George Stroumboulopoulos: The Truth on TV
Since there’s been television sets to complain about, parents have been warning their children that they “can’t believe everything [they] see on TV!” I would agree that this is very often the case, but when it comes to George Stroumboulopoulos, I’ve decided he can be trusted.
*This next bit is going to read like a second introduction and I’m pretty sure it is.
It irritates me when people talk about hating people they have never met. You can hate Lady Gaga’s music all you want or hate Charlie Sheen’s lifestyle, but you really can’t hate a person you don’t know. So whenever I hear people talk that way about George Stroumboulopoulos (which is rare but it does happen), I feel the need to defend him, having met him three times now.
The first time I met Stroumboulopoulos was in April of 2007. I was in Toronto to visit my sister and do the usual Toronto stuff: The Hockey Hall of Fame, The CN Tower, and the Allied Beauty Association’s convention and trade show (Yes, there’s a whole different story there.).
I also made plans to go to a taping of The Hour. It was really my main reason for going, next to seeing my sister, of course.
It was Tuesday, April 3, 2007 and his in-studio guests were James Bartleman, then the 27th Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario and Neil Sedaka; if you don’t already know who he is (shame on you), I won’t bother having to explain. But it wasn’t his interview style or the the guests that got me. It was how he dealt with the audience. During one of the breaks he started talking with someone in the crowd about hockey goaltenders. The conversation lasted the whole break. The floor manager gave him the 30 second sign. Stroumboulopoulos acknowledged it and kept talking with the audience member. At the 20 second warning, he began walking backwards to his chair, never breaking eye contact or conversation with the audience member. At 10 seconds, he was sitting in his chair still conversing with the audience member until he put his finger up for a pause, said, “Just a second”, then turned to the camera, “My next guest…”
After the show he stayed to meet every person who stayed to meet him.
The second time I attended a taping was November 30, 2009. His guests that day were Patrick Trahan, a motorcyclist from the Dakar Rally (who almost killed my friends and I when he arrived on his bike at the CBC, bumped into a cab, then lurched up onto the sidewalk), and Shawn Ashmore, the actor. My sister, her boyfriend, my friend Lori, and I sat front row. It was cool. At the time, I was doing my own interview show online and had a picture of Stroumboulopoulos out of sight, down by my knee. If an interview was going a little awry, I’d look down and think, “What would George do?” He signed the picture for me that day.
I hate Metrotown. I hate everything about Metrotown. In fact, the last time I was there was for this, five or six years ago:
Now hanging around all day making snide remarks about Canadian Idol is a great way to spend your day in the mall. Standing in line? Not so much. This past Saturday, Metrotown played host to a CBC Live event. I went to check it out. One “Lucky Facebook Winner” was given 20 or so minutes to ask Stroumboulopoulos questions, interview him. One of the questions was “Why the CBC?” Stroumboulopoulos responded that he didn’t even return their call the first time. It wasn’t until it dawned on him that there were no investors, no bottom line, at the CBC that he wanted to go work there. The CBC existed to program for a nation, not make investors rich. I decided to stay afterward to see if I could get signed posters for a couple of friends.
After almost two hours, and tweets like, “If I don’t get a @strombo poster b/c the line was too long, next person to walk by with a Heartland poster is getting punched on her 14yr old tit!”, I finally got a chance to meet him again, shake his hand, and get a couple of personalized autographs for my friends. Standing in line makes you punchy, I know, but I really wasn’t worried. Just as I figured, he stayed. While the Dragon’s Den guy was long gone with the cast of The Republic of Doyle, Stroumboulopoulos, “George” as he always introduces himself, was still chatting wildly with the first two people in line.
He is the real deal, Truth on TV. If you don’t like his show, fine. But if you’re going to slam him, shake his hand and look him in the eye before you do. It’s not being star struck either. Stroumboulopoulos is no star; he’s Canada’s boyfriend.
Baron S. Cameron 
I don’t even know where to start. But George is not the real deal, I will slam his crappy show and him as a person. He tends to ignore me, or any person who0 doesnt kiss his ass on social media sites. He sucks.
January 31, 2011 at 21:41
So your problem with George is that he ignores you on Social Media sites? Have you ever spoken to him in person? Because that was kind of the whole point of the piece.
January 31, 2011 at 21:49
he pretends that negative opinions dont exsist and dont matter. my friend has talked to him about improving his shit show a bitm and he told him “just wait a see”, this was a few years ago. fast forward a bit and george’s show is only 30 minutes long, he conitues to lie about the REAl reason his show was cut in half, his show is more boring and predictable than ever, and his guests suck.
he block me because I express my opinion that his show lacks creativity and that’s fine, but if he clicks your link, he will read this 🙂 you suck george, you’re a bore.
January 31, 2011 at 21:58
So what you’re saying is your kind of like a disgruntled stalker then?
January 31, 2011 at 22:01
How can I explain things a bit more simply to a strombo fan. Think I’m a disgruntled stalker if you wish, at least Im not a fan of George’s anymore.
