COMEDY CLASS BY ÉRIC AND RAMZY
BRUSSELS
Thank you.
-Well done, Manola. -Thank you.
-You're very good. -Yeah.
MANOLA AGE 26
-I know. -Amazing.
Oh, my God, your level.
I like her a lot.
She's got me perplexed.
At first, the way you show off is a little off-putting,
but you do it so much, it passes the "like" barrier.
-Exactly. -I liked it a lot.
Like away.
-Well done. -Thank you.
Great job!
Thank you, Manola! See you in Paris!
Thank you!
I felt comfortable, but that didn't mean that...
Then I saw him take this out...
It's amazing.
Next up, he's not just a character, a color, and a country,
please welcome, Mr. Bénin!
BÉNIN AGE 28
How are you?
I'm Bénin, I'm 28, and I live in Brussels.
I work in insurance for now.
I don't know how that happened. I needed cash.
I have bills to pay.
And I like to make jokes onstage on the side, too.
How's it going, Brussels?
I went to Montreal three years ago. It's a seven-hour flight.
I got there and the customs agent came up
and said, "Welcome to Montreal, sir,
but you need to go through immigration."
Getting through immigration is easy. It's like a reality show
There are Black people, Afghans, Arabs,
and we all have a secret we need to keep.
If you don't keep it, you're out of the country. It's quick.
I've got a lot of problems.
My car broke down.
I've had to start doing things I never wanted to do again.
Like hitchhiking.
But I'd forgotten one key thing,
which is that, well, I'm Black.
Usually, if you do this, they stop, but, for me, they accelerate.
They're scared of me. When I do this, they see this.
They think I'm a serial killer.
Even though everyone knows serial killers are white. You know?
It's true.
I could be a killer,
but not a serial killer.
I wouldn't have that many tries.
-He's very likeable. -Very likeable.
Once in my life, a white guy picked me up. He was about 50.
Once. I was taken aback by his confidence.
He said, "Come on, young man, get in!"
Just between you and me,
I hesitated.
I was like, "Do you want to take me somewhere or take me apart?"
He reassured me. He said, "Don't worry, I love Black people.
I've always wanted to be Black!"
I said, "Being Black isn't an easy career choice.
You'll never get to see Montreal."
Thanks, guys, this was great.
Thank you.
Thank you very much.
Thank you, Brussels!
Thank you, Bénin! How long have you been doing this?
Four-and-a-half years now.
Do you have a full show?
Not yet, but I'm working on it. Slowly.
You're really comfortable up there, and extremely likeable.
To me, that's the main quality of a comedian.
Sometimes, the jokes or topics might not land,
but we have to like the guy, at least,
and we liked you right away.
You have a good flow, a sense of pacing...
-You're a good-looking guy. -Yeah.
-Oh, stop! -No, I'm kidding.
Bénin, welcome to France!
Well done.
See you in Paris. Well done!
Thank you, Bénin!
Remember the time we wanted to turn Belgium into a parking lot?
We were going to bulldoze everything except the Manneken-Pis.
To keep the Belgians happy.
We were going to send all the Belgians to repopulate the south of France.
What were we gonna we do with the people in the south of France?
Send them to Corsica?
You already put on some mascara, now it's lipstick?
I'm going out, man!
I'm going out later!
Make some noise for Hamza!
My body sucks. I have the physique of a shrimp.
HAMZA AGE 29
If I were a dish, I'd be fine dining.
A shrimp with a drizzle of olive oil.
You're so kind.
I do lazy comedy. It's an art in itself.
They said I needed a four-minute sketch.
Here, I made a "four-minute" sketch.
And it has to land with the audience. Easy!
And they have to laugh! It's working, isn't it?
-Have you done this long? -One year.
I think that's what's missing.
-You lack confidence. -You're still a little green.
Anthony Circus!
ANTHONY CIRCUS AGE 29
I'm not comfortable around people. I'm not anti-social, just shy.
When I take the subway,
I'll often bring along an accordion and a cup,
so no one will talk to me.
It really works.
If anyone gets too close, I bust out with "Despacito"!
Thank you so much!
I don't know if it's the sound system or if our ears are bad,
but I missed a few of your jokes.
