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Drake hosts Janices-only party as apology for dissing their name in hit single
Imagine being invited to an exclusive party with up to 200 strangers and not stressing about getting a single name wrong. And feeling the rush of repeatedly turning your head because you hear your moniker.
It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing and when I saw the invitation on social media, I knew I would regret it forever if I didn’t go. While much of Toronto was gripped by Pride or FIFA on Sunday, I dropped everything and flew from Ottawa for the giddy thrill of attending what had to be the first ever “Janice” party. The shindig was an apology from rapper Drake for dissing our name in his hit single Janice STFU from his album ICEMAN.
It was exclusively for first-name Janices, who were required to RSVP beforehand to a JSTFU email address and show government-issued photo ID at the door to be admitted into a sit-down, three-course lunch with bottomless bellinis and tens of thousands of dollars in door-prize money.
The Toronto fete drew Janices from near and far – including Vancouver. The trendy Cactus Club was packed with highly excited women who spanned generations, from boomers to Gen-Z.
The demographic spread was a surprise because nothing says mid-century like the name Janice. I was born in the 1960s, near the end of the name’s top-100 popularity, and I was expecting an age 60+ crowd. If anything, revellers skewed Gen-X and millennial, likely because they were more likely than older Janices to see an invite shared on social and come out for a party. The youngest one I met was Janice Thai, a 20-year-old nursing student at Toronto Metropolitan University who had never met another Janice her age.
The party’s host, however, was a no-show, so anyone who was actually offended by Janice STFU never heard a verbal apology from Drake, not even via video. Toronto was the only Canadian venue of five parties held Sunday – the others took place in Los Angeles, Houston, New York City and Miami.
Drake sent personal invitations to the Janices he knew in Toronto, saying “Hey Janice. Sorry we might have ruined your summer.” There were rumours, fuelled by organizers on site, that he’d planned to make amends in person in his home city. His absence prompted a bit of griping on a group WhatsApp chat created at the party.
“What’s an apology without hearing right from him,” asked one Janice.
“I thought for sure he would have treated his Toronto fans extra special by extending a personalized apology,” said another.
“It would have been nice to see you in person, but the peach bellinis helped ease the pain,” added a third.
Another irritant was that dozens of party hopefuls were turned away in line or at the door because they hadn’t RSVPed. Some complained the communication from Drake’s team was poor because it was not made clear on social media that registration was required.
It appears to be a mystery why Drake picked the name Janice and what it represents.
One often-cited theory from fans and critics is that Janice is a metaphor for the media and he wants them to butt out of his personal life. (As a former reporter and current journalism instructor, does that mean I have been double dissed?)
Billboard is among the media outlets that have reported that Janice comes from Tony Soprano’s manipulative and opportunistic sister from the legendary HBO TV series The Sopranos.
One thing’s for sure. For a name that demographers record as nosediving near the end of the 1960s, it’s having a moment. So thank you, Drake. I am not much of a fan, I am not offended and I got such a kick out of spending an afternoon with so many terrific Janices.
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