It’s one of the avatars of “it was better before” : humor would no longer be what it was. We could no longer laugh and even less make people laugh. People would get upset over nothing. Censorship would be rampant everywhere and in all places, starting with social networks, these digital bonfires, these hashtag pillories. These new Anastasie scissors would cut, slash, shred the slightest joke thrown in public, on television, on the radio or on YouTube. And to recall the good old days, in the last century, when Desproges, Coluche, Les Nuls, Les Inconnus and others could make people laugh without restraint and without risk.
Nostalgia is an old, hackneyed joke. Already in 1995, the philosopher Jacques Lederer, friend of Georges Perec, cried “where are the laughter of yesteryear”: “It is in vain that you seek the lost secret of the immense joviality of yesterday. Your laughter lacks air, it is narrow, miserable, it is sobs in reverse, the dried residue of tears that you no longer know how to shed. »
To those who reproach the past of incessant immorality and unpunished outrages, can we recall this sketch by Jean Yanne (1933-2003) broadcast on January 3, 1972, by the ORTF, this great lady that the comedian ironically called “our mother” and who was often his mother Fouettarde? He summarized in his own way, full screen black and white, the internal regulations of state television.
“Article 1. Any person who displeases anyone for any reason, including a bad face, is fired.
Article 2. Anyone who complains and says: “Why did we fire my friend?” is fired in turn.
Article 3. When someone has been fired, he can be taken back, on one condition: that the person who fired him has been fired. »
And there were still four or five articles or corollaries of the same type, stated live in front of the TV host Danièle Gilbert, as young as she was dismayed by the consequences of so much impertinence. It goes without saying that the jester took lightning. His sad clown reel didn’t reappear on TV anytime soon.
The former journalist converted to provocation and outrageousness was accustomed to these cathodic stay bans. Without false modesty, the one whose motto was “neither God, nor master, not even swimmer” could pride itself on being the champion of the dismissal letter. He had been fired (many times) from ORTF, but also from France Inter, from Europe no 1 or RTL…
Laughter despite everything
M The magazine of the World chose laughter as a common thread for its end-of-year issue. In thirteen episodes, find these portraits, reports or investigations on the power of humor.
Episode 1 : Mohammed Amer, once upon a time there was a Palestinian in America
Episode 2: Blanche Gardin, the comedians after her
Episode 3: Waly Dia, fine blade of political sleight of hand
Episode 4: Grandpamini, the art of the satirical cover
Episode 5: Bassem Youssef, a scathing irony on the Israel-Hamas conflict
Episode 6: In Israel, comedians answer the call
Episode 7: Chinese comedians don’t mess around with censorship
Episode 8: In Quebec, inclusive humor can be learned
Episode 9: You asked for Pierre The Police, don’t quit
Episode 10: “I was explaining to them that when I met you, you were the biggest petomane in France”
Episode 11: Humor would no longer be what it was or the myth of “it was better before”
Episode 12: In Ukraine, laughter as a bulletproof vest
Episode 13: Joke to alert, the new mode of action of environmental activists
His first dismissal dates back to 1964. With Jacques Martin, he created the show “Un Equal Trois”, broadcast at 8:30 p.m. on the first and only channel. The show lasted five issues and then disappeared, despite popular success. In question, some remarks considered anticlerical or a song sung by a fake Albert Schweitzer (Nobel Peace Prize in 1952), and entitled “Come to Lambaréné”.
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