-You're 50 years old. -That could be it.
There's your first clue.
-Thank you! -Bye!
If the next one is awful,
let's wink at each other.
If it's not great, okay?
-Let's all get up and slowly leave. -Or we'll leave!
We'll look at each other and just go.
And go eat somewhere with the 50,000 bucks.
Moving on!
My name is Lorenzo Mancini,
I'm from Brussels and I'm an architect.
My humor is rather cerebral.
I stay put and wait for people to come into my mind.
That makes it sound boring, but it's actually pretty funny.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Lorenzo Mancini!
Good evening.
LORENZO MANCINI AGE 34
My name is Lorenzo Mancini.
I work as an architect.
I say that at the start, so if you don't think I'm funny,
you can call me to get a quote on a renovation.
That's it for the ad. Let's move on with the jokes.
Young adults are having fewer children for environmental reasons,
which means I have no environmentalist friends.
Since my friends became parents,
they've stopped inviting me to Ibiza or to the Rio Carnival.
Now I get invited on Sundays
to a three-year-old's jungle-themed birthday party.
Fiesta loca!
I think the makers of Tarzan were screwing with us.
After living in the jungle with talking animals,
Tarzan looks happy.
Me, after three hours, I became pro deforestation.
I thought maybe Bolsonaro voters
had been made to skip Carnival for a kid's birthday party.
Political joke disguised as kids' joke.
I've been working on a free, natural form of contraception.
If you don't want kids, but your partner does,
when you make love, speak Flemish.
When you're making love, nobody wants to hear...
He speaks Flemish well.
If you want to come see my show or have your apartment renovated,
my name is Lorenzo Mancini. Thanks, guys.
Well done, Lorenzo, thank you very much!
You've got something there.
-He won me over. -Me too.
At least...
It's not your decision!
-People in the audience... -Andrea...
Andrea? No, Ramzy.
-You're Ramzy, right? -Yes.
-Have you always been there? -Bro, I'm 6'5".
I think he's really, really funny.
When architects get together for dinner, he must really stand out.
They say, "Damn, that was one funny architect."
Éric, we can't...
Our career is almost over.
-He's just starting out. -Aren't you redoing your apartment?
I know...
There a several good reasons to keep him.
Raise your hand if you loved Lorenzo Mancini!
Well, there we go.
Come on, Lorenzo, welcome to the team!
We were messing with you, of course.
Well done, Lorenzo.
We'll see you in Paris!
These kids who come in on their own are impressive.
They know what they want and they seize the opportunity.
Are you tired?
My back is tired. Because I'm 55 years old!
And these chairs aren't the same as the ones at home.
-You need a chairback. -There are no backs.
Make some noise for the four winners from Brussels, Belgium!
They're coming with us to Paris.
Brahms!
Manola!
Bénin!
Lorenzo Mancini!
The next generation of comedy is here!
-Thank you all. -Well done!
-Goodbye. -See you.
Brussels was very special. I can't wait for the next city.
-Can't wait! -Surprise, surprise, motherfucker!
We're on our way to Nantes.
We'll find a lot pf people who are funnier than us there. Tons.
-In Nantes? -Yeah.
-Michaël Youn. -He's from Nantes.
-Will Ferrell, too. -Mickaël Vendetta.
Ahmed Sylla is from Nantes.
Well, he was dropped off in Nantes.
-That's better. -By an African stork.
Thank you!
Let's have a good show.
Let us discover a new comedian.
So sayeth our lord and savior...
Jeff Bezos!
Hello, Nantes!
We've come to Nantes to discover new comedy talent.
We hear you're not that funny here.
I'm joking!
-No. -We don't know how many we'll keep.
But, in the end, one winner
will get 50,000 euros,
which we will then give to Blanche Gardin.
So, here we go.
I hope you'll like them!
Wait! On a scale of zero to 20, what do you give Ramzy's mustache?
-I think that was a 20. -He went to his barber
-and asked him for... -The Saddam Hussein.
-Didn't you ask for the Magnum? -That's right.
He gave you the ice cream version instead.
We want to apologize for our seats. They're kind of embarrassing.
We wanted something subtle to blend in with the crowd.
We feel like Louis XIV and his Arab.
