Jon Dore: Border Crosser

Mary Anne Ivison (Voiceover)  0:02  
The Women of Ill Repute with your hosts Wendy Mesley and Maureen Holloway.

Maureen Holloway  0:07  
Wendy, we talk a lot about fearless and funny women, because that's what we are all about. But we don't really give enough credit to the fearless and funny men.

Wendy Mesley  0:15  
Yeah, but you know, is it really fair? Because I don't know. I think it's easier for men to be fearless, you know, because of the patriarchy and, and all of that.

Maureen Holloway  0:24  
Yeah, the patriarchy and all that. Yes. But it's still- I don't care what gender you are. It's still pretty scary for everyone and anyone in these difficult times. I mean, making jokes about depression and abortion, and the homeless. That's not easy.

Wendy Mesley  0:39  
Don't you mean people who are homeless?

Maureen Holloway  0:42  
People- Exactly. You have to be so careful. People are so cautious, people are so easily offended.

Wendy Mesley  0:48  
Well, you can argue that there's nothing funny about, I don't know, about being homeless or being depressed or needing an abortion. 

Maureen Holloway  0:56  
I know, I would maintain, it's not the- not the topic. It's the way it's addressed. Like the plumber who was depressed. 

Wendy Mesley  1:02  
Uh-oh. 

Maureen Holloway  1:05  
He was going through- He was going through a lot of shit, okay? Look, at least I am trying. I am trying to push the boundaries.

Wendy Mesley  1:12  
Well, some things are left to the pros. Jon Dore is a pro. He's an actor. He's a writer from Ottawa. His standup has landed him on shows like Conan, The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, Just for Laughs. He's done a lot of stuff with Just for Laughs. He also created and starred in a series called Humour Resources, in which he played a version of himself as an HR manager in the comedy industry.

Maureen Holloway  1:12  
The comedy industry could use an HR manager. Jon is a boundary pusher. He'll find a way to make you laugh about anything, or be deeply offended if that's the way you roll. People love him or they hate him. But they mostly love him, because in fact, he just won this year's Juno Award for Best Comedy Album.

Wendy Mesley  1:56  
So I'm wondering, is that why he now lives in Juneau, Alaska? Do you think he moved there to give? No, yeah.

Maureen Holloway  2:10  
Say hello to Jon Dore.

Jon Dore  2:12  
Hello.

Maureen Holloway  2:13  
Hey, Jon, how are you? Where are you?

Jon Dore  2:16  
Well, right now I'm in St. John's. Newfoundland. You couldn't get further from Juneau, Alaska. I'm on the road. I'm about to tell some jokes in the beautiful city of St. John's, Newfoundland.

Maureen Holloway  2:29  
Alright, are you- so you're on tour, and it's funny. St. John's strikes me is a funny town. It sounds like it would be an easier audience there than say, than say, Regina, although Regina is pretty funny.

Jon Dore  2:41  
I don't know if- I kinda- I think all audiences are about the same across Canada. In my opinion. Yeah, that's my feeling. I mean, St. John's? Yeah, it's- it's a good time. And I think yeah, they are probably pretty laid back with their approach. They're definitely grateful. So you have that advantage when you get on stage. They're grateful for you being here. 

Maureen Holloway  3:03  
Yeah. 

Jon Dore  3:04  
So that I appreciate.

Wendy Mesley  3:06  
They must be really grateful. in Juneau, do you know Alaska? Like, what? Like, you're like a, you're like a big deal. You're a star. I read somewhere, you're a legend, which means you're a big deal. Like, what are you doing in Juneau? Or is it just about winning the Juno prize?

Jon Dore  3:21  
Well, first of all, I'd like to say that I don't feel like I'm a big deal. I definitely don't know. It depends what you define a star as, but I definitely have never felt that way. I think I've always kind of flown a little bit under the radar. But Juneau, Alaska, I live there because I made a mistake. I followed my heart instead of following my brain. And that's a very risky thing to do. I was living in Los Angeles for about 10 years, and I was doing a show up in Fairbanks, Alaska. And after that show, there was a human woman in the audience named Christina. And our eyes met. And we spent the next four days together traveling around Fairbanks, Alaska, going to dinner, having lunch, having wonderful conversations, and something had to give after we, you know, visited one another and courted one another. And so I went up to, I went up to Juneau, Alaska, gave up my beautiful life of drinking Miller Lite at 10am with my friends in Los Angeles under a palm tree, and I gave that up to move in with Christina and her daughter, four and a half year old daughter Emma at that time, so yeah, that's why I moved to Juneau.

