zefrenchpeople

 As I was typing up yesterday’s post, I thought about another personality who enjoyed the Paris-Dakar and who tragically died while Mitterrand was around: Coluche.  He was a comedian and actor, well known for his satirical tone especially toward politics.

He eventually ran for the presidency against Mitterrand in 1981 but had to withdraw his candidacy for president because he actually had a shot at winning and threats were made to his life. That same election was the first mandate for Mitterrand who won against Valérie Giscard D’Estaing (who was going for a second septennat).

He created  an association for people who can’t afford to buy food or have a roof: Les Restos du Coeur.  This charitable organization is now huge and singers, comedians, soccer players and other celebrities go on tour every year in January and the money raised by that tour and CD sold is given to help out the people who need it the most during winter time.  That group of people is called “Les Enfoirés“.  The motto of this association is a refrain of a song by Coluche:

Aujourd’hui, on n’a plus le droit
Ni d’avoir faim, ni d’avoir froid
Dépassé le chacun pour soi
Quand je pense à toi, je pense à moi.
Je ne te promets pas le grand soir
Mais juste à manger et à boire
Un peu de pain et de chaleur
Dans les restos, les Restos du Coeur
Aujourd’hui, on n’a plus le droit ni d’avoir faim, ni d’avoir froid

If you want to see more recent videos, there’s plenty here !  Last October, a movie came out called Coluche, l’Histoire d’un mec which was originally the title of a famous sketch of his. Here is the trailer of that movie:

And the sketch:

I could go on and on about him.  He was very much loved and I wish he was still around because as far as “grandes gueules” go, he was my favorite one.

Here are a few of his famous quotes, enjoy!:

• In a dictatorship you’re told: “Shut up!”. In a democracy it’s: “Keep talking!”…
• When it comes to nuclear weapons, I’m neither for, nor against - on the contrary!”
• There are two kinds of justice : the lawyer who knows everything about the law, and the lawyer who knows everything about the judge.
• France has the best French politicians in the world!
• A neutral country is one which does not sell weapons to a country at war… unless it pays cash.
• Yuri Gagarin was extremely unlucky: after orbiting earth 17 times, he fell back down in the USSR!
• Long term credit means that the less you can pay, the more you pay.
• Politicians are to politics what holes are to cheese. More cheese means more holes. But more holes means less cheese.
• They say 3 million people are looking for a job. False: all they really need is money.
• You can get AIDS on a toilet seat, but there are more comfortable places.
• Besides gangster or politician, what can you do without qualifications ? All there’s left is artist.
• Capitalism is man exploiting man. Socialism is just the opposite.
• Can you make fun of everything? Well, my opinion is: if it was funny, you were right to do it.
• I am capable of the very best and the very worst, but I’m the best at being the worst!

N.B.: Since I get more than 50 unique hits per day, I figured you might have wishes!  As you probably already noticed I added a page called “polls” where you can give your opinion and tell me what you would like me to talk about.

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