They're embarrassing, aren't they?
Hopefully comedians will forgive this too.
-We didn't ask for thrones. -It's all production's fault.
Have a great evening! Let's go!
This is stressful. There's no room for error.
Plus, I talk really fast.
I could stumble at any moment.
If they don't understand me, I'll need subtitles.
Send out the first victim!
Lou-Ann Protin!
LOU-ANNE PROTIN AGE 24
Everyone doing all right?
Your Majesties.
Let's talk about kids. Life's greatest gift, they say.
Whatever, I'd rather die.
I don't want kids, for obvious physical reasons.
I don't know if you can tell, but I'm 5'1".
I stopped growing in 2004.
Put me in a bathing suit on the beach, I could leave with any family.
Any family! I don't see the world like you do.
In the street, you see people head-on.
I see them dick-on. Tall men are the bane of my existence.
I couldn't give birth, the baby'd be the same size as me.
Also, nine months of suffering, just for him to look like who?
His dad.
I know who I'm screwing and, trust me, it's not worth it.
So, when I saw who I was boinking,
I figured it was time to get some contraception.
I'd never been to the gynecologist. I was scared. It's a little scary.
The secretary reassured me, she said, "You'll just get to know each other."
The guy I'm supposed to get to know is standing there in his white coat.
I thought, "Okay." He says, "Get undressed and lie down."
Confused, but flattered,
I said, "Thank you, but shouldn't we talk a bit before?
"We don't even know if we're a good fit. I don't know your zodiac sign!"
But I'm feeling horny and weak-willed, so I lie down.
I'm not a prude with doctors. A body is a body. It's their job.
Just don't do commentary.
I've got my legs in the air, it's cold, awkward...
He goes, "I'm going to insert a finger." I don't usually get a warning, it's fine.
That's it for me. Thanks for coming out!
Well done!
She's fast!
Well done!
That was a bombardment. There were so many jokes, and rather hard-core.
-You impressed me. -Yeah.
-Honestly. -Like you've been doing this for years.
You have your own style. You're memorable.
-What you do is unique. -That's what my mom's worried about.
Well...
Hold on. We've got...
Really? I can't believe you said that.
Let's do it.
We want you to be the first one to whom we spontaneously give
the Navigold Pass to come to Paris!
Thank you very much!
We're deliberating.
-Talk amongst yourselves. -Deliberate!
Don't you know how?
Like this.
Deliberate.
On the plus side, great mustache.
-We're judging looks, right? -Yes, only looks.
-Send in the next one! -Next up!
Simon Pintault!
SIMON PINTAULT AGE 28
Hi! I'm here to tell a few jokes. Ready?
Yeah!
I'm Simon Pintault, I'm 28, and I'm from Le Mans.
I've been doing comedy for four years now.
I discovered comedy through DVDs, Élie Semoun, Franck Dubosc.
That's how I knew it could be a career.
I lost my mom two years ago.
That's what really started it for me.
I want to do Comedy Class
mostly for the money. What did you expect me to say?
I'm going to talk about something I just learned about myself.
I'm a hipster.
Don't you agree? I look like I say "verbena" a lot.
"Eucalyptus verbena tea, anyone?"
I realized I was a hipster because of one thing.
Because I box now, and my gym is clearly a hipster gym.
They put on "fight-and-brunches."
I swear, it's true. So I went, and, honestly,
I loved it.
It was great!
They fought, I ate.
It's true! While they were bashing each other's faces in,
I was there like, "Do you have any more smoked salmon?
I'll have an avocado toast."
It was great.
Now I know what I am. Wait for it... I'm a hit-ster.
I'm big into hit-stering!
Imagine you're dancing the bachata with a gorgeous woman.
"Habla español?
Yo también, mi amor."
You leave together and some creep in the street shouts,
"Whore!" "I'll take care of it, I'm a hit-ster."
It's great!
Yeah, wait. Hold on.
Then you're there like,
"What are you waiting for?" "Brunch."
He's great, I love it.
Plus, I just created my start-up with a very simple concept.
For every punch, we plant one tree.
Because being a hit-ster is a "hit"!
Thank you.
-Well done! -Great job.
-That really got us. -No need to talk it over much.
