You thought I might be speaking of Monsieur le président himself with a title like that, n’est-ce pas? Not that he ISN’T a jackass (he is), but today I’ll be speaking of different kind of jackass named, Rémi Gaillard. He’s been an internet star for quite a few years now doing outrageous and ridiculous stunts that involve many things including jumping on unsuspecting stranger’s backs, dressing up as animals, disrupting businesses, destroying property, injuring people, exhibiting a host of athletic ability (which is the most entertaining to me) and unabashed theft. Yes, he even teaches people how to steal from a McDonald’s drive through, among other things.

Gaillard is a bit like another jackass in France, Michaël Youn, who I absolutely can not watch (I just don’t get him), but with more variety and silliness. Gaillard actually one time sent Michaël Youn an example of his work, which Youn promptly stole for himself and used the same ideas for his morning show. What a jackass! Sadly, that happened a few more times after Gaillard sent copies of his work to various television producers in France. More jackasses!

I think Gaillard has a much bigger following from English fans, more so than French fans due largely to the fact that his stunts don’t really need any translation, and he got extensive publicity in the UK.

Gaillard’s tagline is: C’est en faisant n’importe quoi qu’on devient n’importe qui, which roughly translates as “It’s while doing whatever that you become whoever.” Silly!

What cracks me up the most about him, isn’t his actual stunts, but instead, the reactions of the people around him. Their reaction is usually…well, no reaction, complete nonchalance, nada. He will walk into the frozen food supermarket, Picard, dressed as a penguin and steal a humungous whole fish. No one bats an eye. He went to a butcher, shirtless and wearing boxing gloves, then proceeds to punch out meat hanging in the frig à la Rocky. Not one reaction! They’re sort of like New Yorkers!

Anyway, for what it’s worth, to see Rémi Gaillard’s work, his videos are here at Youtube, his website is here and here’s his Facebook page. Also, he sells DVDs illegally from his website. (He hasn’t paid for the licensing of music he uses.)

tags: france, french, Rémi Gaillard, C’est en faisant n’importe quoi qu’on devient n’importe qui, jackass