COMEDY CLASS BY ÉRIC AND RAMZY
Carte Blanche is the first of four challenges
that the 12 contestants will have to complete in order to reach the final.
Get ready, the real competition starts now.
We'll give out warnings if we think they weren't up to snuff.
If you get two warnings, you'll be going home to your sister.
We'll pay for the taxi. We're classy. But you'll be going home.
No way. Even if it's Amazon, you have to be smart with your money.
Éric, what are some things to avoid if you don't want to get a warning?
Offensive remarks, nudity, throwing up on stage.
That warrants a warning.
Ladies and gentlemen, the future of French comedy.
The audience is excited.
You'd have to really suck to not get any laughs from them.
-We've got guests. The crème de la crème. -Yeah.
People with careers who know what they're talking about.
People who understand this profession well enough to judge.
Free of charge, too.
I doubt that.
Let's introduce our guest.
He's the funniest man in France today.
-No, in Europe. -We really mean it.
Please welcome…
Jonathan Cohen!
Hello!
My God, this corridor is long.
This is where it happens!
Well done.
How are you?
Great.
How's it going?
To start the second season of Comedy Class…
We're going all out. We're aiming high.
-Someone who makes us cry with laughter. -Stop it.
The funniest man in France.
-It's not true. -You know it is.
He's the face of pop culture.
-You're Pop Man. -No, you are.
No, I'm Uncle Pop. You're Pop Man.
You're Coco Pop. You're in a league of your own.
We want to eat you from a bowl.
We're honored that he accepted our invitation.
I was honored. I said yes right away.
There was no hesitation.
You didn't even ask, "How much?"
-There wasn't even a call. -We actually didn't invite you.
How's it going?
When I say, "J," you say, "O!"
Jojo…
I totally messed that up. When I say, "J," you say, "O!"
"Jojo." That doesn't work.
-All right. -From now on, we can give out warnings.
Okay.
It's like being back at school. Two warnings and you're going home.
It's time for our first act. Give it up for Antek!
Go, Antek!
Starting today, we're competing for real. It really puts the pressure on us.
I haven't set a goal.
That's a lie, I want to win.
Sit down, guys.
You're too kind. How's it going? Feeling good?
Yeah!
You're a great crowd, it's great to be here.
I make a living from stand-up.
ANTEK 33 YEARS OLD
It's a new art form in France.
If you go to the States and say, "I'm a stand-up comic,"
people are like, "Wow, he seems really funny!"
In France, if you say, "I do stand-up," people say, "I see."
"The wealth redistribution system works well in our country."
"Keep it up, troubadour. You're amusing."
"We're rather enjoying your company."
Stand-up is pretty cool.
I haven't always had very popular hobbies.
I used to listen to French variety music and played the saxophone.
I know what you're thinking, "Damn."
"He definitely got laid."
Actually, not so much.
Not so much. There was no sex, just sax.
It was my thing. Why not?
I loved it. I was really into playing the sax.
I don't think the mimicry was necessary.
The sax wasn't exactly fashionable. I grew up in the 2000s.
The two big music genres in the 2000s were rock and rap.
There were the rockers with long hair who were kind of stoned, like,
"Yeah, I can play a few tunes."
And all the girls were like, "He's so sexy, let's suck him off!"
Stay focused.
There were also the rappers who had a different approach.
A darker style.
It "hit different," as they say on the street.
They had a real attitude.
"I wrote 16 bars, it's powerful stuff. I gave it everything I had."
"My soul bled onto the page."
The girls were like, "He's so intense."
"If he has any blood left in his dick, let's suck him off too."
He's good.
"Let's suck him off too."
Compared to that, saxophonists got very few fellatio offers.
That's the point I wanted to make. It was cool, though.
I'm pretty nostalgic about it today.
My parents were really into it. My mom came to all my concerts.
I remember the sparkle in her eyes when she saw her little blond boy like…
She was like,
"The teen phase shouldn't be too difficult to deal with."
Thanks for your time.
-Well done! -Thank you so much.
-Well done, Antek. -Well done.
Thank you.
Well done, Antek. Good job, and thank you.
That was the end of the sentence.
Great feedback, Ramzy.
He's funny. What else is there to say?
-The timing was exceptional. -Why are you being so aggressive?
-We laughed. -Don't say it like that, though.
-Say it with a smile. -I'm still here.
Sorry, we're in our own world sometimes.
-I think you're talking about me. -Well done, Antek.
-Honestly… -Thanks so much.
-You're very good. -Excellent timing.
Great writing, good rhythm. We can tell you're a musician.
You struck the right chord.
-Thank you. -Well done, Antek.
Thank you.
