Editing Les Guignols (section)

==Impact on popular culture==
The ''Guignols'' have had a tremendous impact on [[French popular culture]], in many cases introducing or popularizing phrases. For example, ''à l'insu de mon plein gré'' ("without the knowledge of my own free will"), repeated by [[Richard Virenque]]'s puppet, is now attributed in jest to people who hypocritically deny having willfully committed attributed acts.<ref name=":0">[[Bloomberg L.P.|Bloomberg]], ''[https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=aTjN4oOCFIk4&refer=europe Segolene Is Snow White, Nicolas a Dwarf as French Satire Blooms]''</ref>

The show also went far in how violently it challenged and portrayed public figures. Some sketches displayed for example [[Raymond Barre]], a former Prime Minister in a homosexual [[gonzo pornography|gonzo pornographic]] scene, [[Philippe Séguin]] (then candidate for Paris Mayor) in [[sadomasochist]] performances,  President [[Jacques Chirac]] and his team in a ''[[Pulp Fiction (film)|Pulp Fiction]]''–like destruction race to eliminate their competitors or the then-Minister of Interior Department [[Nicolas Sarkozy]] and foreign affair minister [[Dominique de Villepin]] as head of rival criminal gangs in a [[Sin City (film)|Sin City]] and in a [[Gangs of New York]] parody. 

The show also used horror movies to spoof politicians.  President [[Jacques Chirac]] was represented as [[Leatherface]]  chasing environmentalist politicians  [[Antoine Waechter]] and [[Brice Lalonde]] in a parody of  [[The Texas Chain Saw Massacre]], as [[Jack Torrance]] in a [[The Shining (film)|Shining]] parody where he was assaulting [[Jacques Toubon]] in a bathroom with a giant fountain pen after he had read the single sentence in the book he was writing, and as [[Bruce Campbell|Ash Williams]] in a parody of [[Evil Dead]] where  a [[Kandarian Demon]] spoke with the voice of the late president [[François Mitterrand]]. President [[François Hollande]] appeared as a Catholic priest in a parody of [[The Exorcist (film)|The Exorcist]] where (then presidential candidate) [[Lionel Jospin]] was possessed by a demon. The dead were raising from their grave on Election Day to cast votes for Jean Tiberi (then Paris mayor)  in a parody of [[Night of the Living Dead]]. Environment Minister [[Ségolène Royal]] was shown as victimized by an electric car named Corinne in a parody of [[John Carpenter's Christine]]. The rival program of TF1 ''[[Le Bébête Show]]'' was spoofed in a parody of ''[[Freaks (1932 film)|Freaks]]'' in which [[Étienne Mougeotte]] (head of programming at TF1)  was captured by [[Kermitterrand]] and his friends and turned into another (duck-like) puppet for trying to cancel the show due to its low ratings. 

Besides horror movies, works by [[Quentin Tarantino]] were also parodied. One controversial parody (''[[Inglourious Basterds|Inglorious Cathos]])'' showed the [[Pope Benedict XVI]] hiring (in a scene more reminiscent of  [[The Dirty Dozen]]) a commando of 3 bishops (a paedophile, a [[Richard Williamson (bishop)|Holocaust denier]], a [[Society of Saint Pius X|radical traditional catholic]]) to fight the infidels. One [[South Park]] parody, used instead of puppets cartoon characters drawn in the style of [[Eric Cartman]] (with the voice of Philippe Séguin), [[Kyle Broflovski]] (with the voice of Nicolas Sarkozy), [[Stan Marsh]] (with the voice of [[François Bayrou]]) and [[Kenny McCormick]] (with the voice of [[Valéry Giscard d'Estaing]]). At the end of the skit, Kenny was getting killed and the other congratulated each other for doing a good thing together. The ''Guignols'' have generally displayed a left-leaning political outlook (although being tough on whoever is in power). While they generally focused on French politics, they also often riffed off of international events, a key focal point being [[United States foreign policy]] in general, including [[Osama bin Laden]], the [[Iraq]] [[Iraq War|conflict]] and [[Saddam Hussein]]. These spoofs on international events were usually presented in an anti-[[George W. Bush|Bush]] manner, portraying the fictional "World Company" (see below) as being the true leaders, not the president himself. They also regularly called out and mocked their own TV channel, [[Canal+ (French TV channel)|Canal+]], and its executive staff, especially during its 2002 crisis.

