On Tuesday, a copy editor from CBC News found himself in an unexpected comedic partnership in a social media video.
Josh Johnson, an American standup comedian and occasional host of The Daily Show, was making light of CBC’s reporting on a bodega cat eviction due to health issues during his performance at the Vogue Theatre in Vancouver last month.
“I would love to meet the editor,” Johnson joked.
Someone from the audience shouted, “He’s here!”
A confused Johnson responded, “The cat’s here?”
Incorrect.
“The editor’s here!” the audience yelled.
Thus, Jon Azpiri made his entrance.
Dressed in a dark grey hoodie, which humorously matched Johnson’s light grey attire, Azpiri took the stage for a 10-minute exchange filled with humor about cats, vanishing islands, and the field of journalism.
Johnson initiated a query about the bodega cat situation, but Azpiri interjected.
“We cover a lot of cat stories. So I need to identify the specific cat,” he remarked.
Azpiri, who serves as both a copy editor and reporter, responded to Johnson’s inquiries regarding how a newsroom decides what stories to report.
“As a public broadcaster,” Azpiri explained, “we adhere to a set of Journalistic Standards and Practices.
“No need to boast,” Johnson countered.
As of 2 p.m. PT, Johnson’s video has garnered over 2.4 million views on Instagram and has been viewed more than 860,000 times on TikTok.
Johnson concluded their banter, and the two exchanged handshakes.
As Azpiri departed, he reminded Johnson that there would be an election in the province the following day.
“That’s a true editor right there,” Johnson remarked. “Even as he leaves, he’s like, ‘Don’t forget, we have an election tomorrow.'”
In an interview with CBC’s Hanomansing Live, Johnson shared that he had prepared an entire routine focused on the cat story, finding the local coverage charming, but chose to engage Azpiri instead since he was present.
“It all felt like serendipity,” he reflected, describing his inquiry into various CBC stories as a delightful surprise.
“When you’re open to the idea that spontaneous moments can be gifts, they tend to occur more frequently,” he noted. “And we attract more of the things we seek.”
When asked about his impressions of Canada as an American comedian, Johnson remarked that he notices a general sense of neighborliness among people.
‘My eyes kind of bugged out’
Azpiri mentioned that he was surprised by the video’s release and its viral success, admitting he was unaware that the show had been recorded.
He told CBC’s BC Today that he had just finished his shift in copy editing before attending the performance.
As they approached the theatre, he expressed to his wife his hope that they wouldn’t be seated too near the stage.
“Comedians sometimes engage with audience members,” Azpiri explained. “And I said, ‘I don’t want to be one of those people.’ “
His wife’s response was that they had tickets for the lower deck.
When the show commenced, and Johnson expressed his desire to speak to a CBC editor, Azpiri had a moment of realization.
“My eyes kind of bugged out,” he recalled.
“My wife couldn’t contain herself and yelled, ‘Oh, he’s here.’
Azpiri stated that everything transpired so rapidly that he had no opportunity to feel nervous on stage.
“As I approached the stage, I did think, ‘What have I gotten into?'”
He estimated that around 1,000 attendees filled the theatre, but he was oblivious to the fact that cameras were recording.
“That struck me as quite surreal… I thought it was a delightful story to share with my kids. And then this morning unfolded.”
Although he has enjoyed popularity in the social media comments, Azpiri has no intention of trying to upstage Johnson in the comedy scene.
“[I’m] very much in the background compared to Josh.”