-Enjoy the rest of the evening. -Good. Really good.
That went well.
They're talking about me, but I don't know what they're saying.
In any case, I didn't get a warning.
They didn't give me one anyway, so I hope I won't get one.
That debrief we just had got pretty technical.
I don't know if you realized.
"You were really good. Keep it up."
Actually, he's really good.
It was really well written, very smart.
-Back to the technical stuff. -That's right.
His shoes were fantastic. He tied his laces really well.
-His timing? -Impeccable.
English-style comedic timing.
-Which we love. So good. -Yeah, I liked that.
We have people whose job is to find us the best acts.
Then we watch them on Comedy Class.
They never miss a chance…
-We love it. -To be dumb.
-Yeah, they love that. -To laugh!
-It's your job to laugh, isn't it? -It's not my job, it's my passion.
-He's not getting paid. -It doesn't matter if I get paid or not.
-It doesn't matter? -I'm already laughing.
-Wait, I didn't even say anything. -Yeah, it's… I…
That was for free. I'm not getting paid.
-Ready? -Yeah.
The fact that I could get a warning puts pressure on me.
You have to make an impact right away.
Next up, please welcome Anne Boissard!
Hi!
Hello!
Hey, how's everyone doing?
ANNE BOISSARD 33 YEARS OLD
We're here for the Carte Blanche challenge.
Carte Blanche literally means "white card."
What does that make me think of? My parents' skin color.
You can't tell, but I was adopted.
Before we get started, are my biological parents here tonight?
No? It's weird, no one ever answers.
For me, adoption is a bit of a liberal, eco-friendly concept.
It's like recycling a pre-owned child.
Adoption creates a little trauma.
I'm stuck in a permanent teenage crisis.
Whatever my parents do, I do the opposite.
My parents have been together for 45 years,
and went through a challenging adoption process.
Give me 20 minutes and I'll have a kid with a bartender whose name I don't know.
They were sterile, I gave birth.
I'm cheeky like that.
Since I gave birth, my life has changed a lot.
I used to party hard, twerking in bars.
Now I twerk to nursery rhymes.
Old MacDonald had a farm
I used to wake up with a hangover like, "Damn, who's this guy?"
Now, when I wake up with a hangover, I'm like, "Damn, who's this kid?"
The only thing that's changed is that the puke on the bed isn't just mine.
I think the most important thing about parenting
is being there for your kids. I'm there for my daughter.
If she doesn't want to go to bed, that's fine.
I put her in the stroller and take her for a walk under the moonlight.
Cigarette, glass of wine, perfect.
Me too, cigarette, glass of wine.
Thank you so much.
Anne Boissard.
Listen, you were born to perform.
This is where you belong, no doubt about it.
What I find really impressive is how good you are with silence.
Just by going "Ah!"
Everyone laughs. We don't even listen to the story anymore.
That really works.
You draw the audience in, you've got your own rhythm.
You're at ease on stage. Seriously, great stuff.
-Stop, I'll cry. -Well done.
I'm not sure why, but you really moved me.
I think you could lean into it even more.
I feel like, in your head, you're thinking,
"I don't want them to think I'm exactly like my act."
You do this really sweet thing…
It's super cute, but own your character. It's not you.
It's never too crude. You pull it off perfectly.
I think you can push it further and take it to the next level.
I think you can do it. It's great.
I really liked it, just like Jonathan. Wait, it's Jonathan, right?
No.
-I'm Jérémy. -Sorry.
I felt the same as Jérémy Cohen.
I loved the character, but I also saw you.
What I'd like to see is even funnier punchlines.
I want you to push yourself beyond your limits and transcend.
-Well done. -Thank you.
Well done.
The mentors were so kind to me.
Jonathan Cohen almost made me cry.
He said he was moved. It made me feel emotional.
He made me feel what I made him feel.
That was a contestant who really surprised us, I think.
I didn't expect that.
Jonathan, I agree that if she takes her drunk woman character to the next level…
Go all out. We don't care. She's afraid of being judged.
Yeah, very good point.
Something people don't know is that I love to discover things.
That's right, you're a discoverer.
-What did you discover? -America.
-No! -A long time ago.
-How long ago? -Fifteen years ago.
When you went to stake your claim,
didn't anyone tell you, "Sorry, this has already been discovered"?
-No. They said it was fine. -They told me to file.
I hold the copyright, it belongs to me. The word "America" belongs to me.
-Really? -The Gulf of America.
It doesn't mean anything, though. I'm not the president.
I just discovered it. I put it in my portfolio.
I discovered this, I discovered that.
We have a discoverer here today.
There will be casualties at some point, but so far, so good.
It's like a real show.
-We paid for it. -I didn't, I got an invite.