Wendy Mesley  4:32  
You're- like you're- well, you're a dad to her kid. But you're- you're a dad of another infant too.

Jon Dore  4:38  
That's true. I was a bonus dad. I thought that's all I needed. I moved to Juneau Alaska. I said to my partner, that's all we need. We've got a built in family here. Emma's getting older, we can see the future, and then boom towards the end of the pandemic, although that's a weird statement to make. But around 2021 she let me know that she was indeed pregnant. The IUD failed us.

Wendy Mesley  5:04  
Wuh oh.

Maureen Holloway  5:07  
Let's- let's talk about how you- how you talk about this on stage. First of all, I love how Emma has become, you know, your best friend is now I guess a six year old. And the comment- the conversations that ensue with that. And also your unwillingness to have- your initial unwillingness to become a biological father yourself. You talk about that very openly. And I think some people are like, Ooh, you would actually say that, that this is the result of a failure of birth control?

Jon Dore  5:36  
Well, yeah, I mean, we were using birth control. Exactly, but it says one thing, we definitely were not- Well, yeah, we were having conversations. And I was- I was- I was definitely- I was resisting the idea of having a child. And we didn't think it would ever be a real conversation until we got rid of said birth control. But again, yes, it failed us. And we ended up having a child, something that I never thought I wanted is now something I know I can never live without. So definitely, obviously come 180 degrees. But yeah, I was not planning on having a child.

Wendy Mesley  6:18  
When you did your special, Jon, you were talking about how some lady came up to you after making jokes about abort- You can't make abortion jokes, only women can make abortion jokes. So I'm wondering what your thinking was behind that.

Jon Dore  6:31  
What my thinking was behind that particular joke that I tell? 

Wendy Mesley  6:35  
Yeah. 

Jon Dore  6:36  
Well, I like to talk about- I mean, that joke to me is more about the conversation of abortion. So yeah, I mean, it is something- it is a conversation that people people seem to have, and do men have a right to really comment on abortion? It's definitely, in my opinion, a woman's issue. And...

Wendy Mesley  7:02  
But?

Jon Dore  7:03  
But hte conversation is still there. So I think the joke is just walking the line and talking about something very- well I'm being very facetious, you know, I'm talking about something with- that's attached immediately to great- there's a lot of intensity to that word, and it means a lot to a lot of people. It's a very serious subject matter. So immediately, I'm attracted to it for comedic purposes. So yeah, I like to talk about how I- that's my joke, and I've decided to keep it. And then I'm pro joke. And then it really to me, it lets- the audience still doesn't know what my politics are surrounding the topic. Because I'm like, pro joke. What does that mean? Pro choice or pro life? I still don't think the politics are clear at the end of that joke. So it's fun to just kind of wade into those waters, and then don't go any deeper.

Maureen Holloway  7:51  
Speaking of wading into those waters, so your fishing bit is, you know, is absolutely one of the funniest things I've ever seen and shows that you're as much of an actor as as a comedian. But that's one of your easier pieces to perform. And I would imagine, because people are delighted. It's- I'm really impressed by your risky jokes. I mean, you start one with a joke about child leukemia. And you realize when you do that, all bets are off now. And you manage to get- I mean, you get a lot of those, Ooh, sounds but you get- you get the laugh. You land the joke. And that's got to be like walking a tightrope.

Jon Dore  8:34  
Yes. And I'll be honest with you in hindsight, I, I am not a fan of that joke. I don't think it's a joke I would- I would not tell that joke today. And yeah, I know that joke you're referring to and the only time I've- that's- I know where that joke's from, you must- that's the Conan O'Brien. You must have watched it. 

Wendy Mesley  8:55  
Yeah, workshopping the joke, yeah. 

