Video of a young Keanu Reeves reporting on a teddy bear convention is the serotonin boost we needed

Canada celebrates National Teddy Bear Day every year on September 9. In 2020, the day was marked by a special contribution by Keanu Reeves. A humorous old video of Reeves reporting on the first-ever Canadian International Teddy Bear Convention was shared by the Canadian Broadcasting Company. The brief clip was first shown on the children's news magazine series "Going Great," for which Reeves served as a correspondent and co-host during its third season, reported Newsweek.

CBC wrote in its tweet, "Who better to honor a childhood favorite than Canada's beloved Keanu Reeves!" They mentioned in a follow-up tweet that the video dates back to 1984. Reeves states near the opening of the video, "When I was sent to check out the first Canadian International Teddy Bear Convention, I thought I was in for a lot of craziness. But then I met thirteen-year-old Graham Abby and his 53 bears and discovered there’s a serious side to collecting teddy bears." The camera then pans to him asking questions such as, "Why are all the bears' first name Teddy?" to a young Graham, per Far Out Magazine.

Graham responds by alleging that President Teddy Roosevelt went out hunting but was unhappy since he and his group were unable to locate any large bears. They did discover a little cub, but the party declined to shoot it because it was too cute. Cartoons about the "Teddy Bear" were quickly created and influenced by Teddy Roosevelt.

Reeves also asks a lady where her bear went to college, to which she responds, "Paws Preparatory School," before displaying the bear's "Paws Prep" t-shirt. He also asks someone what their friends think of them collecting the Teddy bears. Considering his role as "A Very Serious Journalist," Reeves appeared to be having a good time at the event. Someone throws him a bear, and he pretends as though it is attacking him. He also dresses up at one point, wearing sunglasses while speaking to a teddy bear.

He says to the stuffed bear, "I've been looking all over for you. We gotta go down to the bears-only cafe and talk 'bears-ness.' Listen, you know that bears necessity contest? We've got problems. So listen, we'll go down. We'll talk business, and hey, everything will be okay. I love this guy." 

People were absolutely stunned by the performance of 20-year-old Reeves and had various reactions. A Twitter user noted the tone in his voice, "Right here is proof that Keanu Reeves didn’t speak like a surfer and definitely put on the voice during his Bill & Ted and Point Break era. Most people don’t realize he kept that surfer persona for a while." Another commented, "A natural at a young age. The bear attacking is like a scene from the matrix. Jesus loves you !" A third user said, "I’ve seen this and I love it every time it comes back up."

The CBC show frequently featured youngsters with extraordinary abilities that astonished young audiences. A few other Reeves segments from "Going Great" have also reappeared on YouTube, including ones showcasing a teenage juggler and a young equestrian trainer.