: Peter Mansbridge, Ben Chin, Wendy Mesley and Michael Landsberg. They are professionals and have found a way to be compelling and funny, irreverent and smart. They also can find a lot of life in a story. TD: Has 9-11 shaped your opinions on how the media presents news to the world and do you think it's had an effect on the way you present entertainment news to Much viewers? GS: I think that watching the coverage of 9-11 has really shown who the real journalists are. So many programs masquerading as news shows were nothing but government promo machines and offered zero intelligent discourse. It hasn't changed the way I present stuff because I have always tried to keep things in perspective. TD: Any parting words? GS: Thank you for your time. Support independent media. See you around. |
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George Stroumboulopoulos in Zambia After about 30 hours of travel that took us through London, England and Johannesburg, South Africa, we arrived in Zambia's capital, Lusaka, early in the day on Monday November 10th and were ready to start. Right away, it was important to build relationships with those we would be working with. All of us knew that this was about putting a human face on the tragedy while showing the valiant efforts in combating the disease. With CARE Canada's help we visited a few compounds (Townships) on the outskirts of Lusaka and were greeted with the images made familiar by National Geographic and World Vision commercials. The poverty is overwhelming and has a direct link to the massive effects of HIV/AIDS. The lack of food, clean water and access to medical care on top of a crippling drought are all factors. We interviewed one of the busiest men in Lusaka, a coffin maker, young woman who is HIV Positive and a lawyer fighting for the rights of those living with HIV/AIDS. Tackling the stigma of living with HIV/AIDS is a major part of the education process in Zambia. With so many adults infected and generations dying, the crisis seems unbeatable. But there is progress being made. The teens in Zambia have been dubbed the "Window Of Hope": the next generation that can start to reverse the trend. That sense of hope was in full effect in a small town in the Eastern Province of Zambia near the Malawi border. Chipata is an eight hour drive from Lusaka. It was one the roughest roads and most beautiful drives I've ever been on. The spirit of the Chipata youth was unshakable and they welcomed us with open arms. We joined them while they were preparing for World AIDS Day, making ribbons and banners; saw them rehearse the many elements they use in spreading the message. Students were using music, dance, humour and drama to educate their peers. It was as if the youth had mobilized to wrestle their future back from the grips of -- what they call -- "The Big Disease". Many of the efforts were aimed at correcting the misconceptions surrounding the spread of HIV and the stigma associated with it. That was the most amazing part of it. With a pandemic devastating their region. The kids were selfless and joyous in their fight against it. Hope is very evident. Zambia was an incredible place that will never leave me. I hope you see the show and are as moved by the experience as we were. Thank you, |
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| George Stroumboulopoulos Shares His Passion "My mother taught me that the world is a mansion" says George Stroumboulopoulos, producer and host of MuchMusic's The Punk Show. "She told me just don't use two rooms, use them all. That's what I'm doing." Stroumboulopoulos sees himself as a presenter rather than a host. "I like to present music, books and ideas to people." One of his many winning qualities is the ability to not talk down to his audience. He is a fan favourite for his work on The Nation's Music Station. He hosts The NewMusic, Loud and MuchNews. Avid listeners never miss his punk show on The Edge radio or his fill-in talk show gigs on CFRB with friend Bob Mackowycz Jr. Stroumboulopoulos is respected by his peers in the industry. Female fans follow him home and obsessed metal fans approach him day or night with their comments. He can handle it. "I'm passionate about people and ideas. I can't believe I'm making a living at it because it doesn't feel like a job." He was eager to share his views on his other passion, his wheels. Q: Tell me about this bike of yours. Q: You love motorcycles? Q: What are the best parts about driving a bike? Q: And the car? Q: What kind of music would that be? Q: Do you drive the bike outside of the city? Q: What's been the most unforgettable ride? Q: What about road trips by car? Q: When did the bike craze begin? Q: Describe your connection with the motorcycle. Q: You seem to be one happy guy. |
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| George Stroumboulopoulos For Tommy Douglas! So who is the greatest Canadian? Everyone has their own answer, but the CBC has attempted to give a definitive answer with their miniseries The Greatest Canadian. Last summer, the people of this great nation voted and jockeyed for whom they believe should wear the crown of beaver and maple syrup. The top ten were revealed last month and for the last four weeks, ten advocates for each of the candidates have pleaded their cases to Canadians via a series of hour-long documentary, advocates explain how their candidate represents Canadian ideals and values. "One person embodied all of that, and took these difficult, altruistic ideals and got them done. To me that's the greatest," says MuchMusic host George Stroumboulopoulos of his candidate, Tommy Douglas. While many do not know his name, after the miniseries has drawn to a close, if Stroumboulopoulos has his way, Canadians should have Tommy Douglas imprinted onto their brain, something the former Saskatchewan premier clearly deserves. After all not only is he the father of the Canadian health care system, but he also