Some 100 Finns braved freezing winds in Helsinki Friday to demand that Conan O'Brien's new show be aired here, as the US talk show host joked about foregoing Finnish foods until it hit the airwaves.
"Arise my people, arise as one, and demand that my show appear in my beloved Finland!" cried O'Brien in a pre-recorded video which was shown at the rally.
O'Brien's new show "Conan" has not appeared in Finland, despite the great popularity of his previous show "Late Night with Conan O'Brien".
O'Brien, addressing his fans against a Finnish flag as a backdrop, said: "No Finnish foods until I am on the air in your country!" and listed herring and blood sausage on the banned food list.
Rally organiser Alexandra Alexis, who helped pass out beer and gingerbread cookies at the demonstration, said video clips of the event would be shown on the Conan show next week.
During the Late Night show, O'Brien developed a rapport with his Finnish fans, sometimes referring to himself as Finland's "golden god" and even pretending to campaign for the re-election of Finnish President Tarja Halonen, whom he has claimed is his look-alike double.
In February 2006, he taped a special episode in Finland, where he visited fans and was invited to meet the president.
During a November 30 airing of his new "Conan" show, O'Brien said in stilted Finnish that if Finnish television executives would not air his show, he would seize the nation's herring supply and send it to Sweden.
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