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February 18, 2005

Les Guignols, Bush and the World Company

Watching "les Guignols de l'Info", one of the most famous French TV shows, running for more than 15 years, is a very revealing experience regarding the image of George W. Bush and the US "power" in France. But behind the funny jokes lies the basic image that most Europeans, and at first French have of the president and his administration.
"Les Guignols de l'Info" (literally "The puppets clowns of the News") are short news broadcasted every night at 8 p.m on Canal +, a private French channel. In five minutes, they make fun of the "real" news, most of the time with pertinence. Although it is not a totally serious show, most of the observers agree to say that its impact on French opinion is significant.
George W. Bush and Condoleezza Rice are the only members of the government who have their own puppets. "Mr Sylvestre", a puppet of Sylvester Stalone dressed up as a soldier, a general, Donald Rumsfeld or the average American, plays every other members. Mr Sylvestre is actually another main character of "Les Guignols de l'Info" : The chief director of the "World Company", something between the Spectre in James Bond movies and the NSA.

Mr Sylvestre, Chief Director of the World Company, and "W".

The concept of the relationship between the president and the World Company is very simple. The World Company governs the country and "W" "plays" president.

George W. Bush's character is an idiot who is only able to say a couple of words ("yeah !", "America" and "papa", sometimes more when he plays parrot). He is a child, playing with cowboys' dolls, small rockets or even nuclear weapons. Every character of the show treats him as a mentally retarded man, and everybody agrees that he is "bloody stupid", and that it is the reason why he is a good American president (easy to manipulate for the World Company).

Mr Sylvestre character is the very embodiment of cynicism. His anthem, "We f... the world", is a adaptation of "We are the world", but in which the world has to be better "for me, and me"... Mr Sylvestre use "beuuhharr" as an "hello", a reference to Rambo, the character he was created for. Mr Sylvestre (and his clones, blonde, dark haired, with glasses or with beard, etc. named John, Bob, Steve, Bill or any typical American name) is however very smart, and knows how to make good deals with the terrorists, win money on poor people, on the pope's business (John Paul II is one of the best trade mark of the world company) or on oil business.

With these two main characters (another famous one is "governator" Schwarzenegger, who is only saying "yeah !" and "Hasta la vista"), the Republicans and the US government is one of the favorite target of "Les Guignols de l'Info". But John Kerry was also ridiculed, as Bill Clinton was. Lets just say that the Democrats looked nicer.

But, of course, this is a caricature...

Posted February 18, 2005 08:00 PM

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