Thursday, April 02, 2009

Laughing in Paris


I know it's no longer April fools day, but we still can have a good laugh, can't we? In Paris, we have until April 4 for that! That is, until the "Paris fait sa comédie" festival (a festival where a lot of French and Canadian comedians perform on stage) closes. It takes place around my home, in several theaters on the Grands Boulevards and in the street also, where, as you can see in this photo, they also have a few street events. Have a look at the video clips featured on the official site if you understand French (and French humour!) if not let me offer you this...

64 comments:

  1. What a wacky colorful photo! Love the pink with the yellow shoes. I sure hope this isn't a belated poisson d'avril!

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  2. Katie GF! Pink crown?

    he he Eric he's such fun but he must have been so hot in there.
    The French comedian was funny, that which I could understand, but he was a bit fast for me. Loved his expressions too and of course the French shrug in all its glory. lol.
    Robin Williams is hilarious. That was very accurate! (sorry)

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  3. Very funny! (Although kind of looks like the Kool-Aid figure!) I love having a good laugh, especially with my kids. They are great for laughing with.

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  4. This guy looks like I feel right now. I need dinner and a sip of wine.

    Eric is back at Place Blanche again, checking the cheeky stuff.

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  5. Oh, I just read yesterday's posts: what fun that Sue met Guille.

    Shakin' her thang?
    Doin' the bump?

    "We need the funk,
    Give us the funk, oh
    We want the funk,
    Got to have the funk."

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  6. Thanks for the link Eric - French humor about the Portuguese, mmmm.

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  7. Will check the videos and links later. Just a quick comment for now.

    Do kids still try to hook a paper fish on the back of your clothes on April 1? I seem to recall we used to do that as a harmless practical joke.

    (In France you say "April Fish" (poisson d'Avril) not April "fool" )

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  8. I didn't know you did April Fools Day over there! What a fun photo :)

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  9. Robin Williams did such a good job that the French comedian seemed like a Robin Williams parody!!

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  10. Excellent video, always cracks me up when I see it.

    This figure of your photo reminds me of a similar one you once showed us, inside one of Paris passages. If I knew how to use the search tool in this blog I'd look for it. I feel like seeing that post again but don't remember which month you published it.

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  11. Hey, wait a minute!! I think this guy stole my tomato suit!!!

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  12. Guille, since you work with art have you ever been at Le 104? (19ième)??

    It seems such an interesting place I wonder if it's worth a visit. Despite the works of arts being shown there, the building itself seems very interesting. Not to mention the fact that it used to be a place for pompes funèbres service!!

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  13. Oh I get it, Poisson D'Avril, uh?!! Very funny, now give it back.

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  14. I found it!

    The post with a character similar to this was Hey You

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  15. *shudder* How am I supposed to sleep now?

    Agree with Christie, THIS is the first thing that came to mind when I saw that thing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjacMS7Siqw

    Oh Yeaaahhh!

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  16. Love you, Eric, but this character is creepy. Yikes!

    I love Robin Williams, too. Is that America/Germany/France joke about 60 years old? Or does it still count as funny?

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  17. This guy sure is bright on a grey day.

    I just wish my French was good enough to go to the theater, philocafés and things like that when I'm in Paris, but I'm afraid I just wouldn't get it.

    Robin Williams is cracking me up.

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  18. Hmm... the suit looks pink on this monitor... what's up with that?!

    Like Petra said, we love you Eric, but ... OK here goes.

    Videos are OK, good to make a point, but really just OK. Patrick Timsit making fun of the Portuguese? Hmm... coming from him, that's really interesting. :/

    I might be the only one on these forum who doesn't like the so-called French jokes but what the heck, I'll say why: they're not really clever, not really funny, and just generally contribute to reinforce tired old stereotypes. I've heard so many off-color, stupid-ass, ignorant, boring, insulting jokes about the French since 2003 in the US that my tolerance for stuff like that has pretty much worn out. Unless I hear new material, that is. It's pretty much always the SAME OLD STUFF.

    Just my 2 c. Humour is a highly personal thing anyway, and much of it gets lost in translation.

    Soap box now free or whatever.

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  19. I looove laughing.
    Tomate is right: humour is a highly personal thing.
    And when people have the same sense of humour, at least, things can't go really bad.
    I admire most of humourists ( especially for their sharpness. The mass of work it usually implies is enormous! Sharing, humour, feelings, way of life, acuteness. Sharing a lot!

