{{Short description|Canadian media personality}} {{Infobox person | name = Steven Joel Kerzner | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1970|08|25}} | birth_place = Toronto, Ontario, Canada | death_date = | death_place = | other_names = Ed the Sock | occupation = Actor, producer, television personality | years_active = 1987–present | known_for = Ed the Sock | notable_works = | spouse = {{marriage|Liana Kerzner|1999}}<ref name="auto">{{Cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/life/health_wellness/2009/04/04/sock_it_to_me_at_home_with_ed_the_socks_creator.html|title=Sock it to me! At home with Ed The Sock's creator|date=April 4, 2009|newspaper=The Toronto Star|last1=Zekas|first1=Rita}}</ref> }}
'''Steven Joel Kerzner''' is a Canadian actor, producer, television and radio personality best known for his portrayal of Ed the Sock, originally appearing on CityTV and MuchMusic (until its decline in 2013). Kernzer has continued to portray the character through his own media initiatives FU Network and NewMusicNation.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7757281/ed-the-sock-muchmusic-newmusicnation-steven-kerzner/|title=Ed the Sock (A.k.a. Steven Kerzner) wants to bring MuchMusic back with NewMusicNation - National | Globalnews.ca}}</ref>
Since 2023, Kerzner has hosted ''The All Night Show with Ed the Sock'', a nightly live overnight show on Durham Radio 94.9 The Rock.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Thiessen |first1=Connie |title=Ed the Sock revives overnight radio format in the GTA |url=https://broadcastdialogue.com/ed-the-sock-revives-overnight-radio-format-in-the-gta/ |access-date=August 1, 2025 |work=Broadcast Dialogue |date=May 16, 2023}}</ref>
== Career ==
As a teenager in 1984 Kerzner began volunteering through a student co-op program at Newton Cable, a small local station in Downsview, Ontario. It was at the station that Kernzer developed the Ed the Sock character. Requiring a co-host on short notice, so Kerzner took a sock and other supplies from the station's craft closet and made a sock puppet with glue caps for eyes. He named the puppet Ed after Ed Asner and co-hosted the segment himself. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.pressreader.com/canada/north-york-post/20150301/282342563293449|title=How North York are you?|date=March 1, 2015|website=North York Post|access-date=July 10, 2019}}</ref> By 1987 Kerzner became a producer and director of programming.<ref>[http://tvguide.ca/Watercooler/Guilty%20Pleasures/Articles/100603_ed_sock_timeline_JO The rough life of Ed the Sock] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718165213/http://tvguide.ca/Watercooler/Guilty%20Pleasures/Articles/100603_ed_sock_timeline_JO |date=2011-07-18 }} TV GUIDE, 2010-06-03 (Article by Janine Oliveira)</ref>
Kerzner later moved the character to CityTV<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.lonely.geek.nz/television/ed_the_sock/episode_guide.php|title=Ed the Sock - Episode Guide (for reruns in New Zealand)|last=The Lonely Geek|website=lonely.geek.nz|access-date=July 1, 2019}}</ref> and MuchMusic.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7757281/ed-the-sock-muchmusic-newmusicnation-steven-kerzner/|title=Ed the Sock (a.k.a. Steven Kerzner) wants to bring MuchMusic back with NewMusicNation|website=Global News}}</ref>
Following the decline of MuchMusic in 2013, due to an acquisition by Bell Media, Kerzner has made a number of attempts to bring the character back through the use of online media. In 2016, he announced the FU Network and in 2021 created the NewMusicNation brand, raising funds for creating an online version of what MuchMusic used to be like.<ref name="auto1"/> ===Radio=== Kerzner has hosted ''The All Night Show with Ed the Sock'' overnight five times a week on 94.9 The Rock (Oshawa, Ontario) since 2023. He also co-hosts ''Ed & Red'' weekly on CKNT 960 AM Mississauga with Liana Kerzner, since 2020. From 2008 to 2010, they hosted a call-in show, ''Steven & Liana'', Sunday nights on CFRB.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Zekas |first1=Rita |title=Sock it to me! At home with Ed The Sock’s creator |url=https://www.thestar.com/life/health-wellness/sock-it-to-me-at-home-with-ed-the-socks-creator/article_e408afb7-4d5a-5f0c-88f4-aa218c26db19.html |access-date=August 1, 2025 |work=Toronto Star |date=April 4, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Grignon |first1=Denis |title=How radio reinvigorated the former TV host known as Ed the Sock |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/how-radio-reinvigorated-the-former-tv-host-known-as-ed-the-sock/article_22734526-7ec6-57df-b7f3-9b1b9df2b505.html |access-date=August 1, 2025 |work=Toronto Star |date=July 7, 2023}}</ref> In 2022, he teamed with Rick the Temp for a series of regular appearances on Z103.5's morning show.<ref name="bd">{{cite news |title=94.9 The Rock’s Doug Elliott and Steven J. Kerzner on taking radio back to its roots |url=https://broadcastdialogue.com/broadcast-dialogue-the-podcast-94-9-the-rocks-doug-elliott-and-steven-j-kerzner-on-taking-radio-back-to-its-roots/ |access-date=August 1, 2025 |work=Broadcast Dialogue |date=July 26, 2023}}</ref>
