Tête-à-claque

[Sheriff Roland]

Luck? (or lack thereof?)

Or maybe it's just that you got a real person and not a cartoon 

[injest]

Thank you, Roland!

"Les douanes."

All the times I went to Montreal, why is it (on my flight back to New York from Dorval--then later, Trudeau) I never got a hot US customs inspector like that? They were mostly dumpy, and, let's face it, less than friendly. Why is that, I wonder.

 

Roland, what do they have in their car? I get that they have something they aren't supposed to be taking across the border..

[Sheriff Roland]

Roland, what do they have in their car? I get that they have something they aren't supposed to be taking across the border..

Nothing of the sort.

The man's beeing the 'boss' (and an asshole) and the woman's being the 'quiet' one upon his expectation. He's not letting her do any of the talking ... he's in control ... but his understanding of english is vastly inferior to hers.

Thus the continuous lack of adequate communication. And the U.S. border guy doesn't demonstrate a whole lot of compassion.

Here's a social equality question observation for you (and don't be glib in your response, please)

Are Americans travelling to Canada (to Quebec in particular) expected to be able to communicate en francais? No. But french Canadians are expected to communicate in english at the border aren't they.

Double standards.

[injest]

I think that is true, but you know the French Canadians could require that people speak to them in French if they would like. It is my impression WAS my impression that Canada spoke mostly English. There should be a French speaking translator available. IMO. I confess to not knowing much about the Canadian United States border...do they not have any French speaking agents? On the southern border they have Spanish speaking agents.

I don't have any expectation that if I travel to Spain for example that people would have to talk to me in English, I really don't. I wouldn't expect road signs to be in English...it is a overall Spanish language nation. I know that when I book my flight. I would get a phrase book and try to learn a few phrases in Spanish (so I can irritate all the local people like I do you when I try to speak French!  )

Part of the fun and exoticness (is that a word?) of going to another country is not knowing the language....of being 'lost'...

[injest]

Nothing of the sort.

The man's beeing the 'boss' (and an asshole) and the woman's being the 'quiet' one upon his expectation. He's not letting her do any of the talking ... he's in control ... but his understanding of english is vastly inferior to hers.

Thus the continuous lack of adequate communication. And the U.S. border guy doesn't demonstrate a whole lot of compassion.

Here's a social equality question observation for you (and don't be glib in your response, please)

Are Americans travelling to Canada (to Quebec in particular) expected to be able to communicate en francais? No. But french Canadians are expected to communicate in english at the border aren't they.

Double standards.

when have I EVER been glib!!?

 

[Aloysius J. Gleek]

Well, even if you can't understand the language (hilariously in this instance, English ), bad singing is universal!
(Let's see if Youtube keeps this one up--the Têtes-à-claques people had to take it down--see List, below, number 11.)


 Têtes-à-claques - So Sexy        (1:54)
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h634Lbl-tlk[/youtube]


tête à claques
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

French
Noun

tête à claques f

(idiomatic) a person so annoying that he or she might deserve to be slapped:
 
Ce gamin n'en fait qu'à sa tête, c'est une vraie tête à claques.
edit by le Sheriff: this kid does whatever he wants, he's of one mind (his own)

(Roland, could you translate?)

AND:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/T%C3%AAtes_%C3%A0_Claques

Têtes à claques
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8d/Tetes_a_claques.jpg

Têtes à claques is a French-language humour website created on August 16, 2006. Over one million short videos are watched per day, making it one of the most popular francophone websites in Quebec and Canada. As of October 2007, there are 60 videos. The most popular of these include Le pilote, Le Willi Waller, and Halloween.


Willi Waller

The creator, Michel Beaudet, has expressed surprise at the popularity of his site, and has said it has reached a size he would never have dreamed of.

Description

The skits feature characters sculpted from modelling clay that are fairly simplistic. Michel Beaudet creates the figures himself, by superimposing his own moving eyes, mouth, and sometimes nose, on their faces with a computer. In addition, Beaudet has a box of fake, grotesque teeth, which he puts in while his face is being filmed. The phrase tête à claques translates loosely as "a face so ugly, you want to slap it."

The site has also become very popular in France, not only because of the intentional humour and wit, but also because of a stereotypical Quebec French pronunciation, which differs greatly from pronunciations used in France, as well as the frequent anglicisms (English words or expressions inserted into speech).

The site also features a page for mobile phones, presenting snippets of episodes.

As of August 2008, Têtes à claques started producing videos in English, voiced by Bruce Dinsmore


History
Beaudet has said that "Têtes à claques was an accident." He was originally trying to make a series using stop motion animation, but quickly discovered that "90% of the time it takes to animate is spent moving the eyes and mouth." He tried doing it the regular way, but because he was "too lazy" he decided to film his own face and superimpose his eyes and mouth on the figurines.

Every day, Beaudet receives new offers from telephone companies and television stations. Incidentally, the first offer was from a French, not Canadian company. The popularity has surged to the point that he has employed two other people, Simon Parizeau and Hugo Caron, to help with the production at his home in Boucherville. Work is underway to convert Têtes à claques to formats viewable on cell phones and iPods. Beaudet has recently admitted that making English versions of the comedy shorts is in his "game plan".

For the 2007 Christmas season, Têtes à claques has started pre-sales of its Region 1 DVDs. The DVD includes the first 45 clips, the history of Têtes à claques and character bios, as well as English, Quebec French and international French subtitles.

