First off, let me start with an introduction.  Gerry Dee (the D is actually for Donaghue) is a Canadian stand-up and sitcom comedian. He’s likeable, unassuming, apologetic…..the quintessential Canadian.  Recently, he has starred in a self-titled CBC sitcom: Mr. D.  Here is a sample of his stand-up

I’ve watched a few episodes of the TV show, and while I found them humorous, I also find them uncomfortable. Now, you might think “Oh yeah, the truth hurts, doesn’t it, sweetheart?”, and you wouldn’t be far from the truth– much of what he reveals about the teaching profession is painfully accurate. And it is based in fact– he worked as a substitute teacher for a while in Eastern Canada. His sitcom is based, loosely, on his teaching experiences, and many of the scenarios, though exaggerated, do ring true. I even bought his autobiography   “Teaching: It’s harder than it looks”, thinking I would find….what…… solace? my spirit animal? an epiphany?  Instead, the book sits, not quite half read, because while I identify the ring of truth, I cannot condone the mockery….and this brings me to my point.

Disclaimer: Gerry Dee is not a stupid man. In fact, he is clearly a smart guy, because it didn’t take him long to realize that teaching was never going to deliver what he needed in life, and he quit to write and produce a TV sitcom and travel the continent performing stand-up.

So what’s my problem?  In a last ditch effort to try to like his work, I watched a CBC-produced special, called “Gerry Dee: The Substitute“.  And now I see the flaw….

The premise of the show, a one-hour special, was that Gerry D would disguise himself and pose as a Substitute Teacher from a Foreign Land at a seemingly elite private boarding school in Nova Scotia. So.  The audience watches as mild-mannered Gerry assumes the identity of a pony-tailed, bespectacled, possibly-middle-european supply teacher, about to be hired as full-time faculty at the Elite Private School. Then the laugh riot commences as he spends the next 45 minutes completely abusing his position of power, and taking advantage of the inherently trusting nature of children raised to be decent human beings.  Now, you do have to understand that I have a *bit* of an issue with “pranks” and practical jokes.  I really don’t like them, but I ESPECIALLY don’t like them when the sole purpose of the “gag” is to make the target look foolish.

So let’s break this down.

-Gerry is playing the role of an authority figure, in a setting where children have been PARTICULARLY groomed to respect and to not question authority.

-The school has received permission for CBC to film this one hour practical joke, unbeknownst to the students who are paying large sums of money to be there.

-The hour is spent with Gerry performing more and more outlandish antics to record the students’ reactions.. and guess what!? Outlandish events provoke astounding reactions! Like when the kids think he is betting thousands of dollars on sports games, based on THEIR suggestions!!! Or when his model/actress girlfriend shows up, as a last ditch effort to not lose him…… OR GET THIS CRAZY SHIT: How about the time he tells a student she CHEATED on her assignment, EVEN WHEN SHE DIDN’T!!!!!!!!!  My sides still hurt from laughing.

Here’s what offends me the most…. people may well look at these broadcasts, and recognize the truth/authenticity in the portrayal of teachers and administrators. Because it is there.  He does get the Teacher Culture, and he does do what teachers everywhere do–point and laugh at the weakness of the admin. But… maybe a class of 9 kids works better for TV, but come on… try tripling that number, and increase the age of the building by the same factor…. and yes, it was funny when when the kids covered for the teacher’s lie to the Headmaster… but what message does that send? “It’s ok to lie if an adult tells you to”? And… don’t even get me started on the mockery attached to fake accents, badly pronounced foreign phrases from OTHER countries that you aren’t currently mocking, and degrading young girls from your position of power as a an adult white male and only “allowing” her 25 seconds to visit the washroom.  EXCUSE me? Well, ok, I guess that gag had everything– bathroom humour, power abuse, degradation, and totally unrealistic premise that the girl STILL bought into because she was raised to never question her elders.

There is one thing that gives me joy, though, and it’s the thought that one day, long ago, Mr Dee was cutting up in the staff room, and someone actually said “Quit your day job!”  and he did…. and  left the teaching professions for all the right reasons.

Gerry probably makes more money than me (I didn’t go into the job for the money), he probably gets way better vacation time (do you know how expensive it is to travel during school holidays?) and he is probably much more respected and revered in the media than I (and all Public School Teachers) are. And guess what.  I am OK with that.  I do extend the same invitation to Mr D that I do all critics and scoffers of Public Ed: Come by my classroom some day….