Jon Dore  8:56  
That is the only time I've recorded that joke. And I was apprehensive about about doing that joke. I spoke to the booker of the Conan show about it. And I said, this is the one joke I'd like to take out. The only reason I need a heavy joke right there is because I, at the end, I- you know, I'm able to, yeah, I'm able to really- I need something horrible to happen in order for me to move on to the next joke. But in hindsight, I don't think I would ever tell that joke again. 

Wendy Mesley  9:27  
That's interesting. 

Jon Dore  9:28  
Yeah, it's too it's too heavy. And I received a lot of emails afterwards, people found me and contacted me. Yeah, it's one of the reasons I'm not on Facebook anymore to be honest with ya. And, you know, I thought about it a lot. And the joke did not need to be about that, it could have- I could have approached that joke a lot differently. So it is one of the regrets I have. Because it's just a joke. It's not it's not a true story. It's not like I'm telling my own story of, of child leukemia. So yeah, it's not- It's not a joke I'd tell again.

Wendy Mesley  10:03  
It's not your own joke.

Jon Dore  10:05  
Yes, it's not my own.

Wendy Mesley  10:07  
I find it really interesting. I mean, we sort of refer to it in the intro to you about how you've got to be really careful and in your- with- with words. And in your routine, you do something about how you're not supposed to say a homeless person, you're supposed to say, a person who is homeless. So how do you- I'm trying to figure out whether you're zany or whether you're meaningful, or I guess you're both right? I mean, and how do you- how do you- I mean, you've talked about the future of comedy, and that it was all going to be great after COVID. Well, here we are. I mean, COVID is still around, but we're not worried about it in the same way. Like how do you find the- how do you find the line between being funny and what's not funny? Like, like leukemia? You wouldn't do that joke now.

Maureen Holloway  10:55  
No, where- now, in this- this time. Where do you draw the line? Because I think there seemed to be a time where there was no line. And now you say that there is.

Jon Dore  11:05  
I don't- Well, I think that's subjective. It's personal to every comedian, every person. I don't know where I draw that line. I just know- I mean, I like to point out inconsistencies or ironies in the world or in the way people discuss topics. So my partner Christina, fiance, I need to start saying fiance. 

Wendy Mesley  11:28  
Fiance. 

Jon Dore  11:30  
She works for the Alaskan network on domestic violence and sexual assault. She- her passion, and her job is to influence policy at the state and federal level to make the world a better place for marginalized communities and groups. She's a passionate human being and social justice causes, words mattering, is her whole life. And then there's me, the person who thinks, what about free speech? And we collide a lot. So normally, here's where I gauge the line. If it offends Christina, then I'm doing something right. Not absolutely true. But there's, there's some truth to that. Because we'll get into a conversation about a lot of these, a lot of these topics. And sometimes we'll be in an argument. We'll be at each other's throats, we're in the worst domestic argument possible. We're in the kitchen, we are slinging insults at one another, we've gotten to a place that no couple wants to get to. And the horrible things we're saying to one another. For instance, she was delegating responsibilities to me. Now imagine this is a domestic dispute between two people. They've had no sleep, they've got the kid off to school, the the other kid's finally down for a nap. They're at each other's throats. And she's delegating responsibilities to me in a way that I found to be she was a tyrannical dictator. So I, I said, I said, Oh, I'll get right to it, Hitler. To, again, you do not say that in this house. You do not say that in this house. To which I said, Oh, now you're a word Nazi. So I'm deliberately trying to poke her and irritate her because that is, you know, that is the language we're using at the moment. But now, to me, that's a conversation that would make sense and yes, of course, I'm not celebrating anything about Hitler or the Nazis. But I'm using those words, which are extreme in a domestic situation. So they don't fit and they're exaggerations, but I think something like that is perfectly acceptable. But in that moment, Christina definitely does not want me to use- not even with her. But at any point, at any time in life, I am not to call anyone Hitler. Even if I'm exaggerating. I know where the line is, I think, and you definitely know when you cross it because you hear about it, but sometimes it's okay to cross it. It depends on who's responding. So if my girlfriend's offended, then I continue- fiance, then I continue to- then I know I'm going down the right road.

Wendy Mesley  14:05  
So she's still going to marry you. This- this is good.

Jon Dore  14:07  
Hey, who knows? Who knows what happens? Who knows what the next conversation is? I often wonder, I wonder if we are going to continue and go through with this. This wedding.

