Charity and Political Protest in French Popular Music

Genre, gender and the Republic: Televising the annual charity concert Les Enfoirés

“…Les Enfoirés contributes towards what commentators have identified as the well-established association between mainstream culture and mediatised charity initiatives and events such as charity singles and benefit concerts (Lebrun 2005: 436–7; Robinson, 2012: 407). As Barbara Lebrun observes, concerts produced within a more alternative music scene (e.g.…”

“…As Barbara Lebrun observes, concerts produced within a more alternative music scene (e.g. Liberté de Circulation in support of illegal immigrants in France) are not necessarily conducive to raising money and awareness (2005: 436). Les Enfoirés also continues the enduring relationship in France between the mass media and humanitarian causes exemplified by the support given by L’Illustration newspaper to Guadeloupe following an earthquake in 1843 (Lavoinne, 2002: 59-62) or by the famous radio appeal against homelessness and poverty made by the Catholic priest the Abbé Pierre in 1954 (Lavoinne, 2002: 67–8).…”

“…Where academic accounts are concerned, mediatised charity initiatives and events in general have been associated with arousing emotions, especially pity, compassion and hope, while simplifying, de-contextualising and de-politicising the causes that they seek to promote (Driessens et al, 2012; Carlet and Séca, 2005; Lavoinne, 2002; Lebrun, 2005). Moreover, Driessens et al describe celebrity participants as exclusive, glamorous and motivational figures who serve to commodify charity and ‘inject the distant suffering of others with a substantial amount of local relevance’ (2012: 717).…”

“…Moreover, Driessens et al describe celebrity participants as exclusive, glamorous and motivational figures who serve to commodify charity and ‘inject the distant suffering of others with a substantial amount of local relevance’ (2012: 717). Commentaries focusing more specifically on the Enfoirés concerts have highlighted the diversity of performers in terms of gender, generation, ethnicity and profession (Lebrun, 2005) and a sense of solidarity, unanimity and consensus (Carlet and Séca, 2005; Lavoinne, 2002; Lebrun, 2005). Drawing on television archive research carried out at the French broadcasting archives (Inathèque, Paris), this article also argues that the Enfoirés concerts need to be situated in terms of variétés , a longstanding television genre, as well as ongoing debates concerning the representation of gender and Republican identities on French television.…”

“… 11. For further discussion of métissage in popular music, see Lebrun (2005: 443), and Lebrun (2009). …”