It's by doing whatever that one becomes whoever
June 10, 2010 10:32 AM Subscribe
Improv partout? N'importe qui descends on an amateur football (soccer) match outside Montpelier, Improv Everywhere style. Allez, pantless dude in the sombrero! The force behind this is Rémi Gaillard, a shoe salesman turned French prankster. My favorite prank is Le Tour de N'Importe Qui, which turns unsuspecting casual cyclists into trophy-winning heroes. (videos contain brief images of male nudity from behind)
THIS is what Improv Everywhere wishes it was. Whereas Improv Everywhere takes annoyance to a "friendly", "harmless", "wholesome" degree.. N'importe qui is TRUE pranking. Plus the French are just cooler about stuff in general.
posted by ReeMonster at 10:53 AM on June 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by ReeMonster at 10:53 AM on June 10, 2010 [1 favorite]
Je sais que je suis M. Mechant, mes ses N'import Qui personnes etres trous de culs.
Je sais aussi que mon francais est terrible. Mange-moi.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:54 AM on June 10, 2010
Je sais aussi que mon francais est terrible. Mange-moi.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 10:54 AM on June 10, 2010
This stuff is hilarious.
The reason Improv Everywhere has such tame skits (albeit some really clever) is because the US is fraught with litigious, petulant boors.
posted by Christ, what an asshole at 10:56 AM on June 10, 2010
The reason Improv Everywhere has such tame skits (albeit some really clever) is because the US is fraught with litigious, petulant boors.
posted by Christ, what an asshole at 10:56 AM on June 10, 2010
These two strike me as a bit mean. The cycling one has its charm, but the football one really was just "n'importe quoi".
His Mario Kart (which I'm pretty sure has already been on Metafilter) and his football tricks series are both better in my opinion.
posted by jontyjago at 10:56 AM on June 10, 2010
His Mario Kart (which I'm pretty sure has already been on Metafilter) and his football tricks series are both better in my opinion.
posted by jontyjago at 10:56 AM on June 10, 2010
Why did they have to storm the field and disrupt the game? They totally lost me at that point. Up until then, I thought it was awesome, and I was starting to think how cool it would be for that to happen at one of my hockey games, which usually has no one in the stands.
It's by doing whatever that one becomes whoever becomes a chicken and egg question to me after watching this - were they assholes before they ran onto the field, or did they become assholes by doing so?
posted by never used baby shoes at 11:26 AM on June 10, 2010
It's by doing whatever that one becomes whoever becomes a chicken and egg question to me after watching this - were they assholes before they ran onto the field, or did they become assholes by doing so?
posted by never used baby shoes at 11:26 AM on June 10, 2010
I was on the fence with this guy until I noticed how often he goes out of his way to antagonize the police. Is the culture in France just that more relaxed with cops? Yikes. Makes the Jackass guys look tame in comparison.
posted by cazoo at 11:51 AM on June 10, 2010
posted by cazoo at 11:51 AM on June 10, 2010
Cops in France don't have guns.
posted by desjardins at 12:07 PM on June 10, 2010
posted by desjardins at 12:07 PM on June 10, 2010
Rémi Gaillard's pranks are mostly mean-spirited and destructive. He's done a few things that are worth a chuckle, but most of his videos just leave me angry at what an arse he can be. For example.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 12:45 PM on June 10, 2010
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 12:45 PM on June 10, 2010
I agree that he is an insufferable prick and I wouldn't so much as have lunch with him.
posted by desjardins at 1:20 PM on June 10, 2010
posted by desjardins at 1:20 PM on June 10, 2010
Yeah, I agree with Winsome Parker Lewis et al. There's nothing wrong with pranking in a "friendly," "harmless" or "wholesome" manner; what I like about Improv Everywhere is that they go to some effort to give people as much space as possible to enjoy or avoid the fun as they see fit, and to minimize their disruptiveness when that's not possible. (There are a few exceptions, like the Little League game, but that was more of a feel-good event than a prank.) Though they make videos for people to watch afterwards, the primary audience for their pranks is the people "being pranked" and it's important to them that people enjoy being caught in a minor surreal moment, not feel harassed or put upon.
If the videos that have been linked in this thread are any indication, Rémi Gaillard doesn't really care about the feelings of the people he's pranking, even when those pranks are supposedly to their benefit. You can tell that the soccer players aren't very pleased with the disruption of their game, and the first cyclist might be enjoying himself, or he could be straining to be polite in a very uncomfortable situation. The premise of the cycling prank is funny, but lots of people would not enjoy being ambushed, manhandled and shouted at by dozens of people in the middle of a bike ride alone. Yet Gaillard gives them no choice.
Somehow I get the feeling that if/when Gaillard is called out on his behavior his response would be to insist that his critics have no sense of humor. Judgmental of me, maybe, and I'd be happy to be proven wrong, but ... that's the vibe I'm getting.
posted by bettafish at 1:31 PM on June 10, 2010
If the videos that have been linked in this thread are any indication, Rémi Gaillard doesn't really care about the feelings of the people he's pranking, even when those pranks are supposedly to their benefit. You can tell that the soccer players aren't very pleased with the disruption of their game, and the first cyclist might be enjoying himself, or he could be straining to be polite in a very uncomfortable situation. The premise of the cycling prank is funny, but lots of people would not enjoy being ambushed, manhandled and shouted at by dozens of people in the middle of a bike ride alone. Yet Gaillard gives them no choice.
Somehow I get the feeling that if/when Gaillard is called out on his behavior his response would be to insist that his critics have no sense of humor. Judgmental of me, maybe, and I'd be happy to be proven wrong, but ... that's the vibe I'm getting.
posted by bettafish at 1:31 PM on June 10, 2010
I didn't watch the football one after seeing the comments here, but I really enjoyed the cycling prank. I love how the third cyclist just rolled with it, too, "The mountain was very steep...".
posted by misha at 4:33 PM on June 10, 2010
posted by misha at 4:33 PM on June 10, 2010
Oh, and am I the only one that absolutely adores the fact that they had the all-important guy dressed up in the devil's suit to add that extra credibility?
posted by misha at 4:33 PM on June 10, 2010
posted by misha at 4:33 PM on June 10, 2010
He can be hilarious, especially at other people's expense. Remi's obviously an honorary member of project mayhem, but some day he is going to meet a true member of fight club and that will make an absolutely hilarious video.
posted by milarepa at 6:49 PM on June 10, 2010
posted by milarepa at 6:49 PM on June 10, 2010
They had to storm the field and disrupt the game because they were pranking as if it was one of those stupid soccer matches where the German fans start going crazy and throwing smoke bombs and generally causing a ruckus. Lighten up! Aww, I know Improv Everywhere are really nice about being annoying but that's because they're from South Carolina so they have that "southern hospitality" thing.. Rémi's stuff makes me laugh; if I were on an elevator when IE was doing that "high five" thing.. THEN I would be annoyed and angered.
posted by ReeMonster at 8:58 AM on June 11, 2010
posted by ReeMonster at 8:58 AM on June 11, 2010
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I do love me some Le Tour de N'Imprte Qui though!
posted by thecjm at 10:44 AM on June 10, 2010