pushed for indoor plumbing for rural Saskatchewan and balanced the province's budget 17 years in a row. "His legacy is undeniable and his obstacles were almost insurmountable. Many smaller people were crushed by obstacles and compromise, but Tommy never was," says Stroumboulopoulos. "Everything about this country that I value-these days, values in politics seems to be extremely exclusive things-Tommy Douglas's values were simple: We all want to cross the finish line, so let's all do it together." Thus for his documentary, Stroumboulopoulos blew up an outhouse, unexpected for what people assume are ordinary cut-up-and-dried documentary. "I think I've been to so many Metallica concerts in my life, that blowing up an outhouse just seemed more pyro, but [this was] pyro, prairie style," George explains. Not that it was a pointless explosion. In Saskatchewan, after rural indoor plumbing was introduced, it was common to see people sending their outhouse owners to send their outhouses to "outhouse hell" in flames. Many other advocates did similar actions, but none were more dramatic than George's outhouse explosion. But according to him, it represented how much Douglas did for Saskatchewan and the liberation the people of the time felt. George didn't just get involved in the Greatest Canadian project to blow up shit. Tommy Douglas obvious means much more to George. Earlier this summer, CBC contacted the MuchMusic host and he was more than willing to take the proverbial soapbox for Douglas. "My response was pretty simple: I'll only get involved if I could advocate for Tommy." For George, the Greatest Canadian program is an opportunity to demonstrate that Canadians have a lot to learn about their own country. "Most people think Bell invented the telephone and don't realize all of the other things he did," says George. "Usually, when you see these kinds of elections on TV, people voting for their favourite karaoke singer. Why don't have them vote for someone who accomplished something, rather than doing a half-assed job of some Matchbox Twenty song? " Can Douglas really win? His competition is stiff, having to take on Lester B. Pearson and Don Cherry, but looking at the latest standings, the former Saskatchewan premier is on the cusp of at last winning a national election. But unlike a conventional election, optimism sprung from the unknown factor. "When we got into this, we knew that Tommy Douglas was the underdog of all underdogs," says George. "The fact is that most people have never heard of him!" Note: Tommy Douglas did go on to be crowned the Greatest Candian (but my vote's still for Terry Fox). |
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| George Stroumboulopoulos Finishes John Intini's Sentences George Stroumboulopoulos is as passionate about politics as he is about Led Zeppelin, which helps explain his bold move from MuchMusic VJ to CBC news host. The 32-year-old will add some much-needed edge to the public broadcaster as host of The Hour, a current events show premiering Jan. 17. Stroumboulopoulos finished Maclean's Assistant Editor John Intini's sentences. The last party I crashed... was at Maple Leaf Gardens after a Red Wings-Maple Leafs game. My friends and I got into a post-game event and talked with Sergei Fedorov about Guns N' Roses. My last home renovation... is ongoing. I have a bathroom closet in a state of disrepair. A good contractor is harder to find than a good life partner. I wish I could've been there to cover... the first night that Bob Dylan plugged in and went electric. The worst accident on my motorcycle... happened after I was hit by a car that was changing lanes. My front tire got jammed in the streetcar tracks, causing me slide into oncoming traffic. A friend jumped off his bike and in front of a limo before it ran my head over. I'd like to ask the Pope... what he thinks about the selection of the next pope and the repercussions it might have on the Church. What if the new pope thinks gay marriage is cool? Essential Stroumboulopoulos |
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| Stroumboulopoulos on Careers: 'I don't plan any of this shit' George Stroumboulopoulos, ex-MuchMusic VJ and present host of CBC Newsworld's The Hour, addressed a packed student audience at the career centre last Tuesday. Stroumboulopoulos talked about his career so far, from his childhood dreams of being an architect or graphic designer, his teenage dream of being a funeral director, and his current job as a CBC personality. "My life and career are accidental," Stroumboulopoulos said. "I don't plan any of this shit." After holding a variety of jobs-including dressing up as a seven-foot-tall lizard and scaring drunk friends at night, joining the army reserve on a dare, and driving a forklift-he studied at Humber college, pursuing his life-long love of radio production. His goal of working in radio neccesitated a variety of sacrifices: Working as a switchboard operator to pay for school, he would work from 8 PM until 3 PM the next day, go home, and get only four hours of sleep. In order to practice, he said, "I would go to the studio every day I wasn't working and I faked a radio show." Stroumboulopoulos messed up during his first big break and said he thought to himself: "I'm going to kill myself tonight. I had my shot and I blew it." But he chose to live, stuck with radio, and learned how to deal with pranks that his co-workers played on him, such as when they would jokingly change his script without telling him, or send strippers into the studio to distract him while he was on air. He said this trial by fire helped him become better at his job. "I'm not in this to be average or just get by," Stroumboulopoulos said. "I want to love my life and love my career. I get to be fulfilled and enriched everyday. I can't live for the weekend. My life is my work." Stroumboulopoulos advised students against rushing into a career on TV, suggesting they should wait until they're more mature. He says critics can be harsh and a thick skin is a job requirement. "When people hate you," he said, "sometimes they're right. That's hard. It's better to be an adult when you deal with all that. I feel really bad when they throw kids who are 19 [on TV], because TV fucks you up. There's nothing wrong with getting your shit together before [starting that career]." Stroumboulopoulos stressed determination. He said that it took him about ten years to reach his current level of success and that students should stick to doing something if they believe in it. "This is your life," he said. "Go make something out of it. Don't do things you don't love." |
