For many years now a charity song has been recorded to raise money for Les Restos de Coeur, by a group of popular singers calling itself Les Enfoirées. My dictionary translates this as "bastards" or "tossers" and this year's song "Toute la vie" has become embroiled in a polemic about its "reactionary" lyrics, so "old bastards" might be more appropriate.
In a kind of generational dialogue the song highlights divergences of attitudes between younger people and the senior generations on matters such as unemployment and environment and somewhat controversially suggests that younger people are not motivated enough to seek work opprtunities and they in turn blame the oldies for the state of the economy and despoiling the environment.
The row has dominated many internet sites and forums, but a sondage suggests that 84% of people questioned defended Les Enfoirées , even if far fewer actually liked the song. "It's in a good cause" seemed to be the excuse.
comments to taglines82@gmail.com
