BISMARCK, N.D. — In character as the “Anchorman” franchise’s Ron Burgundy, Will Ferrell made an objectively hilarious promotional appearance at a local Bismarck man’s funeral yesterday afternoon, the bereaved report.
The funeral, which was originally intended to honor the memory of Henry Scotmeyer, 84, became an instant hit with attendees while also helping to promote the new “Anchorman 2″ film which premiered in theaters this past Wednesday.
According to the eyewitness account of Clay Scotmeyer, longtime Ferrell fan and nephew of the deceased, “Uncle Henry was always kind of a ‘stick in the mud,’ and this whole ‘being dead’ thing was just the latest in a long line of buzzkill moments that he’s dumped on us over the years. Thank God Viacom was generous enough to send Burgundy to make it fun.”
In what many of the departed’s loved ones have hailed as “the comedic climax of the funeral service,” Burgundy at one point knocked on the casket, opened it to reveal the corpse’s ghastly visage, and declared, “You stay classy… in Heaven. Because you’re dead. Dead, dead, dead. You. Are. Dead.”
Asked about the appropriateness of sending Ferrell to a funeral dressed as Ron Burgundy, a Viacom spokesperson defended the appearance, saying, “There’s nothing inappropriate about it. It’s a ‘fun’-eral; not a ‘lame’-eral. They laughed. They cried. They got excited about ‘Anchorman 2.’ What more could you want from a burial ceremony?”
At press time, reports indicate that “Anchorman 2″ has just set a box office record for opening-week ticket sales, thanks in-part to Ferrell’s most recent surprise appearance inside a Boise, Idaho, couple’s honeymoon suite late last night.
News flash: The Hobbit kicked Ron Burgundy’s butt with a size 16 double wide at the box office. Film at…wait a minute, there ain’t gonna be any film at ten!