Maybe it's because we're hipsters ourselves,
-but it really spoke to us. -I thought it might.
-I saw your mustache. -That's a stage costume, right?
Or are those your real clothes?
I loved it, your style, saying you were here to tell a few jokes,
your set-ups, everything! No need to get into the details.
The whole room reacted.
-Your style. -You're just you.
-You're Simon. -And yet, it's a no for me.
-So silly. -I understand.
-It's normal. -That's only fair.
That "hit-ster" thing was great.
Listen, we agree.
-Obviously! -Here's your Navigold Pass!
Awesome job.
It felt good, I don't know, it just felt good.
I felt present, and they were so nice.
It was just awesome.
-He was good. What was his name? -Simon.
-I loved him! -Me too.
"Hit-stering," with him eating...
We had a good laugh.
-Yeah. -Our shows are so good!
-So good. -In our comfy chairs...
It's Wednesday afternoon, here with all these unemployed people.
-Yeah. -Taking it easy.
You can't all be employed.
-What are you doing here? -You shouldn't be here.
Unbelievable.
-You don't work? -Yes, we do.
"Freelance." Sure, so unemployed.
Okay, next one's ready.
Ladies and gentlemen, make some noise for Maxime!
Ever been to a nude beach?
MAXIME STOCKNER AGE 26
-I have. Have you? -No!
It's hell. Just awful.
They don't tell you exactly when you should get undressed.
Do it too late, it's weird. Too early, you're still in the parking lot.
And you have to undress in the open, in front of everyone.
There's no locker room, so people will inevitably see you in this position.
I felt so vulnerable.
I was so scared someone would push me
and I'd fall over with my knees tied up in my underwear.
We've always been prudish.
We're uncomfortable talking about balls, wieners, nudism...
Right, the topic wasn't the right one to make us laugh.
Okay.
-Sorry, Maxime, but it's a no. -No problem.
-Next up! -Moving along.
Cab Cab!
CAB CAB AGE 29
When I was little, I had a lazy eye and wore thick glasses.
So let's say my outlook on life is a bit off-center.
That's what I'm trying to say.
You can give me side-eye, but I did it first!
I'll take you on two at a time. Really take a look at me!
"Shit." "Shit yourself." "What?"
"Shit, shit..." Don't laugh, it gets them worked up.
Shh! Stop, you're on my face!
Shit, you really did stop laughing.
I was lost. You lost me.
I'm sorry, it's a no.
-Sorry. -Well, thanks anyway for this experience.
You'll see, those we turn down will end up being stars
and they'll hate us their whole career.
-It's terrible. -So sad.
We remember those who told us no at the start.
We still remember them 30 years later.
Lederman. Paul Lederman.
"They'll never make it."
"It'll never work."
Our no now will have an impact. You can feel it.
What's the next young lady's name?
Can you tell us?
Ladies and gentlemen, make some noise for Ana Godefroy!
ANA GODEFROY AGE 25
-Hi there! -Hi there!
Can you see me?
-Yeah. -Cool.
I'm asking because I have my doubts.
Lask week, I went to a few clubs to rehearse for this show.
It's a nice atmosphere. We each do five or six minutes.
That way, we can promote our shows.
We're all backstage together. It's cool.
At the end, I left the venue,
and one of the comedians came up to me and gave me the flyer for his show.
He said, "Thanks for coming to see me tonight.
I hope you enjoyed it.
Feel free to leave a comment."
"Actually, we performed together.
Simon."
Has anyone here ever been run over by a van?
Twenty-three cubic meters?
Well, I have.
This wasn't a road accident.
This was the van parking itself on you,
and there you are, on the windshield.
Yeah. "Excuse me, Didier.
Just so you know, my knees are wedged in between your hood
and the bumper of this Dacia Logan.
Don't worry, I'll wait for you to finish your delivery.
Take your time.
I've got all day. I'm a performing artist."
That's it. Thank you very much.
-Well done! -Thank you.
Bravo!
Is Paul Mirabel an influence?
Yeah.
Well, I'm a victim, just like him.
-Did the story with the van really happen? -Completely true.
-He could see you? -I was sandwiched, yeah.
-I didn't dare tell him I was there. -Get out of here!