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  20. I do agree with Tomate...I have been living in Germany, Sweden and now the US, and jokes about nationalities/stereotypes don't make me laugh anymore. Come on, give us a break with the hairs under the armpits. 60 years ago (or more), when this was the case in Europe, don't tell me that US women were hairless...The worse thing is that few American fellows still ask me if we are shaving or not, based on the movie Titanic where the french prostitutes had hairs under the armpits. I like to remember them that this movie took place in 1914, and that, yes, we did evolve in almost 100 years

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  21. the city has a good sense of humor hehe :-)))

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  22. I think the most important thing is that we retain an ablilty to laugh at ourselves as well as others.
    On the hairy armpit subject, I'm sure I remember a well publicised photo of the American actress Julia Roberts showing some luxuriant growth in the aforesaid area. What the significance of that is I have no idea, so I'm going to shut up now.

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  23. A comedy festival sounds like so much fun! And what a colorful, cheerful creature! Uh, what is it supposed to be?

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  24. Luxuriant growth Drummond. Ugh. I hate that. Tell me Guille, without being personal, just answer generally, do French girls still not wax? Brr. I shudder. I am miserable if I can't wax.

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  25. @Drummond: Laugh at yourselves, yes, that's healthy. But you gotta draw the line somehwere. Enough with the surrender monkey jokes and so forth. Same thing in reverse, too. Americans are not all cow-boys, etc. I don't know, it gets tiresome after a while.

    Comedy is a fantastic art form. Making people laugh from the belly, laugh til they cry... what a fanstatic, wonderful thing.

    BTW, Madonna had hairy armpit back in the 80's.

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  26. Lynn .. "do French girls still not wax? "

    Where do you hear stuff like that, I'm curious?! Waxing has been going on as long as I can remember. Well, that's in Paris, at least, can't speak for the rest of France .. ahem (let's have some Paris v. Country jokes now ;)

    Here, just for you, an article in the newspaper explaining how in New Jersey, lawmakers - having nothing better to do, I assume - are considering banning the Brazilian wax:

    http://tinyurl.com/cfuw44

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  27. Tomate I didn't hear it. I saw it! I had a girl friend in my late teens who was French and I had two French au pairs. ALL had hairy armpits.

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  28. It's funny you should ask Lynn, I can state here & now that Guille has armpits as smooth as a baby's bum! We spoke about that very subject and she showed us to prove it!! Really!! Another coincidence.

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  29. @Lynn: no offense but your late teens, er... that was quite a while ago, no? ;)

    In any event, that's 3 people (and 3 YOUNG people) I'm sure we can generalize from that. ;)

    What do you think about the Brazilian wax though? Do they call it "Brazilian" too in the UK?

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  30. Sorry Guille, making your armpits the topic of conversation. But Lynn started it!!!!!!!!!!!! Honest...

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  31. Was it Vinny that made you prove it? I think so.

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  32. lol yes I'm guilty of starting it but was careful to ensure that Guille answered in general terms.
    Tomate: I was not generalising based on the 3 people, on the other hand, it was 3 out of 3 that I knew.
    Also, yes it was a long time ago, which was why I asked Guille if French girls STILL do not wax. I emphasised the fact that my experience of it was some time ago. Fashions and trends change and this was what I was wondering about.
    Is it just me, then, who had the misguided idea that French women did not wax their underarms some time ago? Surely not. You're saying it was a common misconception and French women have always waxed?

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  33. Personally, I think it is a misconception, not having so much to do with nationalities but with lifestyle, age, period of time etc., but really, don't mind me, Lynn, I think I'm just in a bad mood today.

    Only the day before yesterday in a tech forum, I had to watch some guy ramble on about why we [the US] hate the French since 9/11... and they hate us ... blah blah... (you don't want to hear it, trust me), just some more of that extreme right wing venom, I guess it never stops, uh, so the timing of this post with the lame ass Robin Williams joke probably didn't help the mood either.

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  34. I gotta go get me some of them Freedom fries with my burger, now. Bye for now.

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  35. Tomate: don't stay away for long. I enjoy your comments too much and they are about the only thing that have made me smile today!
    F**k Freedom Fries and the jackasses that came up with that name!

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  36. All good fun Lynn, I'm sure Guille won't mind. Well I hope not, or I may be for it :(

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  37. I know she won't mind, Sue. Tomate I don't mind at all! We're just discussing things. I fancy what you're eating now!

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  38. Cali: you got a twisted sense of humor, lol ;)

    Yeah, my apologies to all for the snide comments. Not sure if it comes across or not, probably does.

    Lynn, I was thinking about you yesterday when they showed us on TV the "Royal Faux Pas" of Mrs. Obama (she had her arm around the Queen, I guess that's a big No-No).

    People were talking a lot about the iPod gift (some say it's brilliant, while others thought it was silly since the Queen already has an iPod.) Anyway, off topic, I know, just to get back on track...

    Robin Williams actually went to high school right here in Marin County (15 miles North of San Francisco) some years back.

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  39. Next theme day: Armpits around the world!

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  40. I guess my humor is twisted, but the theme day idea is a good one and it would answer a lot of questions and seriously I finally smiled today for the first time in a couple of days!