Maureen Holloway  14:17  
Well, you know, Godspeed because it's it's a crapshoot for anybody.

Mary Anne Ivison (Voiceover)  14:26  
The Women of Ill Repute.

Wendy Mesley  14:28  
So I found a quote of you, I don't know where. I watched all kinds of things that you did, and I think you're really funny and whatever. But in one of them you said that your dream is for the business of comedy, the employees of comedy and the customers of comedy to all exist in one giant room and not be offended. Is that ever going to happen? I mean, you've- you've spoken about how after COVID there was gonna be this whole world, we can talk about how much things have changed or not changed afterwards. But- but is that ever gonna happen where people are not- where Christina is not offended? And you're being offensive?

Jon Dore  15:01  
No, of course not. Yeah, that would have been- I would have been in character. That quote is from the character of Jon Dore, Human Resources Manager for stand up comedians, who is a fool. He's an idiot who thinks that he- there should be, you know, one big tent for comedians to perform under, and there is a set of rules they follow so that everyone laughs and is not offended. That's the foolish dream, the idealistic world that HR manager Jon Dore imagines. But no, of course not. That's not possible. And it shouldn't be possible. I mean, yeah, I think comedy- Comedy is going to be interesting for the next little while.

Maureen Holloway  15:38  
It is interesting, because so many people are- are being stifled. I look at stuff that I wrote 10 years ago, I watch like you said, the- the- your situation on Conan, I watch other comedians, writers, and I think, God, how did we get away with that? And my question to you now is, is it better that we can't get what get away with it? Or is it worse?

Jon Dore  16:00  
I don't- I don't live or perform, thinking, What can I get away with? So I don't think much has changed. To be honest with you. I think if anything, it's a little more exciting to get out there and tell these jokes. Because it's fun to figure out where that line is and what offends people. And if you can justify what you're saying, and your argument is good, then yeah, I think you should- you should do it. But I really don't think much has changed, at least for me. I'll find out soon. That's for sure. Someone might have- might take issue with something I have to say. But is there something in particular you feel like- like, for instance, you said you've gone back and looked at some of the things you've said, is there something in particular that you said or did that offended?

Maureen Holloway  16:40  
Oh, my God, Jon, if you look at some of the stuff that I did 20 years ago, is- it's homophobic, which I'm not, but I did it to get a laugh, or, you know, I'm kind of ashamed because I actually would say things, because they were funny, not because I really believed them. 

Jon Dore  16:56  
Right. 

Maureen Holloway  16:57  
I mean, in comedy, you don't have to believe what you're saying, Yeah, I was going for the cheap- That's why they call it a cheap laugh. You're just saying it because someone's gonna laugh at it not because there's any real meaning or belief behind it. So yeah, I did that. I try not to do that anymore. Because it's not actually- doesn't even represent how I feel. I do think that people are- I think there are people who, in our case, listen to podcasts, or listen to the radio, or go- or even go to comedy shows, looking to be offended. 

Jon Dore  17:26  
Possibly. Yeah.

Wendy Mesley  17:28  
Back at- you know, as far back as high school when everybody was doing homophobic jokes. And I don't know, I think I think it's good that we're more aware. I think it's good that we keep listening. I do- I agree with everybody or whoever is making the argument that free speech is important, too. But I think it's good that we're putting a new lens on that. And we're not just speaking to people who are going to think that our jokes are funny. But there's a line somewhere. It's finding that line.

Jon Dore  17:58  
Yeah, I agree. But I don't think everyone was telling homophobic jokes. I know-  But I understand what you're saying. It was. Yeah, if you- especially if you go back and look at like 80s, you know, stand up specials like Eddie Murphy. Eddie Murphy's Delirious is a great example. You know, lots of funny in that special however, yeah, there's some highly cancelable offenses that you could point to, in that- in that set, talking about AIDS and homosexuality in a way that created stereo- that harmful stereotypes were definitely generated and being laughed at. Yeah, I think it's- we're definitely- we're mindful of othering people, which is good. I think we're- we're slowly and it's still here. But we're- it's slowly not just a heterosexual, nor hetero- heteronormative way of looking at the world. God, these words are now in my vocabulary. But which is- which is healthy, which is good. And yeah, Wendy- I think- I think that's what Wendy was getting at was, yeah, it's healthy to be where we are.

