Pave: More Frenchness, SVP: Anglovision

Le jour 337 de Sarko

Many of our citizens will not understand why France has chosen not to uphold its language before millions of television viewers around the world.

François-Michel Gonnot,
député pour la 6ème circonscription de l'Oise,
commenting on the English lyric French entry
in this year's Eurovision contest
(infra)

I do think it is a shame that it isn't a French song.

Christine Albanel,
ministre de la Culture et de la Communication,
lamenting the lack of listenable French lyrics
(infra)

FRENCH MP ANGERED BY
SEBASTIEN TELLIER'S EUROVISION ENTRY

April 16, 2008 (EnjoyFrance.com) - French MP Jacques Myard [député de la 5ème circonscription des Yvelines] of the UMP party is furious that the song chosen to represent France in the Eurovision song contest has English words in it. Jacques Myard has called on the company that runs most of France's TV networks to change its mind about accepting the song by Sebastien Tellier.

... Jacques Myard claimed it was not right that, in a European contest, that his country should be using part of the culture of another of its rivals.

Yes, well, since technologies indispensible to the competition -- for examples, the microphone and broadcast television -- are not culturally original with France, it must vex M. Myard that France participates at all.

Hhmmm, wait a minute...Jacques Myard, Jacques Myard... Oh, oh, that Jacques Myard!

FRENCH SINGER STIRS STORM

April 17, 2008 (NYT) - A French singer who plans to sing in English at the Eurovision Song Contest next month in Belgrade, Serbia, has outraged many of his countrymen, Agence France-Presse reported. The singer, Sebastien Tellier, 33, intends to perform "Divine"* with almost exclusively English lyrics, becoming the first French competitor to do so since the contest began in 1956. ... Stéphane Elfassi, Mr. Tellier’s producer:

Out of the 40 countries participating at least 25 will present a song in English.

FRENCH ANGLOVISION
A Nod To French Culture,
M. Tellier Performs In His Underpants

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* A track from the English titled album, Sexuality.

PFFT (What is this?): Dem Anglo-Saxon blues 2½ | Rayonnement français 0