What does George do that is so incredible ? He recaps the news right after the national (pointless) then he does a 10 minute interview, tonight with Amy Duke. How Canadian. I know he shook you hand and was “nice”. Guess what ? He did that with everyone else. He is no more talented or special than Ben Mulroney. The interview George contest was bullshit, those questions he gets asked after every taping of every show. He keeps going to LA evey summer, but what work has he gotten there ? The work he did get “The One” was a failure infact some of the worst in televiion history, pulled off the air after ust 4 episodes. His ratings on CBC barely justifies keeping him on the air as well. George is a failure, but a “nice” one who shakes your hand.
January 31, 2011 at 22:34
Firstly for someone who claims to be “not a fan” of his, you sure know a lot more about his personal goings-on than me, whom you consider to be a fan. Secondly, how long have you “not” been a fan? Because as far as I know that contest was fairly recent. You know that Amy Duke is on the show tonight. Do people who aren’t fans know the listings for shows they aren’t fans of? I don’t know. I don’t watch much TV. As far shaking hands with “everyone else”, that was kind of my point: he stayed to do that for everyone. I don’t think myself special in anyway for having spoken to him for the whopping total of 45 seconds over four years. But it seems that you think I do.
“Obsession” – it’s a noun; look it up.
January 31, 2011 at 22:43
Did I ever say I was upset by George ignoring me ? He may not answer but he reads it. That’s all I need. I don’t need him calling me out on his show or anything, what a loser move that would be huh ? So please don’t paraphrase my words loudmouth. Suprised George is calling attention to this article, just another wy he is passive agressive with me …
January 31, 2011 at 22:51
It was you, not me, who said that George “sucks” because he “tends to ignore” you. I didn’t paraphrase anything; you wrote it. And the only way you’d know he called attention to this article is if you followed him on Twitter.
That shovel must be getting pretty dull by now.
January 31, 2011 at 22:58
Oh no, you’re not star struck at all!
You have issues that go much deeper.
Dude.
He’s more than a star to you. He’s what … ?
The truth on TV.
You’re 12 yrs. old?
Instead of spending your life getting autographs that are worthless, you should consider learning a bit about how television works and about how much of “show business” is applied to what you see.
I do want to congratulate you for coming up with the dumbest thing I have ever heard come out of the head of a Strombo fanatic.
What would George do!
Wow.
That is a classic.
And you think, on the basis of your close, personal relationship with a personality on TV that you would have even one answer to that question?
There’s only one answer to what would George do when an interview goes awry – go on to the next question that a staff member wrote down for him beforehand.
You even conceded that “losefirl” knows more about George than you do, and that you don’t even watch much TV to begin with.
So then who knows the real George better, you or her?
Ever tried debating a Jehovah Witness? It’s futile.
They will not allow their minds to be open to other ideas and views.
Exactly the same with Strombo fans.
They lack a certain intellectual maturity usually associated with fans of The Jonah Brothers or Miley Cyrus.
We feel sorry for them and hope it’s just a typical adolescent phase that they will grow out of.
But if you have such thoughts and are now at the stage in life where you are shaving, then gosh … you do realize that the normal pattern is that you’re supposed to have a girlfriend who keeps your mind on better things than George, and that SHE’S the one who’s supposed to have the crush.
How weird that it’s you standing in line by yourself holding posters for “your friends”.
Consider reality as an alternative way of life.
Enroll at BCIT and learn something about television and journalism, and see what you think of George then.
Because that’s what GEORGE did!
Except instead of journalism he took acting, because for him it’s the same thing.
February 1, 2011 at 00:08
As for the Truth on TV, I was merely stating that what you see is what you get with him.
As for intellectual maturity my degrees are from universities, not BCIT.
I am interested to know where all this rabid hatred comes from.
I never said that I have a close relationship with him, quite the opposite. I merely stated that before you spew vile at a person, look them in the eye.
And now I am on the receiving end of similar ad hominem attacks. Funny how that happens.
February 1, 2011 at 00:17
I did like the overhead picture at the mall.
You may have talent in this field.
February 1, 2011 at 00:19
Wow, passive aggressiveness really is rampant.
Quick question: How could Losergirl know more about the “real” George Stroumboulopoulos when all she knows of comes from media and we all now “how much of “show business” is applied to what you see.”
Which is it? Show business or a personal conversation? Perhaps it could be the opinions of a handful of friends who work for the CBC, some on them other “On Air Personalities”? If all media is skewed and “show business” how can someone who stalks him online know him that well?
I ask as a post graduate student in Communications, so maybe you can enlighten me. Seeing as you know where he went to school.
February 1, 2011 at 00:30
You live in Vancouver.
What do you think of “Urban Rush”?
Compare the skill of the hosts to what Strombo is doing.
Do you really think the GST show is all that much of an accomplishment?
To suggest that George is the “truth on TV” is the dumbest thing I’ve read about him in 5 yrs.