The only part that wasn't true was me telling him I was there.
Listen, you're not invisible to us. You really made us laugh.
-I see you. -Thank you.
-I see you. -Nice to hear.
Your storytelling is strong.
It works, and you're not just a female Paul Mirabel.
You're Ana. There's something there.
-So... -Here.
You're coming...
-Thank you. -With us.
There we go.
-Well done, Ana! -See you in Paris!
Great job!
I'm so relieved and happy to be moving on.
Yo!
I'm Eliott Doyle, I'm 30.
I've been doing stand-up for three years.
Stand-up is my life. I eat, sleep, and breathe stand-up.
I take inspiration from my daily life.
That's not bad.
Nevermind, it sucks.
Being the best is easy. You just have to live a healthy life.
"Healthy mind in a healthy body." This is vital.
Make some noise for Eliott Doyle!
ELIOTT DOYLE AGE 30
There you go.
That's over with.
What other jokes do I have?
Can I get a pair of shorts, please?
Let's be serious. Thank you.
Talk amongst yourselves for a minute.
Okay... There we go.
Hello! Who said, "Oh, my God"?
I'm supposed to do some stand-up, is that right?
-If you don't mind. -Okay, I'll try.
I see diesel prices have gone up again.
It's now 2.10 euros. What's the deal with that?
What's next?
A thousand bucks?
Not bad. Apparently, that one works.
Comedians use these every night to record ourselves.
Then listen to it back the next day. Keeps us working.
You piece of shit!
Get a job!
It's getting dark earlier and earlier. What's the deal with that?
What's next? Getting dark at noon?
It's too much.
-How are you, mentors? -Great!
You're on television, right?
Cool! Is Nikos a nice guy?
-Yeah? -Yeah, he's all right.
Cool.
How much time do I have left?
I've done all my best stuff already.
So, what we're going to do is...
I gave myself a wild card tonight.
I copied jokes from another comedian.
He absolutely killed it in another venue.
Comedians do this all the time, so I will too.
Right, let's have a good time.
And if it sucks, it's not my fault.
Here we go. Good evening, Paname!
It's true, I don't mince my words.
We Algerians don't have a filter.
That's right.
This isn't my joke.
Hold on, shit. What?
I must have gotten tired here at the end. I just put, "Interact with audience."
Well, hey there.
Good evening.
How are you doing?
-Great, and you? -Awesome.
All good?
I'll ask the questions.
-What's your name? -Saliha.
Saliha?
Really?
Really.
Amazing. What do you for a living?
-I'm a comedian. -What?
A comedian.
An engineer? Yes, you look like an engineer.
So...
Have you ever been run over by a van?
Because I have.
Thank you, everyone!
Well done!
-Bravo! -Wait, stay there.
-Stay up there. -What's your name?
-What's that supposed to mean?
-Eliott. -Eliott?
You absolutely slayed us.
I don't have a golden ticket, sorry, but...
Bro, you're everything I love.
Yeah.
-But it's a no. -Hilarious.
Hilarious, the pacing, everything. Have you been doing this long?
Doing what?
Two years and change.
-That's all? -Yeah.
That was flawless.
-Yes, I loved it. -It was hilarious.
But your sneakers are crap!
Your whole wardrobe!
I love it all.
-Your style is insane. -Bastards.
We have to, Ramzy.
-Well done. -Thanks a lot.
Great job!
Our next comedian is artistic, funny, classy...
It's Basile!
I don't like kissing cheeks.
I have to come up you like...
BASILE AGE 26
You have to make the noise.
If you don't, we're just pressing heads.
But the noise makes me anxious.
To me, if there's no contact, there shouldn't be a noise.
If there is, we should be able to make...
any noise we want.
"You good? Yeah?"
"Oh, the custom is two here!"
You're like a beautiful train passing by.
"That was such a beautiful train!"
But I'd prefer to watch it derail, go off the track,
slow down, start up again... It was took clean for me.
Make some noise for Antoine Sentenac!
ANTOINE SENTENAC AGE 27
I only have one criteria for an apartment: it can't be too close to a fairground.
Don't worry, I'll show you. Sir, what's your name?
Marc. Marc lives across from a fairground, he brings his girlfriend over.
