(WARNING: French content ahead)

There’s a story in The Gazette today by me (you’ll have to take my word for that, since my byline accidentally disappeared during editing — my editor has promised alcohol as compensation).

It’s about Tivijournal, a group of young journalists who poke fun at Quebec media and politicians in a monthly satire show. I interviewed them last month as they were preparing their March episode of post-election humour. Pictured above is Félix B. Desfossés, the charismatic host who looks far more confident than he is in his trademark pink shirt and exposed chest hair.

Some things not included in the article:

• The screenings, which are at Les Pas Sages on Rachel Street East, start off with some clips from other similar people and groups. One is Les Appendices, a rapid-fire sketch comedy show with some pretty hilarious sight and word gags (see a video of their show here). Another is Total Crap by Simon Lacroix, who somehow unearths the most unintentionally hilarious decades-old videos from
  Quebec television, from awkward dance lessons to professional wrestling. All are low-budget, low-quality, low-everything, but highly entertaining (if you like crap). Watch Episode 3 to get an idea what I’m talking about.
• The studio scenes are shot on a pure white background so they don’t have to make a complicated set. It also focuses attention squarely where it belongs: Desfossés’s chest hair.
• Despite having an obviously very French name (as the rest of the cast does), Félix Buisson Desfossés pronounces his middle initial in English. It’s just one of his many little quirks.
• Each episode starts of with a few minutes of “zapping”, where recent footage of politicians and journalists are edited together to point out their funny moments. For example: Stephen Harper, in his imperfect French, saying “journalists … are people who should never be … defended”, when he probably meant the opposite. The clips are the work of Sébastien Auger, who was out of town last month. He regularly gets calls from the rest of the group to PVR news channels when something funny happens (like Jean Charest doing the weather).
• The day the article gets published, I learn the group has been behind in their filming for the next episode, and will only be showing it in June.