[Résumé en français dans la section des commentaires]
Ever heard the “joke” about the Frenchman who goes to Venice Beach but doesn’t know this is where L.A.’s sewer is discharged into the ocean? The punch line being the fact he emerges with what he thinks is a tan – not realizing he’s covered in faecal matter. Welcome to the material of one Randy Kagan.
The Hollywood reporter may claim Kagan is “A refreshing change from old jokes and airplane stories”, but his plain hatred for all things French was clear from the get go during his opening act for Craig Ferguson, Saturday June 14, 2008 in Toronto, Canada [Massey Hall].
Anti-French diatribe upon French Bashing joke – bilingual cigarette packs are “just like the French, smelly, stinky and only missing armpit hair” – was just too much for some in Toronto’s audience who started heckling Kagan.
Within seconds the stand-up comic shot back with a diatribe of epic proportions: “Maybe I’ll check with everybody in the audience and find out what offends each and everyone of you and…” he ranted – “This is not some PBS documentary” he shot back. He even called his own act thought provoking: remember, these were jokes that relied heavily on douche bags and Frenchmen covered in faecal matter.
When he was done lecturing the audience on the cutting edge nature of anti-French poopoo jokes and armpit hair, there was a smattering of applause but most patiently waited out this hissy fit for the evening’s main attraction, Late Late Night’s Craig Ferguson.
Ferguson is no stranger to French Bashing, but his forays are usually limited to the subject of France’s 1939 surrender. Kagan’s brand of anti-French material is much more akin to the Howard Stern / Dennis Miller / Robert Smigel brand of vulgar, crass, xenophobic name-calling.
Kagan, in his own words, admits “(he’s) not thrilled about the French”. However should blatant prejudice be condoned? The issue here is not about free speech, but the cowardly nature of French Bashing.
We strongly believe Kagan – like Miller, Stern et al., bash the French because they are the convenient fall guy. Shackled by the limits of political correctness, commercial and public disapproval, these comedians have few groups they can publicly vilify with utter scorn – save terrorists.
What Kagan did not expect was an audience ready to voice its disapproval. This is Toronto, a multicultural city with citizens from around the world, not the familiar home crowd from Westbury, NY, Easton, PA or Mashantucket, CT.
We truly wish Randy Kagan has continued success in comedy writing, a cutthroat world fraught with difficulty and ladder climbing. But we hope he can do it by staying away from puerile and stale anti-French material.
Randy Kagan’s official site – MySpace Page
Please let your feelings be known, remain polite and informative
info (a) RandyKagan.com – Replace (a) by @
The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson
7800 Beverly Blvd. Suite 244
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Now when George Carlin asks everybody to take it easy when they find a routine too much, he does it without offending people and distancing himself from the audience. And he never gets thrown. Kagan was not only rattled by the heckler, but he then decided to genderize the heckler by belittling the person for “ovulating” and saying this is why he isn’t married.
Randy Kagan’s YouTube Channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/randykagan
Now they’ll just come up with the “It’s a JOKE! You French don’t have a SENSAHUMOR, for chrissake!” routine, and all will be well…
Cowardly jokes, cowardly exit plans…
Well, our relations may improve, and the vast majority of people in US seems to not to care much about us, you’ll still have the usual bastard who do not like us : in my view Howard Stern is not the worst !
This guy is pathetic : he wouldn’t do such “jokes” about Mexicans or Blacks…
He did have some material about Mexicans, mostly about how lazy they are, and crossing borders illegally – Pretty safe material for a white-canadian crowd.
This morning’s review completely ignores the opening act.
http://jam.canoe.ca/Movies/Artists/F/Ferguson_Craig/2008/06/15/5884101-sun.html
A few articles for context.
French Bashing Comedians
http://www.miquelon.org/bashers/comedians-writers/
The Conan O’Brien affaire
http://www.miquelon.org/?s=conan
Résumé de l’affaire pour nos amis français – Ce comédien américain, Randy Kagan, de la région de Los Angeles, travaille pour une émission de soirée de grande renommée : Late Late Night with Craig Ferguson.
Lors de la tournée de Ferguson à Toronto, le comédien Randy Kagan a ouvert la soirée avec des blagues plutôt douteuses à l’égard des français. Selon ses dires, les français sont puants, sales, les aisselles poilus et arrogants.
