Introducing Florence Foresti

[Victoria]

(Erm, if you don't know of her already, of course!)

Florence Foresti is that rarest of modern comics on television -- a skit or sketch artist of the finest calibre, analogous to perhaps French & Saunders in the UK, or Carol Burnett in the US.

Her many recurring personalities include:

Lady Zbouba: the hyperactive, no airs and graces product of the immigrant banlieues.

Cl

[ryyannon]

Mouiii...

Problem is, ain't rpractically no one around here is gonna understand those vids....

[Victoria]

Mouiii...

Problem is, ain't rpractically no one around here is gonna understand those vids....

I was hoping there were ENOUGH French-speakers to be able to comment, but you may be right. EDIT: Did you have a particular fave amongst the ones I posted?

Still, I'm hoping for a Stephane, Pix, Navigater, Usil, and others to chime in. Maybe Puggy remembers her too.

Plus, this is a springboard post to get us to talking about comedy shows, duh! In Living Colour, anyone?

[ryyannon]

I think the sharpest humor is on a show called "Les Guignols" (The Puppets) on the cable channel Canal Plus. Even when they satirize Bush and the U.S. - which is often - I just have to laugh. Some examples: Stallone and Bush clones singing "We F.uck The World" - a parody of "We Are The World"...

They're no less tender with their own politicians, such as when they ridiculized President Chiraq in the "SuperMenteur" ("SuperLiar") sketches for weeks on end. The dialogues will be probably be unintelligible to anyone not speaking French, but the images speak for themselves....

[Victoria]

I think the sharpest humor is on a show called "Les Guignols" (The Puppets) on the cable channel Canal Plus. Even when they satirize Bush and the U.S. - which is often - I just have to laugh. Some examples: Stallone and Bush clones singing "We F.uck The World" - a parody of "We Are The World"...

LOL! That was awesome.

But Les Guignols are a rip off of Spitting Image!

Brief, but oh so funny.

@Ryyannon followup "Wonder Chirac, dites Super Liar": LMAO! "Ultra Menteur, mon h

[ryyannon]

"But Les Guignols are a rip off of Spitting Image!"

For sure, but they're all we've got - and they do a good job of being funny and insolent.

It took ages for this type of humor to make its way past the censors and onto French television - and then only because Canal Plus was the first privately- run (and not State-run) channel.

If it weren't for exceptions like this, we'd all be watching the French equivalent of "Leave It To Beaver" and the "Ozzie and Harriet Show" for eternity.... And now that I think of it, not even the French equivalents: the original American series in endless re-runs!

[Victoria]

For sure, but they're all we've got - and they do a good job of being funny and insolent.

It took ages for this type of humor to make its way past the censors and onto French television - and then only because Canal Plus was the first privately- run (and not State-run) channel.

Sure! L'etat c'est moi was not just Louis XIV you know. It permeates all levels of French elitism.

If it weren't for exceptions like this, we'd all be watching the French equivalent of "Leave It To Beaver" and the "Ozzie and Harriet Show" for eternity.... And now that I think of it, not even the French equivalents: the original American series in endless re-runs!

Ooh, I remember a particularly brain-dead programme when I was a kid:

"H

[ryyannon]

@Ryyannon followup "Wonder Chirac, dites Super Liar": LMAO! "Ultra Menteur, mon h

[ryyannon]

Ooh, I remember a particularly brain-dead programme when I was a kid: "H