-You're being paid, actually. -Yeah, well…
Just the expenses.
-No, I checked with Amazon. -No, with RATP.
Nobody gets paid here, not even us.
They're all paid.
No, they're not.
-What? -They said no!
We offered, but they didn't want it.
Let's welcome Victor Vauchez.
Victor Vauchez.
I'm competitive, I love sports, all that stuff.
My goal is to get through every challenge and make it as far as possible.
I'm here for the finale and nothing else.
The finale!
VICTOR VAUCHEZ 24 YEARS OLD
Carte Blanche. I was told, "Do whatever you want. Have fun."
I wish my parents had told me that when I got into stand-up.
They didn't get it, because I was so shy at the time.
I still am, actually.
Going to the butcher shop is still a nightmare.
There I am, standing outside, like,
"It'll be fine. You're just going to talk to a lady with an apron."
I approach her, and I want to be as concise as possible.
I even make "Hello" more concise. I say, "Llo."
"Steak."
She gives it to me, and that's that.
I'm shy because of what happened the first time I talked to an adult.
My first interaction alone. I was nine and a half.
My mom said, "Go and get two flank steaks."
Okay, but I had never done that before.
I decided to just copy.
I'd copy the adults in the shop.
There was only one man there. He was pretty friendly with the butcher.
He said, "How's my Jeannine?"
"Working hard? Two of the usual."
"Say hi to your husband for me. Bye, darling. See you."
"How's my Jeannine doing?"
"Working hard? Two of the usual. You just met me, don't be a pain."
It worked. That was how I interacted with adults.
My neighbors had a barbecue. I said, "You didn't invite anyone."
"Well, that makes a change."
Thanks for your attention.
Victor Vauchez.
-Well done, Victor. -Thank you.
I feel like I have a Formula 1 car
with a driver who's scared to put his foot down.
Yes. I feel like I'm on a boat…
I really like your topics.
If we combined these everyday observations with the speed of a Formula 1 car,
we'd have Victor Hamilton.
I'll take that.
I think you've got a real charm. It's all in the details.
Maybe it's just a writing thing.
That's so kind of you, thanks.
-Thank you, Victor. -Well done.
Thank you.
-He connects with people. -He's in the moment.
-He's a connector. -Exactly.
He lacks experience. When he gets a few more miles under his belt…
No.
-He's too much. -Not true.
He's pretty close to getting a warning.
There was a disconnect with his text…
-And his self-assurance. -And his stage presence.
I saw a guy I'd never seen before.
-I don't think he's lying about his life. -I think he is.
Is it part of the game to find the liar?
-No, you don't need to find the liar. -Because I think he was…
That's got nothing to do with this.
I think he's the liar.
He's a villager.
-I think Antony is the witch. -For me, it's clear.
-Let's go, Étienne! -Come on, Étienne!
I'm scared of getting a warning. It's a lot of pressure.
It's like it suddenly hit me.
"Go on, Étienne. You're up."
-Make some noise! -For Étienne Lautrette!
-I was gone, I was there -Okay, all right
Move your body
Étienne Lautrette!
ÉTIENNE LAUTRETTE 34 YEARS OLD
This might come as a surprise, or even a shock. I love food.
It's not just about the food. I'm what's known as a bon vivant.
Are there any other bon vivants here tonight?
So…
It's a handy term.
Putting "bon vivant" on your résumé is much classier than "greedy pig."
I think so, anyway.
Besides eating and drinking,
for a long time, I was also a heavy smoker.
With a lifestyle like that, every time you visit the doctor,
regardless of why you're there,
they tell you to stop smoking, to drink less, and lose 10 kilos.
"But what about the mole?"
I listened to their advice, and I haven't smoked in two years.
So… Wait!
You're too kind.
I still need to eat a pack of cookies every nine minutes.
Otherwise, I'll smash a door with my forehead.
I think sugar is the worst addiction. Do you agree?
"Tell us why, Jamy!"
It's simple. You've seen photos of kid's birthday parties, right?
In the photos, all the kids are like this…
I have an iconic photo from one of my birthdays.
I'm behind the cake, like this.
Neck straining, eyes rolling, mouth full of cake.
There's whipped cream everywhere. It's like the bullet scene The Matrix.
I'm high on sugar in the photo.
Knowing I'm from a family of bon vivants, what kind of cake do you think it was?
A carrot cake?
Made with organic agave syrup? Or coconut oil harvested by monks?
Or did my big ol' mom
glue some cookies together with chocolate spread?
She built a castle.
It had marshmallow turrets and a gingerbread drawbridge.
I have chest pain just talking about it.
The nutritional value was negative 100.