List of clips
Below is a list of clips of Têtes à claques broadcast on the site since 2006, in order of appearance:

 
1.  Les Grenouilles (The Frogs)
2.  SuperBol (1) (Super"Bowl" 1)
3.  On sort (1) (Let's Go Out pt. 1)
4.  Top Gun
5.  Le taliban (The Taliban)
6.  Le juge (The Judge)
7.  Le VJ (1) (The VJ)
8.  La photo Disney (The Disney Photo)
9.  Le boxeur (The Boxer)
10. La secrétaire (The Secretary)
11. So Sexy - The clip has been withdrawn due to violations of copyright for the song I'm Too Sexy by Right Said Fred.
12. Les martiens (The Martians)
13. Wow minute (Wait a minute)
14. La voyante (The Medium)
15. Le cauchemar (The Nightmare)
16. Les ti-papoutes [6]
17. Le pilote (1) (The Pilot)
18. La visite (Visiting)
19. Les vikings (The Vikings)
20. On sort (2) (Let's Go Out pt. 2)
21. Les lapins (The Rabbits)
22. Le camping ([Gone] Camping)
23. La présentation (The Presentation)
24. Les ti-papoutes au zoo (The ti-papoutes at the Zoo)
25. Le Willi Waller (The Willi Waller)
26. Halloween (1)
27. Les orignaux (The [Two] Moose)
28. L'anniversaire (The Birthday)
29. La police (The Cops)
30. On Sort (3) (Let's Go Out pt. 3)
31. Les cadeaux de Noël (The Christmas Presents)
32. Le pilote (2) (The Pilot pt. 2)
33. Le père Noël (Santa)
34. Bonne année 2007 (Happy New Year 2007)
35. Move Your Body
36. La pénalité (The Penalty)
37. Le LCD Shovel (The LCD Shovel)
38. SuperBol (2) (Super"Bowl" pt. 2)
39. On sort (4) (Let's Go Out pt. 4)
40. Le ski (Skiing)
41. Capitaine Kung Fu (Kung Fu Captain)
42. Le VJ (2) (The VJ 2)
43. Le cannibale (The Cannibal)
44. Le politicien (The Politician)
45. L'embuscade (The Ambush)
46. Le pilote (3) (The Pilot pt. 3)
47. Le gars de Boston (The Boston Guy)
48. La cabane à sucre (The Sugar House)
49. Le chien (The Dog)
50. Le Body Toner (The Body Toner)
51. Le cocteur (The Doctor)
52. Les scouts (The Scouts)
53. La prise d'ôtage (The Hostage)
54. On sort (5) (Let's Go Out pt. 5)
55. Recordman
56. Paris
57. Le mariage (The Wedding)
58. La réception (The Reception)
59. La commande à l'auto (The Drive-Thru)
60. Miss Québec Super Body
61. La rentrée (Back to School)
62. La prise d'otage (2) (The Hostage pt. 2)
63. On accouche (Giving Birth)
64. Le Easy Storing System
65. Les douanes ([Going through] Customs)
66. La chasse (Hunting)
67. Le western (The Western)
68. On sort (6) (Let's Go Out pt. 6)
69. Halloween (2)
70. Le vestiaire (The Change Room)
71. Le vendeur de char (The Car Salesman)
72. Le chip au ketchup (Ketchup Chips)
73. Le rigodon du gros dindon (Big Turkey Hoedown) - This clip is in fact a Christmas song written for a publicity offered as a bonus in the TAC website.
74. Doc Nature
75. La parade de Noël (The Christmas Parade)
76. La crèche (Nativity)
77. Bonne année 2008 (Happy New Year 2008)
78. Les survivants (The Survivors)
79. Le mammouth (The Mammoth)
80. Le football (Football)
81. Les joies de l'hiver (The Joys of Winter)
82. La St-Valentin (Valentine's Day)
83. L'oeuf (The Egg)
84. L'ambulance (The Ambulance)
85. Les survivants (2) (The Survivors pt. 2)
86. Le génie (The Genie)
87. La bibliothèque (The Library)
88. Dans le sud (Vacation down south)
89. On déménage (We're Moving)
90. L'histoire de Jerry (Jerry's Story)
91. Le gars de Boston (2) (The Boston Guy pt. 2) - Bonus clip created in honor of 2008 NHL playoffs.
92. Cécile et Johnny Boy (Cécile and Johnny Boy)
93. La rue bloquée (Roadblock)
94. Les survivants (3) (The Survivors pt. 3)
95. Capitaine kung fu (2) (Kung Fu Captain pt. 2)
96. Le golf (Golfing)
97. Le boxeur (2) (The Boxer 2)
98. Le shih tzu (The Shih Tzu)
99. Le gros prix (The Grand Prix)

100. La pêche (Fishing)
101. La poursuite (The [High-speed] Chase)
102. La Saint-Jean (Saint-Jean Baptiste Day)
103. Nascar
104. Le prix du gaz (Gas Price)
105. La natation (Swimming)
106. Le 100 mètres (100-Metre Race)
107. La lutte (Wrestling) 

 

[LauraGigs]

I love the Camping one ( http://www.tetesaclaques.tv/video.php?vid=731 ).  Not quite Jack + Ennis, eh?

The owl noise at the very end of it sounds just like the one you hear in Brokeback as Ennis stumbles into the tent the first night.
I think it may be the same sound clip!

[injest]

they are adding others...today they have "The Cops" up!

[injest]

Folks - you gotta try this. The most recent têtes-à-claque is Soooo funny!. It's called 'Paris' and it has a québécois couple visiting Paris.

To help understand remember this: 'mes gosses' in France means 'my kids' (my children), whereas in Canadian french it means 'my balls'

Give it a try!

 

"The Hostage" killed me!

[Sheriff Roland]

Willy Waller still gets my vote (thought there are other pretty good ones - like the one where the obnoxious 'pop tart' kids say they're moving away).

There's so much english in the Willy Waller (french version), that I suggest you try both, starting of course with the english version.