La France énervée

'ça m'énerve!' – la chanson d'Helmut Fritz est de toute évidence le tube de l'été 2009. Toutes générations confondues, mes amis me la passent en boucle. Et même si le morceau ne restera pas de toute évidence dans les annales de la musique, il présente des qualités formelles – rythme & énergie, qui le rendent propre à secouer les dance-floors des Français en vacances, du Touquet à Calvi.

Mais aussi, et surtout, les paroles présentent (pour une fois) un semblant d'intérêt. En effet, mi-apologétique mi-critique des excès de la culture du luxe et du clubbing, à savoir le triangle d'or Montaigne (l'avenue) – La Boëtie (la rue) – l'Etoile (la place), Helmut Fritz surfe sur la tendance la plus pointue du moment : le ras-le-bol des Français. Ras-le-bol de ne pas pouvoir aller où on veut ('vous avez réservé?'), ras-le-bol de devoir payer un max pour tout - divertissements, fringues, bouffe-, ras-le-bol de se voir édicter des critères de beauté ou de look inaccessibles...Avec Helmut Fritz, la 'France d'en-bas' se rebelle pendant l'été...en attendant une vraie révolution cet automne?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq6l-YGBwXo

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'ça m'énerve!' – Helmut Fritz's song is obviously the hit in France this summer. All ages together, my friends play it loop. Even if the song will not make it in music anthologies, its formal qualities – rythm and energy, allow for a good dance-floor filler, from Le Touquet to Calvi.
But also, the lyrics show some appeal. Indeed, half-criticising half-revering the luxury culture landmarked by Montaigne (the avenue) – Boëtie (the street) – Etoile (the square), Helmut Fritz is echoing the penultimate trend in France at the moment : the fact that the French are fed-up - 'énervés' - with everything. Fed-up to be unable to go anywhere they want to ('Have you booked?'), fed-up to have to pay a mint for anything - entertainment, clothes, food -, fed-up to be dictated ridiculous look criteria...With Helmut Fritz, the French rebel during the Summer...before a proper revolution this Autumn?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq6l-YGBwXo

Facebook sucks...and you too, my friend

"In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes." once said Andy Warhol. Did the visionary producer and artist anticipate which form this fame would have? Probably not, he most likely imagined we would all be on telly...Actually, Facebook has made this true, in a much better way, as we can choose how we appear to the world, posting our best shots on the beach, at a party, at work, choosing to be witty or funny, boring or practical, enthusiast or giving lessons...and surely promoting ourselves, consistently, regularly, obstinately.
While being a star on telly requires to show my best angle to the sunlights, and to be there when it happens, with Facebook, I can create the event whenever it suits me. Today, tomorrow, or next week...But, as for television and other media, communication creates an overflow of images, words and sounds, so to be heard/seen, I have to overexpose myself – more pics, more clever notes, more amusing remarks...in fact, the more I'm a clown, the better. There's very little room, if any, for that picky thought that may not please all of my (numerous) friends.

So, in the end, instead of communicating, most of us just produce a logorrhea of words and images, saying 'look how cool/beautiful/funny/ clever...I am, guys.' A bit like in high-school, when we were so worried about the opinion our peers would have...instead of widening our perspective, Facebook makes it just as narrow as a teenager's world. This s**ks! And you too, my Facebook friend, because after all, I don't give a damn about your comment, I just want to expose myself. Is that communication?