With his lacerating tongue, shock of green hair and cigar-chomping grimace, Ed the Sock is an unlikely Canadian media icon.
Steven and Liana Kerzner, the duo behind the sock, have helped bring the gravelly voiced puppet to a cross-country audience together since 1997, when Liana joined Ed’s Night Party. Having recently made waves with a return to MuchMusic with a guest stint on Video on Trial, Ed is back in the limelight for the umpteenth time.
Bringing Ed the Sock into Canada’s mainstream has involved decades of hard work. “Our budgets have always been shoestring,” Steven notes. “But, we’re not here because of Canadian content regulations,” Liana clarifies. “We actually turn a profit!”
The gruff and cynical puppet first wormed his way into Canadian hearts through his appearances on Citytv and MuchMusic. Ed and Red’s Night Party witnessed Ed’s cathartic banter with the bombshell co-host Liana, while scantily clad guests frolicked in the on-set hot tub. Engaging with porn stars and other atypical guests, the show titillated and pushed many a button, eventually drawing Friday night audiences that topped both Letterman and Leno. Steven exclaims: “We were kicking their asses!” And all for a mere fraction of the American counterparts’ budgets.
Ed was also reaching wide audiences through Fromage, a year-end roundup of the cheesiest music videos splayed across Much. Originally a show that poked fun at obscure videos, Liana and Steven took it over in ’99, changing the format and rescuing it from cancellation. “Where’s the sport in making fun of the little guy?” Liana muses. Opting to involve the viewership through a voting process, the show saw Ed go after the industry’s biggest names, bringing in ratings that neared those of the station’s top draw: the MuchMusic Video Awards.
But Ed has never been one to only bash behind backs. If he says it on TV, he’ll say it to your face — an approach that’s endeared him to some of the world’s biggest celebs.
Steven notes: “Being a non-human character, there’s a tremendous licence to say things a person just can’t.” To celebrities used to being fawned over by the media, Ed was always something of a palate cleanser. “We always treated up-and-comers the same as we treated big celebrities,” Steven says. “Ed’s about completely crushing elitism.”
The couple is now entwined in I Hate Hollywood, a documentary show with a comic edge that digs deep into decades of Hollywood spin. Running on CHCH Channel 11, the show has delved into topics that include Hollywood’s depiction of the mentally ill and the so-called “promo-sexuals” — celebs that will abandon all sense of personal dignity to keep the limelight trained on them.
Each episode involves endless research conducted by Liana, who hopes the show will end up in school media courses. Also on the horizon are a web show, Ed and Red’s Net Party and eventually a program on video games.
Since his start back in ’87, Ed has experienced a fair amount of personal growth, morphing from a crabby smartass into a character more concerned with focusing on the stupidity surrounding us. “Ed’s a BS filter,” Steven says, “And the BS has changed!” Liana: “The critical thing about comedy is that it has to have impact.”
When the Kerzners aren’t completely entrenched in all things Ed, they can be found caring for their numerous pets or checking out restaurants close to Thornhill, including favourites Earth Indian and Melodies, which serves a mean lentil soup. A tiny Danish vegan bakery tucked in the back of Hollywood Costumes is a go-to for dairy-free ice cream. But for the most part, the pair is busy dreaming up Ed’s next move.
“Ed’s a little ball of comical rage all the time!” Liana exclaims.
What’s not to love?
