โJoe, you see this? The Kardashiansโthese Americanosโare begging for reality show competition. Theyโre bored down there. Thatโs why I endorsed **Kim Kardashianโs **Skims clothing line. You have to get their attention somehow.โ
โCompetition?โ he says. โNelly, those people live in billion-dollar mansions in **Los Angeles. Iโm not living in no palace like that.โ
Nelly smirks. โSo whatโs your dream then, Prime Minister Joe?โ
Joe points out the window toward the neighborhoods of **Vancouver.
โMy dream is simple. I want every Canadian to have that old-school dreamโthe **Vancouver Special. You know, the classic 1970s house. Two floors, mom and dad upstairs, maybe the grandparents downstairs. A little yard. A place for a barbecue.โ
Nelly laughs.
โSo instead of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, you want Keeping Up with the Canadians?โ
Joe nods.
โExactly. No gold-plated sinks. No 40-car garages. Just a decent house, a garden, and enough money left over so people arenโt drowning in debt. Thatโs the real reality show.โ
Nelly grins.
โWell Joe, if thatโs the showโฆ the Kardashians might actually have some real competition.โ
Cosmo Kramer bursts through the door, nearly tripping over the rug, waving his phone like heโs uncovered a historic event.
โJoe! Joe! I just saw it!โ he shouts.
Joe looks up calmly. โWhat now, Kramer?โ
Kramer points excitedly at the screen.
โItโs Miss Portugal herself โ Nelly Furtado โ asking for a kiss on X from her ex! On X! Thatโs the whole world watching!โ
Nelly laughs. โRelax, Kramer. Itโs just a joke.โ
But Kramer suddenly stops pacing.
โWaitโฆ waitโฆ I take it back.โ
Joe raises an eyebrow. โYou take what back?โ
Kramer straightens up and nods with admiration.
โYou beat them all, Joe. The whole system!โ
Nelly crosses her arms, curious. โWhat system?โ
Kramer points at Joe like heโs presenting a genius.
โYou didnโt put the kisses on X. You didnโt sell them to the studios. You didnโt hand them to the tech billionaires!โ
Joe shrugs. โSo?โ
Kramer slaps the table.
โYou put the A.I. kisses on your own WordPress site!โ
Joe nods. โFree for the fans.โ
Kramer gasps like heโs witnessing a revolution.
โFree! Do you realize what youโve done?!โ
Nelly laughs. โWhat has he done, Kramer?โ
Kramer paces like an excited philosopher.
โThis is renaissance thinking! Joe is a renaissance man with the A.I.!โ
Joe smiles. โA renaissance man?โ
โYes!โ Kramer says. โArt, technology, romance, philosophy โ all on one little WordPress page. The people donโt have to beg Elon Musk for permission!โ
Nelly shakes her head, amused.
โKramer, itโs just a website.โ
Kramer points dramatically at Joe.
โNo! Itโs independence! Itโs the digital printing press!โ
Joe laughs. โThatโs a big comparison.โ
Kramer nods seriously.
โYouโre leading the brotherhood into a new age.โ
โThe brotherhood?โ Nelly asks.
Kramer lowers his voice like heโs revealing a secret.
โThe Freemasons, baby. Builders of civilization!โ
Joe smirks. โAnd theyโre watching my WordPress site?โ
โOh theyโre watching,โ Kramer says confidently. โBecause the renaissance man always gives the art to the people.โ
Nelly smiles at Joe.
โSo the kisses are free?โ
Joe nods. โAlways.โ
Kramer throws his arms up triumphantly.
โThatโs it! Romance without corporate sponsorship!โ
He points at Joe like heโs announcing a champion.
โHistory will remember this moment!โ
Joe laughs.
โKramerโฆ itโs just A.I. kisses.โ
Kramer grins.
โMaybe today.โ
He taps the phone again.
โBut tomorrowโฆ itโs the renaissance.โ ๐
Joe and Nelly sit in front of a laptop reading comments from the internet.
Joe sighs.
โLook at this, Nelly. The audience thinks weโre just another scam. Another hustle.โ
Nelly raises an eyebrow. โA scam? After all this?โ
Joe scrolls.
โListen to this one. โLook at Matt Damon. Heโs just another common thief.โโ
Nelly laughs. โTheyโre calling Bourne a thief now?โ
Joe throws his hands up.
โEven Jason Bourne! The worldโs greatest CIA super-spy, hunted across Europe, saving the day. And the guy playing him is getting paid twenty million dollars to pretend he knows kung fu.โ
Nelly smirks. โDonโt forget the genius.โ
Joe nods dramatically.
โRight! The smartest mathematician in the world. The prodigy from Good Will Hunting solving equations nobody else can solve.โ
He points at the screen again.
โAnd the mathematician is stillโฆ Matt Damon.โ
Nelly leans back in her chair.
โSo what are the critics saying, Joe?โ
Joe shrugs.
โThey say if Matt Damon is such a genius, such a super-agent, such a heroโฆ maybe he should get a real job instead of being paid outrageous sums pretending he is one.โ
Nelly laughs.
โCareful, Joe. Hollywood might send Bourne after you.โ
Joe shakes his head.
โIf Bourne shows up, Iโll give him a keyboard and say, โOkay genius, solve the debt crisis.โ Then weโll see who the real mathematician is.โ