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My Canada Like many of you, my parents come from places nowhere near hear. But I don't know if that means I view this country much differently than someone whose family has been here for generations. The Soviets ruined my mother's home countries of Ukraine and Poland, and the lack of opportunities in Egypt and Brazil is the reason my dad came here. Canada, in a sense, was a means of specific ends. Those were peace and the prospect of prosperity in a country that not only wanted you to succeed, but was going to be there to pick you up if you fell. So my national pride lies in the value of the values, not the flag and the silly "we're better than them" debate. Truthfully, I despise that over-the-top national pride garbage. Let other people wear the hat. I want to celebrate my country's birthday at an outdoor concert in an open park somewhere. Because even on that day, it's about something like music or anything other than looking at ourselves and how polite we are or how clean our cities are. Remember the rule; if you have to say you are... then you aren't. And like a train blasting through the north in a Farley Mowat novel, here comes the dilemma. If you love Canada, and want to stay in Canada, then one of the most obstacle-laden paths you can take is the one that leads to a career in television. The truth is, while there are great minds, producers, talent et al. here, this is a tough country to build an entertainment industry in when the model was designed by Hollywood. Canadian companies don't help themselves in any way in this effort, but that's another article altogether. That said, there is a reason I'm still working here. Because of what it means to do this kind of show in Canada. The transition from Much Music (heretofore referred to as "MM") to Newsworld was a lot smoother than I thought it would be. It was actually seamless, and sometimes I forgot where I work. You would have died laughing if you could hear the number of times people said that I would become CBCified (I don't thing that's a word). And nothing like that has ever happened. I really enjoyed my time at MM, and while there are astonishing differences in the way MM and CBC make television, there was a time when they had something major in common. They weren't just channels with shows. The audience expected something cultural and important. And, it had to be good. The content was as important as the ratings, and that philosophy was worn as a kind of badge of honor. CBC and Newsworld are still in that situation. Because of their public broadcaster status, they can't just fill their schedules with undeniable American star power. It has to represent, speak to, and challenge Canadians. That's why I made the move down the street, not across the border (MM and CBC are two minutes away from each other on the same street in Toronto). Winning is important, but how you win is just as important, but how you win is just as important - and more challenging. And that's like hearing the Toronto band Death From Above 1979 on the radio. Not only is it a big accomplishment, but it's also a cool one. OK, enough of the blah, blah, blah, Canada stuff... I was also asked to write about what I think that the audience expects from The Hour and me. It's a good question that I don't think I entirely have the answers to, except to say that they probably want something that is smart and thoughtful, while being entertaining and clever. The Hour should be the show that talks about what people are interested in. But you've got to do it without being so earnest and precious that you make people want to puke. Smart, dangerous, fun and compelling... actually somebody once told me that the thing she liked about The Hour was that it was for people who understood SoCal as well as SoCon [social conservative]. I love traveling across this country and getting into those random conversations on the plight of the planet. Everybody knows how messed up and awesome this world is. Fantastic scientific leaps are made while and entire continent like Africa is needlessly burning. We see incredible waves of human goodness live unceremoniously alongside the insufferable cruelty of nations. Vancouver's Matthew Good nailed it in his song "In a World Called Catastrophe": "Don't it make you want to lay down and close your eyes". Yeah, it does. But jut because it makes you want to close your eyes, doesn't mean you do. And if we can join Canadians and whoever else in that discussion, without boring them to tears, then I'm OK with that. Happy Canada Day, now let's talk about something else... cool? Cool! Oh, by the way, Neil Young's "Tonight's the Night" is my favourite song ever written by a Canadian... in case you're wondering. Bgood, George. |
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George Stroumboulopoulos in Zambia
show called Game, George started working on-air at Edge 102 about two years ago. "You have to have a certain trust to put people on the air. At any second, any announcer could cost thestation its life," he said. "The best thing about radio is it’s live. You can’t replace the live feeling, it’s a rush," said George. "If you fuck up you know it, and so does everybody else. Whatever happens, happens," he said.