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  41. LOL Tomate!
    Yep, that is a real faux pas. No-one is supposed to touch the royals unless invited, likewise shaking hands, even talking. They are supposed to talk to you, then you answer! Putting an arm around? Sacre bleu! Quelle horreur!

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  42. They must be sleeping in Europe right now. We'll find out what they think about the idea in a few hours I guess?

    The only problem, though, is that it could quickly degenerate... the first blogger will photograph an armpit, the next one a hairy armpit, then the next one will try to be creative and photograph some other hairy thing... it's slippery slope! ;)

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  43. Hey, Lynn, still awake?!!

    Oh, yeah, I figured you weren't supposed to touch the Queen. Somehow that didn't look right. But the (US) journalist quickly added that it was alright because Mrs. Obama wasn't a subject of Her Majesty. (shrug)

    Yeah, the burger and fries really hit the spot. Gotta go now.

    Cali: glad you found some humor in this thread! ;) I guess that's what the original post was about, comedy and the artists who make it all happen ;) Take it easy.

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  44. What hairy thing could you be talking about? Slippery slope, indeed!
    Even if the Queen touches you first, you can't reciprocate? Does the Duke of E have to wait for an invitation also? :D

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  45. I'm surprised someone didn't give Michelle Obama a little tutorial on royal etiquette. Or maybe they did and she just decided it's high time the old girl loosened up a bit! Been so busy -- was Mrs. O wearing a sleeveless dress? If so, how did HER armpits look? And did the prez fill that iPod up with music before he gave it to the queen? If so, I'd love to know what kind of cool mix he came up with!

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  46. It's very unlikely, From Cali, that the Queen would ever touch you apart from shaking your hand. The Princess of Wales was different of course and her sons follow her example thank goodness. Charles is a bit more touchy feely but not much more than the Queen.
    Tomate, not being a subject of HM means that she doesn't expect you to curtsey, but putting the arm around is still wrong wrong wrong. LOL.

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  47. He he Alexa! I should have looked a bit closer at the First Lady's armpits! Damn! That would be a scoop. She's a glam lady isn't she though.
    Almost certainly she would have been versed in Royal Protocol but she may feel she is exempt, who knows? I think she looks lovely but perhaps she has thoughts of her own on the matter and does her own thing, whatever the British will think of it. Definitely all royal visitors are briefed first.

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  48. Yes Tomate, it's only ten to ten in the evening here. Anyway I'm always up far too late, often til 1 pm I'm not sure why; it's madness. I still have to get up at 7.

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  49. I'm just getting here late tonight and all I see are red tomatoes! Not sure I'll have time to read the comments, but knowing Tomate, they are good.

    I know it's a strange photo, but the bright colours really come out of the photo, almost in 3D.

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  50. " And did the prez fill that iPod up with music before he gave it to the queen? If so, I'd love to know what kind of cool mix he came up with!" Yeah, he sure did, Alexa. He gave her Broadway tunes.

    Here you go:

    http://tinyurl.com/cydcgb

    Some locals here in San Francisco commented that most of our local Queens have the same playlist on their iPods ;)

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  51. Oh, hello, Michael! Yeah, I don't know what got into me today. Must be seeing a picture of my missing tomato suit(and vandalized, I might say, the nerve of dying that thing pink, I tell you!

    Anyway, Michael, better go get your beauty sleep! We're sending someone to photograph your armpits in the morning ;)

    LOL, Alexa, didn't think of checking Mrs. Obama's armpits!!

    (somebody please take away my keyboard)

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  52. LOL the thought of someone photographing Michael's underarms first thing in the morning. Er... I'm available?
    We love it when the comments box fills up with Tomatoes.

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  53. awww... That's sweet! I'm blushing! (oh, you know that was coming, lol)

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  54. OK. that does it!! Keyboard for sale, location San Francisco, must pick-up *immediately* and I'll throw in the monitor, too!

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  55. Nooooooooooooo. Paris DP started with you and would never be the same without its Tomates. (it's ok, your blushes don't show)

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  56. don't worry, when there is a will, there is a way! tx for the sweet words, though, I could get used to this, lol! :

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  57. Girls, what's going on here?!

    FRENCH GIRLS DO WAX. Full stop. You can find some hippy women in the South of France who don't.LOL But it's rare.

    Yes Sue, Vinny made me prove it, he was the only one who dared asking me!
    "We spoke about that very subject and she showed us to prove it" Well before you ask, I didn't take my tee shirt off Lynn ;)

    This cliché doesn't work anymore...
    So now, leave my armpits alone!! LOOL

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  58. Oh, I wish I'd been around for this discussion!

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  59. It's never too late Petra! So many things left to say.

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  60. Yes Vinny WOULD be the only one who'd dare ask! That's what he's like. But I love him for his cheek :)

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