UPDATED: Rob Ford spent Oscar night in a $2,500 private cabana and handed out magnets
This story comes from TMZ, and so it has to be approached with a certain amount of skepticism. That said, no part of it seems out of character for the mayor. According to the gossip website, Rob Ford and his retinue spent Sunday night in a private cabana at Hollywood’s W Hotel during a post-Oscar benefit. And did the mayor compulsively distribute magnets with his name on them, like he always does? Yes. Yes he did.
TMZ’s story is based on an interview with Meredith Thomas, an actress. (We can trust her, because she’s on TV.) Thomas says that after posing for a picture with Ford and accepting his magnet, she was asked by the mayor to stay in his cabana. She declined.
More about the cabana: according to the event’s website, it cost $2,500 and came loaded with two bottles of “premium vodka” (we know the mayor loves vodka, though not necessarily the premium kind) and one of “premium champagne.” Included with the cost was a “red carpet limo arrival pass” and “celebrity red carpet entrance,” which explain the photo above.
It’s not clear, at this point, whether the mayor paid for the cabana himself. If he didn’t, he risks being accused of accepting an improper gift. (The Fords have said that they’re paying for the most of their L.A. trip.) It’s equally unclear what else the mayor is doing in Los Angeles as he waits to appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live! tonight. He has described his trip to Hollywood as a business mission, but to the best of anyone’s knowledge he has no meetings and no agenda.
UPDATE: Amin Massoudi, a spokesperson for Rob Ford, has stated that the mayor did not pay for any cabana on Oscar night. “Mayor Ford never paid to be in a cabana,” Massoudi said. “[Ford] spoke with numerous movie industry insiders last night to promote Toronto and invite them up to our city. He was happy to pose for pictures with anyone who wanted one.” Massoudi did not say definitively whether Ford used one of the W’s poolside cabanas, regardless of who footed the bill.
![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/city/rob-ford-oscar-after-party-magnets/&title=UPDATED: Rob Ford spent Oscar night in a $2,500 private cabana and handed out magnets&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/rob-and-doug-ford-red-carpet-624x395.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_263128" align="alignnone" width="656"] Rob and Doug Ford (or, the backs of their heads, at any rate) on the red carpet on Sunday night. (Image: @a_massoudi/Twitter)[/caption]
This story comes from TMZ, and so it has to be approached with a certain amount of skepticism. That said, no part of it seems out of character for the mayor. According to the gossip website, Rob Ford and his retinue spent Sunday night in a private cabana at Hollywood's W Hotel during a post-Oscar benefit. And did the mayor compulsively distribute magnets with his name on them, like he always does? Yes. Yes he did.
TMZ's story is based on an interview with Meredith Thomas, an actress. (We can trust her, because she's on TV.) Thomas says that after posing for a picture with Ford and accepting his magnet, she was asked by the mayor to stay in his cabana. She declined.
More about the cabana: according to the event's website, it cost $2,500 and came loaded with two bottles of "premium vodka" (we know the mayor loves vodka, though not necessarily the premium kind) and one of "premium champagne." Included with the cost was a "red carpet limo arrival pass" and "celebrity red carpet entrance," which explain the photo above.
It's not clear, at this point, whether the mayor paid for the cabana himself. If he didn't, he risks being accused of accepting an improper gift. (The Fords have said that they're paying for the most of their L.A. trip.) It's equally unclear what else the mayor is doing in Los Angeles as he waits to appear on Jimmy Kimmel Live! tonight. He has described his trip to Hollywood as a business mission, but to the best of anyone's knowledge he has no meetings and no agenda.
UPDATE: Amin Massoudi, a spokesperson for Rob Ford, has stated that the mayor did not pay for any cabana on Oscar night. “Mayor Ford never paid to be in a cabana,” Massoudi said. “[Ford] spoke with numerous movie industry insiders last night to promote Toronto and invite them up to our city. He was happy to pose for pictures with anyone who wanted one.” Massoudi did not say definitively whether Ford used one of the W's poolside cabanas, regardless of who footed the bill.
