Michael Bublé says part of being Canadian is ‘a great sense of self-deprecating humour’

Michael Bublé has had an extremely busy 2021, starring in the #BellLetsTalk video, and now he’s getting ready to debut a new Bubly ad for Super Bowl LV this Sunday.

The ads usually see the 45-year-old singer making fun of the mispronunciation of his last name. The Bublé/Bubly reference all began during the Canadian crooner’s SNL skit with Jon Hamm in 2010. 

Hamm and Bublé invited viewers to their new restaurant Hamm and Bublé, which specialized in pairing pork dishes with sparkling champagne. “If you’re looking for a romantic night out in a restaurant that specializes in pork dishes and fine champagne, then look no further than Hamm and Bubly,” Hamm said at the beginning of the skit.

“It’s actually pronounced Bublé," the “Home" singer said. “Well Bublé doesn’t work so now it’s pronounced Bubly,” Hamm retorted.

Speaking with Bublé recently, etalk’s Sonia Beeksma said that it’s “so ironic” that Hamm called Bublé "Bubly" in that 2010 skit. “I think that’s where it came from. I actually think that, no one said that directly, but I believe that the writers were influenced by that,” Bublé said.

The “It’s a Beautiful Day” singer remembered getting the first scripted pitch for the Bubly commercials from Pepsi three years ago, and he said he thought it was amazing after reading the first one. “Even at the start, it was very different than a lot of corporations you work with, especially the big kind of corporate gigs that you get because usually, they tell you this is what it is and either yes or no,” he explained. “With Pepsi it was never like that. They were always open to my ideas.” 

He said a main goal was always to showcase his very Canadian sense of humour. “A big part of being Canadian, it’s not about being me, you know, we have a great sense of self-deprecating humour. And I think that if we look at our favourite Canadians, people like Ryan Reynolds or Seth Rogen, there’s always that sense of kindness."

Bublé continuned, "Even if I go back to someone like John Candy, he could be edgy but there was always this sense of kindness and compassion that allowed for you to laugh with the person. They weren’t afraid to laugh at themselves, and so I think that was just sort of a natural part of where I come from and who I am. It was a joy to make fun of the name as usual and a beautiful bonus to actually really like the product.”

RELATED: Michael Bublé's back with bubly for a Canada-centric Super Bowl commercial

When it comes to the actual Super Bowl game and not just the commercials or halftime show, Bublé said he always cheers for Kansas City because they are his friend Eric Stonestreet’s (a.k.a. Cam from Modern Family) favourite. “He’s a massive Kansas City Chiefs fan, and so I always cheer for him because it brings me a lot of joy to know how much it means to him,” he said. “During the games and stuff, it’s really cool because I’ll just write him and share in his joy and tell him to soak it all in.” Bublé said that he’s cheering for Eric more than anything else. We’re living for this bromance. 

Bublé also spoke with Sonia about the importance of continuing to have tough conversations surrounding mental health. "Obviously, mental health is something that is a massive issue in all of our lives, and I think through this pandemic, a lot of us realize that maybe we’re all a little more vulnerable than we thought we were," he said.

The "Everything" singer said that he thinks a lot of people didn't realize "they could ever have an issue" until the pandemic began. "All of a sudden, this came, and it sort of filled our whole world with a sense of anxiety and dread, and I think people realized how fragile their mental health was," Bublé added.

The Canadian crooner said that the second he was asked to do the #BellLetsTalk video, he got so excited and said "let's do it" right away. "I think it’s such a lovely thing to be able to shine a brighter spotlight on something that affects so many of us, young and old. It doesn’t matter where you come from," he added.

BEFORE YOU GO: Mike Myers and Dana Carvey bring back Wayne's World for Super Bowl ad