== Filmography ==
=== TV === {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- | 1987-1994 | ''The Late Late Show'' | Ed the Sock | Community access cable, producer and co-host |- | 1995-2008 | ''Ed's Night Party'' (later ''Ed and Red's Night Party'') | Ed the Sock | producer and host |- | 1997-2013 | ''Fromage'' | Ed the Sock | writer and host |- | 1996 | data-sort-value="Best of Ed's Night Party, The" | ''The Best of Ed's Night Party'' | Ed the Sock | producer and co-host |- | 1998 | ''First Time Out'' | | director |- | 2000 | ''Ed's Big Wham Bam '' | Ed the Sock | producer and co-host |- | 2000 | ''Royal Canadian Air Farce'' | Ed the Sock | guest |- | 2001 | ''Spacebar'' | Ed the Sock | guest |- | 2005-2008 | ''Ed's Nite In'' | Ed the Sock | producer and co-host |- | 2006 | data-sort-value="Morgan Waters Show, The" | ''The Morgan Waters Show'' | Ed the Sock | guest |- | 2010 | ''This Movie Sucks!'' | Ed the Sock | producer and co-host |- | 2012-2013 | ''George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight'' | Ed the Sock | panelist |- | 2012 | ''I Hate Hollywood'' | Ed the Sock | producer and co-host |- | 2013 | ''Video on Trial'' | Ed the Sock | panelist |- |}
=== Film ===
Kerzner appeared as Ed the Sock in the 2018 film ''The Joke Thief''.
== Politics == Kerzner ran in the 1990 Ontario general election in the riding of Wilson Heights for Mike Harris' Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, but finished third to the Liberal and NDP candidates.
Results of 1990 Ontario provincial election for the riding of Wilson Heights:<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://canadianelectionsdatabase.ca/PHASE5/?p=0&type=election&ID=680#page_1=constituency_5263|title=1990 Ontario Election Results: Wilson Heights Riding|website=Canadian Elections Database|access-date=July 10, 2019}}</ref>
{{CANelec/top|ON|1990|percent=yes}} {{CANelec|ON|Liberal|Monte Kwinter|12,272|44.4}} {{CANelec|ON|NDP|John Fagan|9,618|34.8}} {{CANelec|ON|PC|Steven Joel Kerzner|4,913|17.7}} {{CANelec|ON|Other||922|3.3}} {{Canadian election result/total|Total votes|27,725|100.0||}} {{end}}
In his youth Kerzner was a fiscal and foreign-policy conservative, and his political heroes were Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, Harris and Brian Mulroney. Since the mid-2000s he has offered more left-of center views, stating in a 2009 interview that he is "no longer a conservative".<ref>[https://www.thestar.com/article/612131 Sock it to me! At home with Ed The Sock's creator] The Toronto Star, April 4, 2009 (Article by Rita Zekas)</ref> In recent years, he has vigorously defended Liberal Justin Trudeau, particularly in the wake of the SNC-Lavalin scandal.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://omny.fm/shows/the-shift-with-drex/ed-the-sock-weighs-in-on-the-snc-lavalin-scandal|title=Ed the Sock Weighs in on the SNC-Lavalin Scandal}}</ref>
In a 2012 interview in which he spoke in favor of the legalization of marijuana, Kerzner stated that the war on drugs was an impossible mistake and said vices such as liquor, gambling and smoking are only taxed because "they make us feel good".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/radio-host-ed-the-sock-on-decriminalizing-marijuana/article6608719/|title=Radio host Ed the Sock on decriminalizing marijuana|last=Jenkins|first=Anthony|date=December 21, 2012|website=Globe and Mail|access-date=July 11, 2019}}</ref>
== Personal life == Kerzner married Liana Kerzner in 1999.<ref name="auto"/>
== References == {{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kerzner, Steven Joel}} Category:1970 births Category:Living people Category:Much (TV channel) personalities Category:Mass media people from Toronto Category:Canadian television show creators Category:Canadian television producers Category:Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario candidates in Ontario provincial elections Category:Canadian radio hosts