Thanks for listening to my show, guys. It's been great.
Well done, Étienne.
In my opinion…
You won me over,
but it took you a while to feel comfortable on stage.
I didn't think so, but okay.
Okay, I see.
It did.
I thought you were great at the end. You found your rhythm.
-Well done. -Thank you.
I agree, you're really likable.
You drew me in, like you did with everyone.
I like your material. You didn't talk about sex.
Well done. Thanks.
-I don't have much sex, for the record. -We can tell.
It's the moustache. We don't get laid.
Are you done? Can I say something?
I feel like your character, your clown,
was more pissed off in the second half.
It really suits you.
You weren't overthinking, you were in the moment.
We were right there with you, it was fantastic.
Well done.
Thank you.
No warning for him. That's the kind of thing we like.
I wrote "very."
That's it. For me, he's "very."
You'll see him in the finale.
I think he'll make it to the semi-final, at least.
Same. And you, you old turkey?
Fuck both of you.
What?
I can't explain why…
-Learn how to explain things, then. -When it's funny, it's funny.
-You should elaborate. -My job is to laugh.
"It's funny." Tell us why.
That's why people are here.
If you don't, they'll say we're useless.
When someone gets it, they get it.
They're really arguing.
If you're truly funny, they'll get it.
I know them. This is for real.
Excuse me?
-You're fired, Ramzy. -Get out of here.
He said it's time for the next act.
Up next, it's Appoline.
I'm here to talk about my life.
When I first arrived in Paris, I was amazed at everything.
I was told that when I got to the capital, I'd be able to make my dreams come true.
I don't remember dreaming about being a cashier at a bakery.
Every day, I eat a resentment sandwich.
Everyone wonders what it's like working in a bakery, right?
-Yes. -Right.
I'm here to answer that.
This is theatre.
Theatre.
We, the bakery cashiers, practice AEWT.
An age-old technique that involves repeating at the end of every sentence:
-"Anything Else With That?" -That!
Everyday behind the counter, customers come to test my patience,
from morning until night.
The first test starts at 6:00 a.m.
"It sure is cold this morning, eh?"
Impressive!
The second test is at lunchtime. The uninformed customer.
Do you have any salmon and chicken sandwiches?
I just wanted to let you know that I work in a bakery.
Feel free to come by, I'll give you a 10% discount.
Thank you, Appoline.
Well done, Appoline.
Thank you.
It was a bold choice, with the lighting and music.
In sketches like this, timing has to be spot-on.
I felt like I was waiting and I never fully entered the bakery.
I think you should develop this one-person theatre thing,
with the lights and the props.
With other kinds of bread, like farmhouse bread.
If you're doing it, you might as well try with all types of bread.
So, Appoline, you get a warning.
You need to be ready for the next challenge.
You need to really make us laugh.
Thank you very much, Appoline.
Great job putting that together.
Thank you.
It's not great to hear Éric and Ramzy say, "Appoline, you get a warning."
I know what I need to change for the next time.
I need to be more sincere, like I was in 60 Seconds,
and not veer into weird bakery karate stuff.
-I have some questions about the staging. -Yes?
What was with the Harry Potter robes?
And the Japan stuff?
I have no idea.
I was too scared to ask.
She was here three seconds ago.
Yes, but she was on the attack.
All that karate stuff.
What she did to those baguettes was pretty intimidating.
Did you see her speed?
She didn't break the second one.
There wasn't a third one, but she still made the gesture.
Did I misunderstand something, or was she karate chopping dicks?
-No, not at all. -She wasn't?
Am I the only one who saw that?
I see dicks everywhere at the moment.
I wasn't judging her as a comic,
-I was judging… -A karate master?
The karate wasn't great, but I thought she was really brave.
At her age, to put herself in the spotlight like that.
We weren't that impressed, though.
That's why she got a warning.
If she gets one more, it's over.
After the first warning, let's quickly review Carte Blanche so far.
We don't have to be quick.
Five contestants have already completed the challenge. We still have…
-Twelve minus five… -Come on.
-You can do this. -Carry the four…
-Seven. -Exactly!
Well done. At the moment, only Appoline has a warning.
But it's not over yet.
No. There are seven left.
-Next, we have a little… -A little what?
A little soft spot.
We're expecting big things.
He's handsome, and he has this aura.
-Just seeing him makes you smile. -There's something to him.
-He's got that star quality. -He does.
Ladies and gentlemen, Enzo Ricci!
Enzo Ricci!
Enzo's charming, but he can't just rely on that.
We want to see what else he's got.
Watch out.
My first goal is to get through Carte Blanche without a warning.
My mic will be shaking.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen. ough Carte Blanche without a warning.