Wendy Mesley  19:09  
You made some jokes somewhere about how you know, there's going to be a lot of words that in the future will be cancelable. Do you know what they are? I mean, you used a couple-

Jon Dore  19:18  
No, that again, that is HR manager, Jon Dore. That is- I've got to change the name of- I gotta give my television personas a different name than mine. So that- 

Maureen Holloway  19:32  
Yeah, but there's a grand there's a grand tradition of real life people, actors and comedians appearing in shows as themselves but as douches, that seems to be the default. So that's, that's I understa- stood that when I saw you. Jon, you have- you had a grand- grand mal seizure, and broke your neck. That's funny.

Jon Dore  19:56  
Yeah, it's serious and it's out of the- but it's out of the ordinary. I'd imagine most people do not have- I don't know what the stats and numbers are. But yeah, I had a seizure. I was- yeah, I've gone a good 42 years of my life without one. And yeah, I was playing poker with a bunch of friends and a game in Los Angeles with a bunch of writers. Who I didn't know that well, by the way. So that's, that's weird too, to have a seizure in front of people you don't know well, but yeah, I, I fell, fractured a bone in my neck, had a concussion, woke up in the hospital, had no idea what had just happened to me. The funny part is the friends that I was with, I got an email that said, the good news is, because I was in the hand, and I remember, you know- anyway, the email I got was the good news is you made a- you made a straight on the river. And so they kept my money for me. And they said, the bad news is you have a tell. Every time- every time I have a good hand, have a seizure, I guess.

Maureen Holloway  21:03  
Was it the only time, was that an isolated incident?

Jon Dore  21:07  
Okay, so here we go. So I had the seizure, and very strange experience. For people who don't know, it's sudden abnormal electrical activity of your brain, your brain just shuts off. You have no idea you have a seizure, very intense, weird stuff, a seizure. And so I woke up in the hospital, neck brace on for three months, they insisted I go on- several EEG's later, they insist- they found something on the left side of my brain called sharp waves. It just means it puts me in a category of people that have a 70% chance of a seizure reoccurring, so they suggest going on this medication. And I, of course, the fool I am, I say no, I don't like the sound of these side effects. I'm not going on that medication. So I went to get a second opinion. And I was up in Canada. And I met with another neurologist. And that neurologist was leaning towards not taking the medication. But hadn't made a full diagnosis yet. I went back down to Los Angeles- had another seizure. I was on the phone with my manager, and I fell flat on my face again. And the next thing I know I'm in an ambulance, so I went on the medication. So now I'm still on anti seizure medication. So I'm very lucky in that. Yeah, nothing horrible happened. Because I mean, if you're on a flight of stairs when that happens, or going down an escalator. Who knows? But yeah, it can be the end of you, so I got very lucky. And it took two seizures for me to take the medication and I've been seizure free now for a good five years. Feels great. 

Maureen Holloway  22:30  
That's good.

Wendy Mesley  22:32  
You have weird side effects, though. Your- the drugs have led to weird side effects?

Jon Dore  22:36  
They- Well, I haven't noticed any. But yeah, they say you know, drowsiness, irritability, but they say it's different with everybody. And so my experience is that I haven't noticed any of these things. But I don't know. Like it's not, it's not like- I don't know if I know myself well enough to know if my behavior has changed. So you'd have to ask the people around me, but don't talk to Christina. She'll lie.

Maureen Holloway  23:03  
Can you drink? 

Jon Dore  23:04  
Yes. Can I ever. You should see me go. 

Maureen Holloway  23:09  
Miller Lite, we know what you drink.

Wendy Mesley  23:16  
Your Miller Lite at 10am.

Jon Dore  23:18  
It's just the perfect drink. It's a perfect day drink because you can have 1000 of them.

Maureen Holloway  23:22  
And you're hydrating at the same time. That's how I feel about it.

Jon Dore  23:24  
But I don't drink that much anymore. I mean, I've cut out everything except for beer and mostly light beer. But I rarely have a beer when I'm back home with the family. My girlfriend does not drink at all. She's in recovery. So I don't keep beer in the house. I'll just you know, maybe I'll keep a six pack in the garage and occasionally have one, but it's- that's rare. So you know, but when in Newfoundland 

Maureen Holloway  23:48  
Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, absolutely. It's it's a national pastime there. So your life has changed dramatically.