Read the caption to this video
look into the eyes of the guests as they realize they must play along with the ruse/the lie that George lays out.
Strombo is more fake than real.
Hope today is the day you come to your senses.
February 1, 2011 at 05:53
By Urban Rush I assume you mean the cable access show that was on CTV for about 10 seconds before being dumped back onto cable access?
I have watched the show a few times but only to watch when friends were performing. I don’t know Fiona Forbes or the other guy personally but I do know a lot of people who have been on the show and they have never said anything bad about them, so that has to mean something.
As for your “evidence”:
You talk of intellectual maturity and you come at me with a Nickleback YouTube video? Why would I look into their eyes to see your proof when I have sat lest than 15 feet from the people he was interviewing.
Again, the title, was meant to suggest that what you see is what you get. But you’ve proved that you can’t/don’t read by alluding to my possible homosexuality, thinking I was standing in line with two posters for him to sign for two fake “friends”. If you take the time to read the piece, you’ll see it says “signed posters”, not “posters signed.”
I also wrote that I “decided to stay”, implying that I was going to leave, but the idea of someone giving up two hours of his life to do something nice for two of his friends (Carmen and Lori, by the way) is so alien to you.
You sir, are a real class act, and the cracks are showing. As rule, I do not block people who comment or delete their comments, but now that you’ve established that you don’t like George Stroubloulopoulos for the “reasons” you’ve provided, you can kindly fuck off.
If you want a platform to complain about how lousy Stroumboulopoulos is, and how fake he is, get your own damn blog. And of the 154 people who have read this post in the last 20 hrs, I find it a little sad that I must deal with the two people who just decided to rail against Stroumboulopoulos because they just don’t like a man they’ve never met. Which actually just proves only 152 actually “read” the piece.
Have a great life.
February 1, 2011 at 08:23
Hello Baron.
Both Allan and I have met George before. Allan has actually met George in person serveral times. He was the person I was telling you about in my first post – the person that George said “just wait and see”. That was when his show was an hour long, now it’s been cut in half. I guess when George said “wait and see” he didn’t know he would be failing further.
The YouTube video was supposed to show that George often pretends his show is taped earlier/later than it is depending on what suits his needs best. Is this elidible for the death penality, of course not. Does it disprove that he is “the truth on tv” yes it does. George was pretending (with NICKLEBACK) of all people that they had already been inducted to the Canadian walk of fame when they had not. George also did this during the elections, pretending he knew that Rob Ford already won when the results were not out by 4pm when he tapes the show. That pretentious quote (“oh fuck” – voters) – that he plays before the show said that – said that on the night of the election. He tried to get around the fact that he was taping for the results were out.
George often tries to fool viewers with his same shirt rouse. He will interview people during TIFF in Septeber then play their interview in October matching up plaid or fred perry shirts so noome knows the difference. Think I’m a jilted fan all you want, but George doesn’t fool me.
You are right Baron, Allan and i are not hiding our names, we are here being honest and forthright, more than George has ever been. Watch his interview on that Vancouver cable show, there, and everywhere else he has yet to be honest about his show being cut from and hour to 30 minute. Noone would WANT to give up air time, right Baron ? But George ending at 11.35 instead of midnight just proves he cannot go up against the big dogs – leno or letterman.
Truth on tv ? I think not.
February 1, 2011 at 08:59
So your main beef with George is he follows a production schedule? Like EVERY OTHER talk show? Does Ellen really film her holiday shows on the actual holiday?
As for your friend, you said he gave George advice about the show years ago, was spurned, and still carries a grudge?
Yeah, somehow that doesn’t make his points any more salient.
*for the record, it just dawned on my that not all info is in these comments. Some exchanges have also taken place on Twitter. So if you’re playing along at home, you might be missing a few pieces.
February 1, 2011 at 09:17
uh…excuse me… i don’t mean to interrupt this debate you three have going on… i just wanted to say it was just as entertaining reading the comments as the actual post. i have no problem with george. although i would probably like him better if i’d won that air canada contest he had a while ago :p
February 13, 2011 at 12:12
Children, you are all wrong about George. You are jealous pathetic little people. George works hard and the real truth about the change from an hour till a half is well published and George is the first person to step up and give the reasons for the change as he did recently when asked about it at the tapings in Vancity. As for him being fake. Seriously, I have never met a kinder, more genuine person in my life. I recently suffered a serious fracture in my leg days before I was to attend the taping…when I arrived George and some of his staff were coming back from lunch and he saw me struggling with my crutches and he came over and helped me into the building and made sure that I was taken to the VIP lounge so I could sit instead of having to stand in line and made sure I was seated first so that I wouldn’t have to deal with the crowd rushing for seats. He went out of his way to make sure that I was comfortable and cared for. It made a world of difference, he is not the dismissive egomaniac star you make him out to be. He is a real, caring regular guy. and seriously the best boyfriend a girl could wish for.
April 24, 2011 at 18:30