French Cycling: a Social and Cultural History aims to provide a balanced and detailed analytical survey of the complex leisure activity, sport, and industry that is cycling in France. Identifying key events, practices, stakeholders and institutions in the history of French cycling, the volume presents an interdisciplinary analysis of how cycling has been significant in French society and culture since the late Nineteenth century. Based on a very wide range of primary and secondary sources, the volume aims to present in clear language an explanation of the varied significance of cycling in France over the last hundred years.
The satirical songs of Jean Yanne (1933–2003) are a little-studied aspect of the work of this French singer-songwriter, comedian, actor and film director. Composed and performed in the late-1950s and mid-1960s Yanne's satirical music, like his radio and television comedy sketches, spoke to tensions in French politics and society during a period of rapid socioeconomic and sociocultural modernisation. Yanne's idiosyncratically derisive humour was controversial, dividing audiences and critics into those who saw the comedy and others suspecting him of right-wing anarchist nihilism. Analysis of his songs' themes, lyrics and music shows how Yanne's musical satire continued and developed existing trends in humour and musical comedy, and discussion of how he was critiqued as 'poujadist' enables fuller understanding of the complexity of his oeuvre and its reception. Criticism of Yanne as poujadist aims to invalidate his satire, but 'getting the joke' equates, ultimately, to seeing his humour as freedom of speech.
Résumé Le rédacteur en chef, éditorialiste et journaliste sportif Pierre Giffard fut un acteur majeur dans l'évolution de la presse sportive et du journalisme sportif en France dans les années 1880 et 1890. Sa conception de la promotion du sport à la fois comme contribution à l'intérêt général et comme argument de vente des journaux a sensiblement favorisé la massification du lectorat de la presse sportive et la massification des adeptes de la pratique sportive. Même si la passagère contribution du journal sportif de Giffard, Le Vélo (1892-1904) au développement du sport et du journalisme a été longtemps occultée par la réussite au long terme de son concurrent L'Auto-Vélo (lancé en 1900, maintenant titré L'Equipe et propriétaire du Tour de France), il était néanmoins un instrument important dans la création d'événements sportifs innovateurs, dans la création d'une tradition du journalisme sportif, et dans la mise en place d'un modèle de relations entre presse sportive, industrie et commerce qui a fortement marqué l'évolution du sport en France.
In the 1970s and 1980s the French state was closely involved in dirigiste policies of technological development in the telecommunications sector, but in the 1990s the challenge of planning France's entry to the Information superhighway is throwing up questions for traditional strategies of organising the production of infrastructures and services. Although official reports on 'les autoroutes de l'information' stress the need for immediate action, the complexities of reconciling traditional dirigiste policies with the free-market recommendations of the European Commission and the uncertainties of the Presidential elections of 1995 have hindered France's ability to act quickly.
During the early 1990s, reality programming (RP) was introduced into the French television industry in the form of what became known as téléréalité, or, perhaps in deference to their American and Italian origins, `reality shows'. Initially greeted by a storm of controversy about their legality, and about the desirability of some of their feared effects on French society and institutions (especially the legal system and the right to privacy), reality shows have now become a more accepted, but equally controversial feature of French broadcasting. This article examines the growth of reality programming in French television during the 1990s, describing the main programmes and styles of RP in France, and setting the phenomenon within the double context of ever increasing commercial constraints on programme production and traditional French concerns to maintain France's image as a country of culture. The article analyses the discourse of criticism and of justification which has arisen around the issue of reality shows, manipulating notions of democracy, authenticity and empowerment of individual citizens in defence of RP and presenting fears of informing, voyeurism and exhibitionism in the case against. It is seen how reality shows are taking their place in the constant modernization of French society, including the modernization of notions of what is represented by `culture', but, also, how these new trends in television programming are undermining some of France's traditional values and aspirations.
Zu Beginn der 90er Jahre wurde das sog. Reality-TV auch in Frankreich eingeführt und zwar in einer Form, die als "telerealite" oder, möglicherweise mit Rücksicht auf die amerikanischen und italienischen Ursprünge dieser Art von Sendungen "reality shows" bezeichnet wurden. Zu Beginn brach ein Sturm von Auseinandersetzungen über die Zulässigkeit und die Wünschbarkeit möglicher schädlicher Auswirkungen auf die französische Gesellschaft und ihre Institutionen (insbesondere das Rechtssystem und den Schutz der Privatsphäre) aus. Im Laufe der Zeit sind die "reality shows" zu einem allgemein akzeptierten aber immer noch kontrovers diskutierten Bestandteil des französischen Fernsehens geworden. Der Beitrag untersucht das Anwachsen von sog. Reality-Programmen im französischen Fernsehen in den 90er Jahren. Er beschreibt die hauptsächlichen Programmformen und -stile und stellt das Phänomen in den doppelten Kontext wachsender kommerzieller Zwänge bei der Programmproduktion auf der einen und traditioneller französischer Bedenken bezüglich der Aufrechterhaltung der Vorstellung von Frankreich als einer Kulturnation auf der anderen Seite. Der Beitrag analysiert die Auseinandersetzung von Kritik und Rechtfertigung, die sich am Thema Reality-TV entwickelt hat. Zur Verteidigung werden Argumente wie Stärkung der Demokratie, Authentizität und Stärkung der Individualrechte des Bürgers angeführt, die Kritiker befürchten Desinformation, Voyeurismus und Exhibitionismus. Es wird gezeigt, wie Reality-TV zur ständigen Modernisierung der französischen Gesellschaft beiträgt. Dazu gehört auch die Modernisierung der Vorstellung, was mit "Kultur" gemeint ist. Darüber hinaus wird dargestellt, auf welche Weise diese neuartigen Programmformen des Fernsehens einige der traditionellen französischen Wertvorstellungen und nationalen Sehnsüchte unterminiert. (UNübers.)
Examines France's efforts to modernize its telecommunications & multimedia infrastructures since the 1970s, focusing on the roles of the government's dirigiste policies of technological development & competing market focus on the debate over the best approach to constructing an information superhighway by 2015. Reflecting on the urgent technological developments called for in the 1994 Brenton & Thery Reports & the ambitious policies advocated by the center-right Balladur government, it is argued that France will have to carefully monitor political & corporate interests to avoid wasteful & conflicted developmental programs. In particular, France may have to reconsider its grand programme approach to social planning, which links the state closely to individual corporations within industrial sectors in an attempt to orchestrate change. The Thery Report suggests that this strategy should be reviewed with greater attention given to competitive market approaches. With the advent of the Juppe government in 1995 & the increasing influence of the European economic community, it is concluded that the competitive edge France hoped to gain may have to wait for clarification of the role of the state in the telecommunications sector. 17 References. Adapted from the source document.
