CHICAGO — Mayor Rahm Emanuel has a message for the new host of "The Tonight Show": "Toughen up."
Emanuel also said he'd appear on the show so long as its host, Jimmy Fallon, participated in one of the city's most shiver-inducing traditions.
In an interview with the Sun-Times, Fallon, who took over Monday, said Chicago's mayor has an open invitation to appear on the show.
Fallon also admitted being a little intimidated by the mayor.
“All he has to do is make a phone call,” Fallon said. “He can host if he wants to. I’m scared of that guy.”
In a tweet sent Wednesday afternoon, the mayor accepted the invite with a caveat.
Thx for the invite @jimmyfallon. You should toughen up for the big leagues. Do the Chicago Polar Plunge with me and I’ll join @FallonTonight
— Rahm Emanuel (@RahmEmanuel) February 19, 2014
Last year, the 13th Annual Polar Plunge sent 2,500 Chicagoans into Lake Michigan while temperatures were 23 degrees.
This year's edition will be March 2 at North Avenue Beach.
The mayor will be participating, a spokeswoman confirmed. Last summer, the mayor pledged to participate if kids read 2 million books under the city's Summer Learning Challenge. About 2.1 million books were read during the challenge, according to the mayor's office.
