It must be the ultimate national humiliation for the French to have to launch a 24 hour news channel in English. But that’s what France 24 did this week. So desperate were they to spread the glorious news that they invited a whole host of new media people, (including Guido Fawkes and your humble servant), to attend their launch last weekend on Paris, all expenses paid (for the record, neither of us went). And for those that couldn’t go a nice bottle of Moet & Chandon was delivered by Federal Express this week? Do they really think Guido can be bought that cheaply? Hic. And I don't bloody drink! Seriously, they do really seem to be putting a lot of effort behind this and I wish them bon chance. I shall be giving my bottle as a prize in a yet to be launched competition on this blog...
Friday, December 08, 2006
On Ne Nous Achete Pas Si Facilement
It must be the ultimate national humiliation for the French to have to launch a 24 hour news channel in English. But that’s what France 24 did this week. So desperate were they to spread the glorious news that they invited a whole host of new media people, (including Guido Fawkes and your humble servant), to attend their launch last weekend on Paris, all expenses paid (for the record, neither of us went). And for those that couldn’t go a nice bottle of Moet & Chandon was delivered by Federal Express this week? Do they really think Guido can be bought that cheaply? Hic. And I don't bloody drink! Seriously, they do really seem to be putting a lot of effort behind this and I wish them bon chance. I shall be giving my bottle as a prize in a yet to be launched competition on this blog...
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21 comments:
A French rip off of Al Jeezera no doubt. To much to hope you sent the champers back!
Croydonian had this on about two weeks ago, Iain. He had a video of their commercial for themselves and it was just dreadfully inept. Like French TV in general. Full of pretentiousness. It was simply awful!
Bags I win the Moet competition! Thanking you in advance.
What a laugh? I cannot stand Moet anyhow. Prefer Piper Heidsieck. Why don't you drink though, Iain?
Good luck to them.
France is our nearest neighbour but events there are very poorly covered by the British media. It'll be very interesting to hear their take on the world.
Do you think the Saudi's recieved a copy of France's proud toy fighter plane the Rafale ? (Great to own - unless you actually want to fight anyone who bought a serious aircraft.)
Anonymous 5:53 - You don't have to wait. I will give you French TV's take on the world: FRANCE FRANCE FRANCE FRANCE FRANCE Somalia FRANCE FRANCE IRAQ IRAQ LES ETATS UNIS(sneer)FRANCE FRANCE FRANCE.
Chirac TV - no thanks. In their defence, despite grand speeches from Chirac on how it will promote the "French view" (unemployed philosophers?) of the world, they promise editorial independence. But I'll await their coverage of Rwandan genoicide to see how independent they are.
And Moet & Chandon? It's low-grade champagne owned by a cheapo masstige conglomerate. It's not pronounced "Mo-ay" but "mwet" but I prefer to call it "no-way". Champagne drinkers like myself and Gordon Brown prefer Billecart-Salmon or Krug, preferably vintage.
c'est bonne chance.
A French rip-off of AJ? Nah, AJ's much better quality. Although I can't knock having another opinion in the global news environment, the more the merrier!
Tonight, France 24 decided British troops were, according to the caption, US soldiers... yike.
In defence of France (and that's not something I do often) is the Bliar Broadcasting Corporation really much better?
The only important point is whether it is to be presented by cute French chicks.
It's probably the only TV to come out of France that's worth a watch and it's in English too!!! Chirac must be incandescent with Gallic rage about this. Bon!
Thanks, Koolio, but I think we all know how to pronounce Moët. Where I am, they don't really drink Champagne. The choice is limited and Moët looks good.
casual observer- This would not have taken place without Chirac's blessing, so he won't be "incandescent with rage".
I note that they have an Arabic version as well.
I drank far to much champagne as a youngster and ultimatley its a matter of taste. From which perspective, I agree with kingbongo that Mumm is good stuff, bit I prefer Heidsiek and Krug or Roederer do not impress me at all.
... also, is there any way to get them to shut up while you try to navigate the site? The "MY PREFERENCES" link in the corner doesn't appear to do anything in my browser.
I just went to the site and it crashed my computer. Oh zos French! Oh la la!
Also, Rob Spear asks why they don't shut up, but I didn't get any sound at all.
Getting up to their old froggie tricks of trying to confuse the rosbifs, I see.
What a small-minded post. And what small-minded comments it has stimulated. The French navy is bigger than Britain's. Her intelligence services are more, shall we say, intelligent. Her workers produce 20% more per hour than ours. She was wise enough to build nuclear power stations so as to avoid dependence on difficult nations.
Now she has proved that she is humble (and wise) enough to realise that, beautiful as French is, English is the international language of commerce and diplomacy and that she had better broadcast in that language.
Given that we don't have the Empire any more; that our citizens are not safe to go about their business in our capital city, if foreign powers dislike them, perhaps its time we learned to shut our big mouths and make some friends in the world?
Vive la France.
Tom Spears, oh, for God's sake!
We know that English is the lingua franca and it must have cost the French some pride to recognise this; we know that they do grands projets very well indeed; we know they decided wisely about nuclear power; we know their intelligence services constantly warned Britain about the muslim terrorist build-up problem (although that their information was discarded was mainly political) but most of us love them, in a strange kind of way. Stop being so defensive!
I find the French totally adorable in a weird kind of way and have even considered moving back to France so I can be knocked into freezers in the supermarkets once more as someone simply ignores my presence and tries to reach through me, knocked off the kerb into the gutter as a group of four of them come walking down the pavement looking at each other and not where they're going; having people smoke thoughtfully in my face as they decide which soap powder to buy; know that I am putting my purchases in a supermarket trolley that has probably had a dog riding around in it; and fuming as the woman in front of me in the Express lane unloads 37 items onto the check-out and refuses to back down, even when I count them out in a loud voice.
Who couldn't love France? They're strangely adorable.
The French are full of talk---that's what they are good at. They belong to Nato. "An attack against one is an attack against all", but apparently that only means if France is attacked. The Canadians are taking the full brunt in Afghanistan, and the French are in the North with a lot of caveats, won't go out at night, won't fight. Canada should rethink their role in NATO. When I think of all the young people dead on French soil fighting for the French in two world wars....the French are cowards, all.
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