Kagan a relaté l’histoire d’un touriste Français à Los Angeles qui ignorait que la plage de Venice Beach se trouve juste à côté du déversement des égouts de la ville : en sortant de l’eau ce même touriste Français croyait avoir bronzé alors qu’il était couvert de matières fécales. Ce type d’humour, proche de ceux de Dennis Miller, Howard Stern et Robert Smigel, cherche à rabaisser les Français en faisant appel aux stéréotypes les plus basiques qui soient : ils sont tellement sales qu’ils ne peuvent différencier bronzage et déjections fécales.
Ce que Kagan n’a pas vu venir fut la réaction d’une partie de l’auditoire qui a hué ces blagues. Devant cet état de fait, il a complètement perdu le contrôle et a commencé à interpeller la foule en clamant que c’était son droit que de faire des blagues comme bon il semble.
Site officiel à Randy Kagan
http://www.randykagan.com/
Son adresse mél : info (a) RandyKagan.com – Remplacer (a) par @
Soyez respectueux et polis, même s’il ne l’est pas à notre égard.
The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson
7800 Beverly Blvd. Suite 244
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Nothing new about the Anti-French diatribes: “The only ‘heckler’ was a lovely lady in the front orchestra who reminded Randy Kagan, after his diatribe against the French, that it was Bastille Day. ”
http://tourmarm.blogspot.com/2007/07/mr-ferguson-goes-to-washington.html
Randy Kagan blogs about his experience in Toronto.
http://www.randykagan.com/
“Canadians seemed a little sensitive about their stand up. I do bits based on places and people. I do French stuff to French people. I’m not going to talk behind their backs. So i do it well lit and amplified. ”
Our response (1): This is a slight exaggeration and twisting of fact. Randy has never performed this material in France nor in front of a French audience (to the best of our knowledge). He went for the jugular because it’s part of his routine and his profound anti-French streak. He did this in Toronto, never expecting anyone French to be in the audience.
“They judge it like it’s some sort of comedy manifesto. It’s just my thoughts as I try not to think about them. Hindsite is the enemy of spontaneity. It’s for critics, which anyone respirating (or not) is qualified to be. Bloggers can be agoraphobic social misfits that sit in a comfort zone and spew. Comics don’t have that luxury. When’s the last time a blogger had to deal with (demo heckler) “Hey, lay off the French jokes.” A blogger’s worst day is when he gets lotion on his mouse.”
Our response (2): What do we have to deal with ? Read the hate mail we got over the last five years and maybe you might begin to understand. Oh, and this “agoraphobic social misfit” has run for office, done live political debates and worked with thousands of young minds in a bid to educate and teach respect. Trust me, 8th graders forced to do algebra are a much harsher crowd than anything in stand-up comedy 🙂
Amazing that people should buy such rubbish (particularly that interviewer) and be impressed.
No wonder so many Americans subsist on the knowledge of and use less than 75 English words throughout their lives, punctuating their verbal skills with the F word every other line!
With such a fellow writing and murmuring a script enumerating faecal matters, one cannot but be surprised at how extraordinarily shallow lots of Americans have become!
A low life like this Randy Kagan needs to be swatted out of existence…
Ooops, meant "subsist" (and not subsit…)
I can’t forget the rage in his eyes when Randy Kagan was spouting his anti-French material – he had obviously stepped off the comedy wagon and entered the "I have an agenda and you will listen to how much I hate the French no matter how bad my material is" – It was pure anger.
I don’t agree however this reflects on all of America, but it is indicative of a certain mode of thinking among a patronizing shallow jaded elite. Comedy writers are a very neurotic lot, and some channel the neurosis very well, others just turn vile.
Adieu Carlin – I had the privilege of seeing George Carlin at Roy Thompson Hall some years ago. His material was offensive to many and all yet it was truly thought provoking and amusing at the same time.
“I am allergic to ethnic stereotypes in 2008” – Richard Jay Belzer, Last Comic Standing.
I have seen Randy’s act many times. He does not hate the French, or Canada. He is an avid environmentalist, and consistantly mentions that Canada is the leading environmental country. He also said he loves performing in Canada. But probably not to audience members like you—- “rage”? Randy is the kindest man…Sure he is edgy and passionate, but he is definitely NOT angry.