Jon Dore  23:54  
Sure. But whose hasn't? Yeah.

Maureen Holloway  23:57  
No yours has done- geographically, and in terms of family, but you have a very tight group of friends, don't you?

Jon Dore  24:04  
I mean, I- sure, I've got friends all over the place. I've got friends in Los Angeles, friends in Ottawa, friends in Toronto. You know, family in Ottawa. I have friends everywhere. But Alaska. Our plan is to move back to Canada. That's the hope and dream is to move the family to Canada and just start over again in Canada, with like, the warmth and security of family and friends and you know, near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, where I grew up, I just feel like it's a great community to raise a family. So that's the goal is to bring everyone to Canada.

Maureen Holloway  24:38  
And Christina is good with that?

Jon Dore  24:40  
Well, depends on the day. Christina has never been to Canada. Because of a past criminal record. So it's hard for her to get into the country, which is something we're trying to have expunged. It- my life is complicated at the moment. We've barely scratched surface by the way, nothing's easy. 

Maureen Holloway  25:02  
I can't even imagine. 

Jon Dore  25:04  
Nothing is easy right now. Like to bring the family to Canada can't be done at the moment, but our immigration lawyer is doing great work. And yeah, just another expense you got to pay for, but yeah, doing great work and we're- yeah that's the plan, get the family to Canada, it may happen one day, may not.

Wendy Mesley  25:22  
So you are a Canadian. I mean, this is rather pathetic of, you know, we all have this obsession with the United States. So you lived in LA, but now you're in Juneau so is that why Canada is appealing? Like, like, please tell us that you- You're coming back because you love us truly.

Jon Dore  25:36  
Well, that's of course why I want to come back. Yeah. Oh, no, I miss and love Canada. I s- A lot of my work still comes from Canada. And I enjoy- when I land in Canada from the United States, I immediately have a nice exhale. And it feels good to be back home no matter where I am. But specifically Ontario, where I grew up. Just feels like home. Yeah, no, that's why I want to bring the family back is because of family and friends. And yeah, I love aspects of Canada. There's no- no more pennies. No more pennies in Canada. That's-

Maureen Holloway  26:09  
No more pennies. So come on back.

Wendy Mesley  26:12  
Dimes or quarters. So what's all the good stuff? I mean you- you said We just scratched the surface. What's the deep dark secret Jon?

Jon Dore  26:19  
Well, I just mean, there's, there's a lot of problems, like it- Nothing's- nothing simple. Like nothing's, hey, let's move to Canada. Okay, let's visit first see if we like it. Well, we can't even do that because of this past criminal record. So that's where I mean, everything's complicated. For instance, Emma, who is Christina's stepdaughter- or sorry, sorry, my stepdaughter, Christina's daughter. 

Maureen Holloway  26:42  
She's your stepdaughter. 

Jon Dore  26:44  
My stepdaughter. You know, when I first moved to Juneau her father was in the picture and moving Emma to Canada was going to be a problem because we couldn't take her out of state. Because the father is there. He was on a restraining order. And it was difficult for him to have access. But when he was given access, it's still something he has the right to say she can't leave the state. But that's no longer an issue. 

Wendy Mesley  27:12  
Okay. We won't go there. But this- but good.

Jon Dore  27:15  
Yeah. Imagine. Yeah. So yeah, that's not a problem anymore. 

Maureen Holloway  27:21  
Good. 

Jon Dore  27:22  
Yeah. You can you can guess as to why, but we'll just leave that hanging there.

Maureen Holloway  27:30  
Well, that's one obstacle out of the way. I know that you- you are- you are brother to Alison Dore, whom we've had on the- on the show, and she adores you. And- is it just the two of you siblings?

Jon Dore  27:43  
Yes. Yeah. We got Dave Dore and Sharon Dore are the parents and the kids are Jon Dore and Alison Dore.

Maureen Holloway  27:49  
Well, good for Dave and Sharon. Are- so are you a funny family?