They make love, he gives it his all.
The problem is he doesn't last even one minute.
He's unhappy, she is too. There's a long pause.
A long, awkward silence.
Then you hear, "You want more? Here we go!"
You made me laugh, but not very hard.
You never opened a door to go somewhere unexpected.
So you won't be coming to Paris with us.
-It didn't land for me. -Me neither.
It's down to taste. Sometimes you don't like apple pie,
or custard pie...
We might be wrong.
We're looking for someone who makes us genuinely laugh.
Nothing is funnier than someone slipping on a banana peel,
or runs into a glass door. That's elicits genuine laughter.
That's what we're looking for. An open heart, masks off.
-Pants off. -We moon masks.
Moving on to our next comedian from Nantes.
-What's his name? -Popi!
-That's so cute! -Make some noise for the handsome Popi!
POPI AGE 31
It's a flute.
Your turn!
You really did absolutely fuck all.
Not a fan of writing?
What you do is very risky, but we loved it.
You did something we really did like.
Some of you in the audience turned to us, like, "You find this funny?"
Yes, we did find it funny.
I've been working on this for two years.
What you did is pretty divisive.
However...
-It's very funny. -And furthermore...
Popi.
-You're coming to Paris. -We've made the decision.
Well done.
We liked it a lot!
We love you, Popi!
You having fun?
There's just one more left.
The last one. Then we'll never see each other again.
Ladies and gentlemen, Léandre!
LÉANDRE AGE 20
Hey. You doing good?
Okay, great. Nice to meet you, I'm Léandre.
Before I came on, I asked the makeup lady how I look.
If she thought I was cute.
She looked at me and said,
"If you use your imagination."
I have alopecia. It's not life-threatening.
I've just lost my hair, but that's it. It started when I was 12.
Later on, I learned that alopecia doesn't impact your health, it isn't serious,
but it is hereditary.
And I quickly noticed that in my family...
I'm the only one.
To keep people from staring, when I was 12, my dad bought me a wig.
It was 5,000 euros. Made with real human hair.
Hair that used to belong to someone and now they stick it on me.
That's really creepy.
Whenever I see a bald guy, I think it could have been his.
And he's gonna come up to me, "That's my fucking hairclip!"
They put the wig on me. It was long, brown, curly hair.
And they offered to draw on some fake eyebrows.
"Why not?" Drew on a fake mustache.
"Why not?" I came out with an angled bob,
fake eyebrows, and a mustache.
Have you ever seen Undercover Boss?
I'll leave it with that. Thanks for coming out.
Well done!
I sort of know what that's like.
Sort of, except for the eyebrows. I don't have that.
-I think... -Go ahead.
We haven't yet seen the best of Léandre.
I feel like you're holding something back
-and we haven't seen it all. -Yeah.
Are we wrong? Do you have anything else?
-I have a whole show. -Do another bit then.
No, just kidding.
I'm sure there's hidden potential we haven't seen yet.
That's what annoys me. Ramsy, I want to keep him.
I know you like him. I like him, too.
And not just because we're both bald.
Léandre, you're coming with us to Paris!
Next time, really bring it, okay?
I'm so happy. This is amazing.
Éric likes me. That's what I'm taking away.
We've got a bromance forming here.
For the next set, it'll be an even closer shave.
The winners coming to Paris, come back out with us!
Lou-Anne Protin!
Simon Pintault!
Popi!
Léandre!
Ana Godefroy, make some noise!
Eliott Doyle!
Great job, all of you!
Now we have the 20.
Can't wait for what's next.
We'll be joined by a prestigious guest.
Florence Foresti, please!
Ladies and gentlemen, the boss!
I forget who said, "Don't do comedy during the day."
-Hitler. -Sorry.
-You okay up there? -Wait for me!
Where are you going?
-Whatever happens. -Right.
If they suck, we'll just have fun the three of us.
-"Did you see his face?" -I like that.
It's a signet ring.
Like his wife! She's a signet.
-Oh, yeah? -No, she's a singer.
Is that a fake braid? It looks really good on you.
You should see it on me.
We don't want to discover my replacement.
-No! -No way.
First, I'll eliminate...
-The women? -The most talented one. ment.