The Rick Mercer Report (often referred to as the Mercer Report or RMR) was a popular Canadian television comedy series that aired on CBC Television for 15 seasons between 2004 and 2018. Hosted by comedian Rick Mercer, the show was a staple of Canadian satire.
One of the regular features of Mercer's show was a segment in which well-known Canadians would offer so-called "celebrity advice". Actress Shiley Douglas, who starred as the piano teacher in Stanley Kubrick's 1962 film Lolita, demonstrated how to boost a car battery in winter weather. Author Margaret Atwood, most famous for the Booker Prize-winning dystopian novel The Handmaid's Tale, shared some tips about hockey goalkeeping. And Rush's Geddy Lee advised viewers on safe tobogganing.
We're not pretending this footage is new. It originally aired in early 2004, and the "research" we've undertaken in the last few minutes suggests that the clip appears regularly on Rush-related internet forums, often followed by comments from joyless, know-it-all blowhards bashing on about how they've seen it before. But hey, we hadn't, so we're sharing.
"Hello! I'm Getty Lee," says Geddy. "If you're like me, winter means one thing: toboganning. Tobogganing is fun, but safety comes first! Don't be a hero, pick a hill that's not too steep. Small children and people worried about their brain should always wear a helmet."
Geddy goes on to ride a toboggan down a hill – believed to be located in Withrow Park, in Toronto's Riverdale neighbourhood – while screaming gleefully. He then hands the toboggan to a roadie, whose job it is to return it to the top of the hill, before suffering great physical discomfort as he demonstrates one of the very real dangers of the metal toboggan.
Following Geddy's celebrity winter advice, Rush would go on to complete a trio of individual appearances on Mercer's show. In 2006, the publicity-averse Neil Peart attempted to teach the host how to play the band's classic Tom Sawyer, and thee year's later Mercer went indoor skydiving with Alex Lifeson. All three videos are below.