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If he doesn’t attend just one parade, he isn’t helping to promote Toronto. If he goes to an event like this that promotes Toronto on an even bigger scale, he’s still wrong. And the press can’t help themselves – they’re all addicted to Ford. So, of course, we get more of this trash because apparently there’s nothing better to report on. Geesh! Do you realize that many folks actually now want to vote for him because of all this nonsense? Grow up, media!
Thanks for your input Doug. Moron
He’s “promoting” Toronto as being a city full of idiots that elected, and may re-elect, an uneducated alcoholic crack-smoking lying buffoon as its mayor.
I am NOT an idiot. Didn’t vote for the buffoon and I certainly won’t this time. >:(
“If he goes to an event like this that promotes Toronto on an even bigger scale, he’s still wrong.”
I’m not sure you’re using “promotes” in the correct context here.
If he pays for the trip, would the expense be put down as a taxable deduction for the family business? If ifs for the campaign, who in L.A. would be on the Toronto voters list?
I have to admit, this whole thing is comical in a sad way. Let’s recap.
First, Ford heads off to Hollywood to “Sell Toronto.” However, he forgets to tell Toronto’s film ambassador. Doh!
Next, after announcing he’s going to be at the Oscars, he announces he’s NOT going to be at the Oscars. Doh!
When asked if Kimmel is going to sabotage him, he tells Toronto media, “These guys have class. They’re not like Toronto media.” However, later he denies stories from American media celebrity gossip news TMZ that he spent $2500 on a cabana. Doh!
As for promoting Toronto, he walks around Hollywood taking pictures with random bystanders, hands out fridge magnets and hangs around the lobby of City Hall chatting with Councillors in between their meetings. Doh!
But Doug Ford takes the cake. More Ford math here. Doug says by being on Kimmel, it’s free advertising for Toronto. “ABC advertising for 30 seconds is $1.8 million and we’re getting 30 minutes.” You know the next thing is they’re going to count this as saving the taxpayers money. “We saved Toronto $108 Million by being on the Kimmel show!” The reality is that Kimmel’s show charges about $30,000. Reply if you want to know where I got that number from. It’s a little off of Doug’s. Doh!
He really could have used his notoriety to promote Toronto if it had been planned out properly. However, this trip is nothing more than one of Rob Ford’s sober stupors….
“Just one parade”?! Toronto host the largest Pride parade in North America and it brings millions of dollars of revenue to the city. It’s not ‘just one parade’. No one is asking Rob Ford to kiss anyone. Just ride in the parade … or, at the very least, show up for some of the other notable events that take place that week. Don’t be disingenuous.
I hate to defend the man but facts are facts. one of the noted exceptions is this :
food, lodging, transportation and entertainment provided by provincial, regional and local governments or political subdivisions of them, by the Federal government or by a foreign government within a foreign country, or by a conference, seminar or event organizer where the member is either speaking or attending in an official capacity;
He’s there as the Mayor of Toronto (albiet now a cartoon character) to appear on the Jimmy Kimmel Show.
Ugh.
And it says comedic talk show where?
I appreciate where you’re going with this but I think this policy is clearly written imagining that the Mayor would be attending an “event” , “seminar” or “conference” the content of which is somehow directly connected and relevant to civic work or issues in the community’s interest. This is more akin to a trip to Disney World. Only they don’t make fun of you at Disney World.
They’re right about one thing. “he’s still wrong”
I don’t think he was speaking specifically to you as the sole resident of Toronto who the world evolves around.
What I should have wrote was that MANY people in Toronto didn’t vote for Rob Ford. I don’t like to be lumped in with the idiots who did. No need to be nasty Leslie. :D
Yes but he did not lump you in with the idiots which is what I reiterated.
P.S.
I did not intend it to be nasty I intended it as a “comical comment”.
Every time I think he can’t go further, he does! What in hell is anyone enjoying their fifteen minutes of fame going to do with a fridge magnet, Rob? What?!! Who thought this one up? You or Dougie?
No worries Leslie.