8 Things You Need To Know For September 20

Good morning — Andrew from Narcity here! ☕

Off The Top: An L.A.-based influencer revealed that she literally tapes her mouth shut before bed every night, ostensibly because breathing through your nose has (unproven) health benefits. Hey, as long as she's eating an extra gram of protein to offset the eight or so spiders she's no longer eating in her sleep each year, she should be fine, right?

In Case You Missed It

1. Justin Trudeau Sang Queen Before The Queen's Funeral; Is That Bad?

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and members of the Canadian delegation in London to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II took part in an impromptu singalong on Saturday. One short clip showed the 50-year-old PM belting out a bit of "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen (the band, not the royal) while Order of Canada recipient Gregory Charles tickled the ivories on a hotel lobby piano, Helena Hanson reports. Of course, the times being what they are, Trudeau received criticism from certain corners, with some finding the display at odds with the sombre tone of the impending funeral proceedings.

• My Take: With more than 24 hours before the queen's funeral on Monday, it seems like a bit of a stretch to call Trudeau's unsanctioned Britain's Got Talent audition outwardly distasteful. The only thing he's really guilty of is over-enunciating his vocals.

2. A Radio Host Fat-Shamed A Blue Jays Star — Then Came The Backlash

By all accounts, 23-year-old Alejandro Kirk is in the midst of a breakout pro baseball season. The Toronto Blue Jays catcher is hitting .295 with 13 home runs on the year. Listed at 5-foot-8 and 245 pounds, no, he's not likely to ever lead the majors in stolen bases, but he's a key cog on a good team and was literally voted an All-Star back in July — which is why it caught everyone's attention when a TSN sports radio host out of Montreal effectively body-shamed the young talent, tweeting that a video of Kirk rounding the bases "feeds negative stereotypes" and is "embarrassing for the sport." Brooke Houghton has more on the fallout.

• Then What? After being called out by ace Jays pitcher Alek Manoah, TSN's Matthew Ross issued an apology through the station's Facebook page, calling his initial statement "harsh" and "out of bounds" — but then also suggesting that he thought the Jays themselves were making fun of Kirk and that he was simply trying to prevent future jokes about baseball.

3. 1-On-1: Narcity Catches Up With She-Hulk Troll Jameela Jamil

You likely either know Jameela Jamil from her star-making breakout in the comedy The Good Place or for being one of those celebs who is seemingly weighing in on every current issue on social media at all times. Either way, both roles have positioned her well for a villainous turn in the She-Hulk series on Disney+ opposite Canada's own Tatiana Maslany. Narcity's Josh Elliott caught up with Jamil on embracing her inner bad guy and "learning how to kick the sh*t out of other people." Watch the full interview here.

HEY YOU! You should sign up for the email version of the Canada Morning Brief right here. It's better than this version. Trust me.

What Else You Need To Know Today

🍕 PIZZA MIND
Say cheese! There's a new documentary about one of Canada's best-kept secrets: the distinct pizza stylings of Windsor, Ontario. Megan Johnson details what you can expect from The Pizza City You've Never Heard Of and where to stream the doc.

🍝 GRUB SNUBS
With the confetti now settled following last week's unveiling of Toronto's first class of Michelin Star restaurants, Madeline Forsyth has rounded up some of the top eateries that Narcity readers think were equally deserving of recognition. From PAI to Sotto Sotto, here are the best of the rest.

🏠 SURREAL ESTATE
For $365,000, you could live in a shoebox-sized condo in one of Canada's major cities — the sort of place where your bathtub is next to the stove. Alternatively, as Morgan Leet notes, you could put a bid in on this sprawling, self-sustaining 125-acre farm in rural B.C.

📌 JOB BOARD
Alberta really wants Canadians to move in, apparently, because our Charlie Hart has unearthed another round of interesting, well-paying government jobs in the province. From forensic accountants to aviation safety inspectors, here are six gigs they're looking to fill right now.

🎂 BIRTHDAYS
Maple Leafs captain John Tavares turns 32 years old today. Silver screen tough guy Jon Bernthal is 46. Hall of Fame Habs winger Guy LaFleur, who died in April, would have turned 71 today. Epic fantasy chronicler George R.R. Martin is 74. Golden Age of Hollywood megastar Sophia Loren is 88 years old. The late Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach was born on this day in 1917.

Thanks for reading Narcity's Canada Morning Brief — home of the eternal debate over which will happen first, a Leafs Stanley Cup victory or Martin finishing his Game of Thrones books.

Have any questions or comments about today's edition? Let me know at andrew.potter@narcity.com or hit me up on Twitter if you'd prefer at @andrewjoepotter.

Have a great day and I will see you back here tomorrow!