Jon Dore  27:55  
Yeah, I think so. I mean, we're dysfunctional, for sure. Very strange. Like, yeah, I think we're an odd bunch. But a great bunch. My, my parents are amazing. They're wonderful people. My mom was a nurse. My dad was a teacher, both retired now. So you know, two noble, noble people doing great work. Yeah. And they raised two latchkey kids, Jon Dore and Alison Dore, I used to take her on the bus, I had no choice but to take her on the bus after school so I couldn't hang out with my friends. So a lot of resentment there. But yeah, our joke was- our joke- I mean, we were always just being silly, Alison and I would always try and make our parents laugh or make- make each other laugh. So yeah, I think we're a funny bunch. But we're strange. We're very odd.

Maureen Holloway  28:39  
I know what you're talking about. There are four siblings in my family and highly dysfunctional. And also, you know, one day I'll write a book or I won't, I don't know. But the thing that kept us- keeps us together is humor. We can all make the ar- my parents are gone. But we can all make each other laugh even when we're, you know, really mad at each other. And that's- that's- that's the one- it's a it's a tool to get along with the world, but also within your own fractious situation. And I really hope for your sake, and for Christina and Emma, and who's the baby? 

Jon Dore  29:14  
Jackson. 

Maureen Holloway  29:15  
Jackson, I hope you all reunite with your family because it sounds like it'd be wonderful thing.

Jon Dore  29:20  
Yeah, I think it would be a really beautiful thing to have that family in Canada. So yeah, agreed.

Wendy Mesley  29:26  
It was wonderful to hear Allison's safe, because I think everybody's sort of worried or wondering what on earth is going to happen to comedy, it's supposed to be free speech, it's supposed to be offensive. And yet, can it really be? And Allison was saying no, with social media, it's great because you get like, you get this social- you get feedback. So you know if something's not funny, and you sound kind of positive, other than, you know, the jokes and the fights with Christina in the kitchen about what's funny and what's not funny. You sound positive about, I don't know, the future of comedy.

Jon Dore  29:57  
I suppose. I mean, maybe I can't be any other way. I mean, it's all I do. I can't imagine really speaking negatively about it. But I honestly have not really noticed- Yeah. I haven't noticed a change that is that big, or a shift in the audience's thinking. That may change from, you know, maybe different age groups feel differently. If you had a lopsided group of younger people, maybe that would be different, but I don't think so. I think it's how you talk about things. It's how you point them out. I haven't run into a problem yet, personally, but who knows? Maybe it gets out to a certain group of people. And then, you know, there's a huge swell of frustration amongst a mob of people that want to have you whatever canceled means. But I haven't noticed it yet. I think it's how you talk about things. And it's so wonderful to feel the pressure of being challenged to- to do something.

Maureen Holloway  30:54  
What are you working on now?

Jon Dore  30:57  
Well, working on this Miller Lite, and it is- it is delicious.

Maureen Holloway  31:02  
Not in Newfoundland. 

Jon Dore  31:03  
Yeah. Well, working on a few things. So Season Two of The Lake, which is a show that airs on Prime Video, Amazon Prime, we shoot it in North Bay. We did season one. We just wrapped Season Two last summer, that comes out June 9, on Amazon Prime, so very excited about that. And who knows, maybe season three is in the pipe, but I have no idea. Pipeline. And working on a couple of show ideas. Traveling, I've recorded a second album, which I'm going to put out with Howlin' Roar, my sister's comedy label. And then I have a couple of ideas, some television show outlines that I'm working on at the moment. And one of them is all about my life in Alaska, and Christina and Emma and Jackson and me, and a fish out of water story of how a comedian moves from Los Angeles and lives in Juneau, Alaska. So that's the the big- the big one I'm working on right now. But that's about it.

Maureen Holloway  32:03  
That's the Northern Exposure revisited in some ways. 

Jon Dore  32:07  
It is, yeah. It's Curb Your Enthusiasm meets Northern Exposure with a hint of genuine sincerity and- and teary eyed moments. 

Maureen Holloway  32:17  
Yeah, heartwarming, at the end of the day, and why shouldn't it be?

Wendy Mesley  32:21  
That's who you are. That's- that's how I found your- And it's fascinating. Because I've actually been to Juneau, I went- I went to Juneau to do a story about some weird aerial installation that the US government had put in, in the bush in Juneau.

