Posted on 01/28/2006 1:08:09 PM PST by billorites
French President Jacques Chirac thought he had taken a call on Friday from the new Canadian prime minister - but found himself the victim of a radio hoax.
The pair of hoaxers, known as the Masked Avengers, rang the Elysee Palace from their base in Montreal.
Mr Chirac congratulated the caller he thought was Conservative leader Stephen Harper on winning Monday's election.
When impersonator Marc-Antoine Audette finally gave his true identity, the president burst out laughing.
Thick accent
Audette and his partner in crime Sebastien Trudel work for the CKOI station, Canada's most popular with more than one million listeners.
| You can't prevent newspapers from saying any old stuff Jacques Chirac |
Audette said: "It was the first time Sebastien and me had spoken to a head of state."
As Mr Harper and Mr Chirac had yet to speak, "We said, why not, we'll give it a go and we're delighted that it worked," Audette said.
Mr Chirac began by saying: "I would like to offer my congratulations for your election victory. We have excellent relations and I'm sure they'll carry on in the best spirit."
Audette, in a deliberately thick French-Canadian accent, then complained that French newspapers had portrayed him in a bad light.
Mr Chirac responded: "You can't prevent newspapers from saying any old stuff. That's true in France and it's true in Canada."
"Exactly Mr President, liberty, equality and fraternity. Amen," said Audette.
Mr Chirac, 73, then invited "Mr Harper" to visit France.
When the gag was revealed, the president laughed, saying: "Oh right, I understand. In any case, please know that my friendship for Canada and the new Conservative government is a real and unequivocal friendship."
The hoaxers have in the past targeted Tiger Woods, Bono, Donald Trump, Paul McCartney and Janet Jackson.
Fidel was P.O'd!
I remember that. It was absolutely hillarious!
long shot.. anyone have audio files of that? i'd love to hear it (if it is in english)
Well, say what we will about Chirac, at least we have to give him credit for having much more of a sense of humor than Fidel. :-)
Spot on.
My sense of humor is the last thing I would ever want to lose.
I remember DJs in Boston a long time got Don King on and he thought it was Mike Tyson. That was a good one. The same guys got Monica Lewinsky's mother's phone number. She got pretty pi**ed off too. Good stuff.
Although he is an appeasement monkey, he did handle this well and with good humor. The castro call was far better.
Hey, the guy's got a sense of humor..who knew.
Just proved Jacky Chiracy was human afterall and that turnabout is fair play.
The Canadian satire show This Hour Has 22 Minutes had one of their "reporters" at a W appearance in Michigan, IIRC, and they told the then-Texas govenor that "you got the endorsement of Canadian PM Poutine". Poutine is "a popular snack consisting of french fries topped with fresh cheese curds and covered with hot gravy." Maybe he was half-listening and thought the man said "Chretien", but he complimented
PM "Poutine". ouch!
I had a better sense of humor than Fidel.
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