Joe Bodalai Exits Hollywood – Comic Writer Producer Ends Life at 63 – December 27, 2011

CFN –  Betcha that most of you reading this have never heard of Joe Bodolai.     Joe exited Stage Hollywood.  Not the first and not the last.   He left the USA seeking haven in Canada during the Vietnam years and built a career in Comedy.

The irony that many who give so much to make us laugh suffer in darkness during their lives.     Joe had a great life in many ways.  He achieved a lot; saw a lot; but because his adopted country couldn’t fulfill his career he had to go back to the US just like so much Canadian talent has to leave to reach its pinnacle or be rewarded fitly.

That’s a problem for many countries but one that Canada should not have.

Reading about Joe, reading his last blog entry; I’ve learned more about him than I knew.   I recognized his name from rolling credits of shows like Kids in the Hall.

Joe decided he’d had enough of life.

Life is full of misery, loneliness, and suffering – and it’s all over much too soon.

Woody Allen
Joe picked his day.   When people like Joe go it’s time to take a peek and look around.    Canada needs to nurture it’s talent and retain it.  Really bad TV shows can be made just as badly here in Canada as in the US.   They really can.   We just need the political will to make sure our government stops subsidizing crappy US shows on some of our crappy Canadian networks.
If we can subsidize cable companies and internet providers we can support product properly.   Joe would complain and worked hard to have show runners in Canada be actual comedy writers just like in the US as opposed to people really good at filling out Telefilm forms.
We need more Joe Bodolai’s in Canada and we need to support them.
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6C358bijtWY
Sorry Joe.  Sorry you chose this path.   Sorry you gave up on Canada and Canadians.  Sorry you gave up on yourself.

 

KAV Productions

1 Comment

  1. A similar situation exists with literature. The last of what was once a larger number of Canadian book publishers are also taking a similar route. I was told by a professional in the publishing industry, that in order to be taken seriously by a Canadian publishing house, a Canadian author must already have established a following and a reasonable level of success in the USA!!! This came as quite a shock, as there was once a feeling of pride in Canadian talent – be it music, literature, art, or whatever. Every Canadian book publishing website tells Canadian authors NOT to contact them or submit anything, as it will be thrown into the garbage.

    There is something very wrong with a system (government) that does not support their own, be it comedy writers or doctors. It’s high time we assist those with talent within our own country, rather than watch them all head south of the border.

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