Jon Dore  32:34  
Oh, wow.

Wendy Mesley  32:34  
 Yeah, so I don't know whether it's still there. But it was called HAARP. And it was hidden in the bush in Juneau when I went up there, because it was all these conspiracy theories about mind control and weather control. 

Jon Dore  32:35  
Right, right. 

Wendy Mesley  32:35  
Yeah. And then I went to interview somebody at DARPA about it. And he was like, Yep, I don't know. Yep. Good story. So I don't think it exists anymore. But it's- it's going to be- will it be hard to leave Juneau? I mean, I- Canada's amazing, obviously. But will it be hard?

Jon Dore  33:01  
No, no, no, not for me. Not at all. It is, like- I am so- I've imagined my life back in Ontario. I cannot wait. I really want to be back in Canada. And it all has to do with my son Jackson. And I can see how beautiful the world would be. Christina is- my girlfriend's also- fiance, is also an Indigenous Native Alaskan woman. And there's so much work, and I think she would really enjoy, you know, with all the grants going to Truth and Reconciliation projects in Canada. And the- Ottawa is the perfect place to be. I think her work transfers, and she can always do work in Alaska. But simultaneously, there's so much great work that needs to be done in Canada. I just think it's the perfect time for the family to move. Will I miss Alaska? Absolutely not? Will Christina miss it? Absolutely. And that's just more- more things for us to argue about. And really, what is a relationship other than that? That's what it's all about.

Maureen Holloway  34:00  
Well come to Ottawa, and argue there. We wish you all the luck of the world. We'd love to have you all back. And congratulations on- on- on your Juno. And- like, the award. As opposed to your home. And good luck with everything.

Jon Dore  34:16  
Thank you. This has been great. Wendy, Maureen. Thank you.

Wendy Mesley  34:20  
It's been lovely to talk to you. We really- I wish we could see your face. But there's just this big-

Maureen Holloway  34:25  
It's really- like you're cute as hell. That's a real- 

Jon Dore  34:28  
I know. I'm annoyed because I'm watching the two of you. And yeah, I wish you could see my face as well. I say that to most people.

Maureen Holloway  34:36  
We'll look for it elsewhere. Thanks again, Jon. 

Wendy Mesley  34:38  
Thank you!

Maureen Holloway  34:42  
Well, Jon Dore is just the loveliest man. I know we say this about all our guests. And I don't know why we're surprised every time. We always come off going, well they were lovely.

Wendy Mesley  34:53  
Yeah, I'm still- I to say it. I was I wanted to ask them but I thought, Oh no, it's just too awkward, about the restraining order on the husband, but I mean, who cares. We don't need to answer- that's the- the journalist in me who needs to put a- a stop on- but- but yeah, he was- he's gonna move back here, which it sounds pathetic to say, Jon, are you still a Canadian? But he's still so much a Canadian.

Maureen Holloway  35:12  
Very much. And you know that a lot of Canadians, you know, the tall poppies- no, not- not that tall poppies. That's when you take down somebody in Canada because they're successful. But the- the apologetic Canadian, you know, well, I'm from Canada, but really where it's about is Los Angeles or New York, especially if you're in comedy or show business. He's got the opposite. It's like, Ottawa is where he wants to be. Now, I've lived in Ottawa, you've been to Ottawa. It's not my idea of, you know, a good time. You know, it's not- it's beautiful, but...

Wendy Mesley  35:43  
It's pretty, it's amazing and you're close to the ski hills. But other than that, I think all I did was have dinner parties. But- and I didn't cook so you can imagine how horrible they were. But I think they're going- I think they're gonna have- I think they're gonna have fun. And I think it's a great place for her if she cares about bringing people together and trying to make the world a better place, which is her thing. Should be everybody's thing. I think, yeah. So I hope they- hope they get through so that would be- that would be great.

Maureen Holloway  36:11  
Funny and worthy people, there's no better combination, so. Anyway.

Mary Anne Ivison (Voiceover)  36:16  
Women of Ill Repute was written and produced by Maureen Holloway and Wendy Mesley. With help from the team at the Soundoff Media Company, and producer Jet Belgraver.