O, Oui, Oui, Oui….Les Vedettes sont ici!

France’s governmental broadcasting authority, the Conseil supÃ?Â??Ã?Â?Ã?©rieur de l’audiovisuel (CSA), has decreed that the titles of French TV shows (comme “Le Star Academy,” “La Hit Machine,” “Loft Story,” et “Popstars”) henceforth must be en franÃ?Â??Ã?Â?Ã?§ais. According to the BBC

Liberation newspaper – referring to “Ze Conseil superior of ze audiovisuel” and reporting that it is urging channels to “speak francais, plize” – wonders how wieldy titles will be.

Loft Story would become, according to the newspaper: Une histoire de local a usage commercial ou industriel amenage en local d’habitation.

The law, which is known as “La Loi Toubon” after the Minister who pushed it through, has occasioned an amusing little pun: “La Loi Toubon n’est pas bon pour tout.”

P.S. I hesitate to write too much in French, as the sheer beauty of my command of the language could cause problems for some. It may sound like bragging, but I do know that I speak the language beautifully, because when I begin to speak French, grown men and women openly weep — even shopclerks and waiters. To hear the language of Racine, MoliÃ?Â??Ã?Â?Ã?¨re, and Voltaire spoken as it was meant to be spoken is evidently an emotional experience for many.



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