Former Senate leader Gérard Larcher, and a lesson on how to listen to a political debate - asleep

Bored by politics?

Fed up with the centre-right Union pour un Mouvement Populaire (Union for a Popular Movement, UMP) trying to justify their past five years in power (well actually more like 10 if the governments of the previous president Jacques Chirac are included with prime ministers Jean-Pierre Raffarin 2002-2005 and Dominique de Villepin 2005-2007. Funny how little mention is made of that) admitting to some errors but basically blaming the global economy, immigrants, or the 35-hour working week (among other things) for the country's woes.

Whoa, a sentence without end...spot the influence of French.

Gérard Larcher (screenshot from Des paroles et des actes)

Or the Socialist party accusing the UMP of rightwing tendencies, pandering to a potential far-right Front National electorate and forgetting that running a country isn't the same as running a business; government has a social responsibility too.

Well guess what. You're probably not alone.

Even politicians - well some of them at least - would appear to have had their fill.

Take a look at this clip from Thursday's edition of the excellent Des paroles et des actes on France 2 television.

The prime minister François Fillon was going jaw-to-jaw with the leader of the Socialist party, Martine Aubry.

It was of course, "Yadda, yadda, yadda this" and "Blah, blah, blah, that" as the pair failed to listen to one another, agree on common ground or solutions to problems that were naturally not of their making.

A jolly good time was had by one and all: at home in front of the small screen and in the audience.

But wait a mo'.

Who's that, thankfully not in the front row, but still captured briefly by the cameras at 23 seconds appearing to catch a few moments shut eye.

Could it be?

Surely not!

Yes it is.

None other than Gérard Larcher a high-ranking UMP politician and until October 2011 the president of the Senate.

Oops.

Bored? Tired? Dozing? Texting? Consulting notes?

Whatever the case, he couldn't have been paying attention. Or could he?

Zzzzzzzzz.


http://dai.ly/wtoPM3


Gérard Larcher s'endort dans le public de "Des... par puremedias

Friday's French music break - Chimène Badi, Gospel and Soul

Friday's French music break this week comes from a woman with arguably one of the biggest, most resonant and gorgeous voices around on the French music scene.

Chimène Badi (screenshot from "Ain't no mountain high enough" video)

It's the latest album from Chimène Badi, the woman who didn't win the French reality TV talent show Popstars but still managed to build a successful career largely due to her talent.

And this time around she's turned her magnificent voice to Gospel and Soul - an obvious choice really - with the unfortunately unimaginatively entitled album...er..."Gospel and Soul".

Still, at least you know what to expect.

After a build-up like that you would expect a glowing review.

Sadly that's not the case.

While it's clear that Badi has found a blend that suits her voice and the album is well produced, there's a certain grittiness lacking.

Badi's distinctive and instantly recognisable voice is just too perfectly polished and some tracks, such as her version of "Mercedes Benz", come across as Carpenters'-inspired syrupy sweet.

She barely revisits "Amazing Grace" instead giving a tame copy of what has been sung umpteen times before and it simply lacks that certain "oomph" you might be hoping for.

The album is supposed to be, according to her official website, a tribute to those singers and songs who have influenced Badi, both American and French.

There is, for example, Stevie Wonder's "For once in my life", Otis Redding's "Try a little tenderness", Georges Moustaki's "Ma liberté" or Native's (how great it is to hear one of their songs again) "Tu planes pour moi".

And while they're all delivered better than many other French singers around today could manage, they're far from being anything approaching extraordinary.

It's a shame really as Badi most definitely has a voice that could do justice to Gospel and Soul songs - it's just not the case with this album which comes across as just a little too Las Vegas.

Gospel and Soul was released in November 2011 and sales of this, her fifth studio album, have already outstripped those of the disappointing 2010 offering "Laisse-les dire".

Maybe once Badi takes her show on the road again and gives some real live feeling and quality to the songs she's interpreting, they'll become something more than Middle-of-the-road listening.

Judge for yourself with Badi's version of "Ain't no mountain high enough" the second track to be lifted from the album as a single and which sees her team up with US Soul singer, Billy Paul, best known for his 1972 hit "Me and Mrs Jones".

Bienvenue chez nous - snarky French reality TV

TF1 is offering viewers another of those mindless reality TV shows requiring virtually no brain cell activity.

Bienvenue chez nous is a French version of the UK show Three in a bed.

Contestants judging the cleanliness of a (screenshot from TF1 video of Bienvenue chez nous)

It's a Dîner presque parfait (which is a French copy on rival channel M6 of the UK's Come dine with me - what is it with French TV executives? Can't they come up with their own ideas?) for owners of chambre d'hôtes.

Each episode (it's broadcast every evening Monday-Friday) sees owners (they're always in couples) visiting and spending the night in each others' businesses.

At the end of their stay they give marks out of 10 based on four criteria: the friendliness of their hosts, the location of the establishment, the quality of services proposed such as the meals and activities offered to discover the region, and the cleanliness of the rooms and how well-equipped they are - or not.

Viewers get to see the ratings which will be revealed to all those taking part at the end of the week.

Each couple also leaves comments which the featured owners get to read and react to at the end of every programme.

Oh yes. There's one final criterion, kept secret from everyone until the final show - the amount each couple thinks the stay has been worth.

That's the "concept" - yes such a thing exists and is helpfully spelt out on the official website - of the show.


The reality (ouch) is another excuse for people to judge each other, show how ill-behaved and critical they can be of one another in front of the cameras and in general provide a platform for all round snarkery.

Sadly it in no way reflects the bloody hard work that goes in to running a business, and fails to focus on the time, money and effort renovating and maintaining a property or the courage of those brave enough to take the plunge of trying to make a living by inviting complete strangers into their home.

Bienvenue chez nous could be instructive and insightful.

Instead it seems to belittle the efforts made by those who run a chambre d'hôtes and provide a battleground for egos - all in the name of "entertainment".

Bienvenue chez nous?

Given the evidence of those participating in the programme, it would have to be "No thank you."