Please join us in congratulating UBC History alumnus Nardwuar on his recent appointment to the Order of Canada!
Nardwuar’s long and eclectic career has been featured by a number of media outlets including The Globe and Mail, CTV NEWS, CBC News, and Billboard Magazine. Courtney Booker–from the UBC Department of History–also had the pleasure of interviewing Nardwuar back in 2011. Check out this classic and hilarious interview where Nardwuar reflects on history, music, and his formative years studying at UBC.
Media Highlights
- CBC News: Andre De Grasse, Nardwuar among 80 new appointments to the Order of Canada
- CTV News: Nardwuar Appointed to the Order of Canada
- Billboard Magazine: Nardwuar Receives One of Canada’s Highest Honors: ‘I Am in Awe!’
- Globe and Mail: How Interviewer Nardwuar Transcended from Canadian Cult Hero to Global Phenomenon
Interview Excerpt from CTV News
The Vancouver personality, born John Ruskin, is among 80 appointees announced on Wednesday, including children’s singer Raffi, country musician Terri Clark, and a list of Supreme Court justices, scientists, authors and athletes.
Unlike most of them, the 57-year-old will be inducted under his stage name, “Nardwuar, the Human Serviette,” a rare exception for one of Canada’s highest honours that meets the spirit of his off-the-wall personality.
For the uninitiated, Nardwuar might be described as a Canadian enigma who gradually invaded pop culture over several decades, propelled by his interviews, which all finish with his trademark phrase “Doot doola doot doo…doot doo.”
He established his name on local college radio before hitting MuchMusic’s national airwaves in the late 1990s as a TV personality who interviewed the likes of Nirvana, Blur and Snoop Dogg.
His goofy demeanour betrays the deep research he conducts on his subjects, who are often left stunned when he whips out little-known facts about their high school days or presents them with obscure pop culture artifacts with deep personal meaning.
After toiling away on national television, Nardwuar exploded in popularity during the YouTube era. His interviews with hip-hop stars Pharrell Williams, Future and Cardi B exposed him to a whole new audience, and the short-form format was ideal for viral moments and fan-made clips.
This excerpt was originally published on CTV News.
