8 Things You Need To Know For July 18
Including Justin Trudeau's much maligned haircut!
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Right: Overwhelmingly important Pink Floyd rocker Roger Waters.
Good morning — Andrew from Narcity here! ☕
And an especially good morning to my dear, dear friend Bill Gates, a wonderful fellow who, uh, apparently wants to give away most of his wealth. (Bill, e-transfer works for me!)
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In Case You Missed It
1. Trudeau's New Haircut Is Giving Everyone 'Dumb And Dumber' Vibes
In an increasingly polarized world, it's hard to get all Canadians to see eye to eye on anything — though everyone seems to be in solid agreement that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's new hairdo is a little off. The 50-year-old's shortest haircut in memory has drawn unflattering comparisons to a certain '90s Jim Carrey character, Sarah Rohoman writes, making even his ardent supporters pine for the return of his flowing locks.
- My Take: I'd be more concerned if Trudeau showed up to the next G7 summit wearing a green mask and bright yellow suit.
2. Pink Floyd's Frontman Says He's 'Far More Important' Than Drake & The Weeknd
After a pair of arena shows in Toronto earlier this month, Roger Waters of Pink Floyd fame decried the lack of Canadian media coverage about his concerts... in a big interview with a Canadian media outlet. Setting aside his obvious inability to recognize irony, Waters made the bizarre decision to insult two of Toronto's biggest home-grown music stars: Drake and The Weeknd. Tristan Wheeler has the details here.
- My Take: You don't really need a music critic to tell you how a concert was when pretty much every show results in 10,000 hours of footage on Instagram. Also, don't insult other musicians.
- What Else: If the best revenge is living well, the second-best revenge is starring in some sort Euphoria-adjacent show with Lily-Rose Depp. Ladies and gentlemen: The Weeknd.
3. A Woman Ripped TikToker's 'Clickbait' Tactics After Being Given Flowers
A 22-year-old TikToker in Australia thought he'd struck viral gold after essentially tricking a woman into accepting a bouquet of flowers in a hidden-camera video. That backfired pretty spectacularly; speaking with an Australian radio station, the woman expressed frustration with the young man for interrupting her day and turning her into "clickbait," according to Sameen Chaudhry.
- Big Quote: "I didn't want to carry them home on the tram, to really be quite frank," the woman said of the bouquet. "It's the patronizing assumption that women, especially older women, will be thrilled by some random stranger giving them flowers."
What Else You Need To Know Today
🎉 HOLIDAYS
Go grab a heaping spoonful of fish eggs; it's National Caviar Day. Did you know that traditional caviar refers specifically to the roe of wild sturgeon from the Caspian or Black sea?
🏎️ AUTO RACING
Scott Dixon won the Honda Indy Toronto on Sunday, the fourth time the New Zealander has taken the event. The victory pulled him even with racing god Mario Andretti at 52 career IndyCar wins, the second most ever behind A.J. Foyt's 67.
⚾ BLUE JAYS
With their first pick in the 2022 MLB draft, Canada's team selected pitcher Brandon Barriera, a left-handed high-schooler out of Florida, with the No. 23 pick. With their second-round pick, the Blue Jays drafted college shortstop Josh Kasevich.
🏠 SURREAL ESTATE
Just over two hours outside Toronto you'll find this bright and beautiful home sitting on 23 acres of pristine Ontario countryside. The sticker price for the property, which includes a pond with a tiny waterfall and a large barn, comes in at $898,800.
🎂 BIRTHDAYS
Gossip Girl heartthrob Chace Crawford hits 37 today. Kristen Bell turns 42 today; let's hope she's in a good place. If you catch rapper M.I.A. at the border, please wish her a happy 47th birthday. Family-obsessed tough guy Vin Diesel is 55. And a very happy belated birthday to Canadian acting legend Donald Sutherland, who turned 87 yesterday.
Thanks for reading Narcity's Canada Morning Brief. Please do not subject this newsletter writer to any hidden-camera stunts.
Let me know what you liked (and disliked) about today's edition at andrew.potter@narcity.com.
Have a great day and see you back here tomorrow!