=== Political influence ===
The impact of political caricature in the ''Guignols'' is unclear, but some polls have shown that they have influenced voters.<ref name=":0" /> According to [[Ipsos]] (2002), the show had a good reach within the younger 18-32 audience segment. The popularity of Chirac's puppet has undeniably played a role in his 1995 election as Les Guignols had become a major broadcaster of biased political opinions.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2019-09-27 |title=Jacques Chirac, le Guignol |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/disparitions/article/2019/09/27/jacques-chirac-le-guignol_6013220_3382.html |access-date=2024-08-22 |language=fr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-09-26 |title=Jacques Chirac, le chef d’oeuvre des Guignols de l'Info |url=https://www.lejdd.fr/Medias/jacques-chirac-le-chef-doeuvre-des-guignols-de-linfo-3921893 |access-date=2024-08-22 |website=lejdd.fr |language=fr}}</ref> The show had created an electoral slogan for Chirac ("Mangez des pommes") that the candidate reused publicly during his campaign.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2002-03-22 |title=Présidentielle française - Le triomphe des "Guignols de l’info" |url=https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/370940/Presidentielle_francaise_-_Le_triomphe_des_%253C%253C_Guignols_de_l%2527info_%253E%253E.html |access-date=2024-08-30 |work=L'Orient Le Jour |language=fr}}</ref>

The French journalist Hugo Cassavetti criticized how the show evolved from a political goof for everyone to a partisan show with a political agenda, turning Canal+ into a leftist political hub.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Cassavetti |first=Hugo |date=2000-03-18 |title=Les Guignols de l'info, canal hystérique |url=https://www.telerama.fr/television/les-guignols-de-l-info-canal-hysterique,128845.php |access-date=2024-08-27 |website=www.telerama.fr |language=fr}}</ref> Bruno Gaccio reminded that Les Guignols "aren’t real, it’s fake news-it’s just comedy", and also said "if American audiences could get a brief dose of ''Guignol'' humor, their perceptions would never be the same again."<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Crumley |first=Bruce |date=2002-01-21 |title=No Strings Attached |url=https://time.com/archive/6952479/no-strings-attached-2/ |access-date=2024-08-30 |website=TIME |language=en}}</ref>

''Les Guignols'' created mixed reactions regarding their provocative coverage of the [[September 11 attacks]], for example when they portrayed [[Osama bin Laden]] triumphantly singing "''It’s Raining Planes''", or by depicting [[George W. Bush]] as mentally challenged. By 2002, 3.5 million viewers watched the show everyday, including 25% of the 15-25 segment.<ref name=":1" />

=== Catchphrases ===
Some catchphrases are recurrently used during the show.

* ''Le Monsieur te demande...'' (The gentleman is asking you...) loudly pronounced by the Chirac puppet  when repeating the question of the interviewer to the Giscard puppet, to suggest that he is deaf or senile. 
* ''Putain, deux ans !'' (Damn, two years!) In 1993, Balladur is prime minister, while Chirac must wait two years to run for president. His puppet keeps repeating that sentence, suggesting his impatience to become president. 
* ''à l'insu de mon plein gré'' See above. Repeated by Virenque's puppet to deny that he knew he was taking performance-enhancing drugs. 
* ''Oh oui, quelle humiliation !'' (Yes, what a great humiliation! ) Repeated by [[Philippe Séguin]]'s puppet during the run-up to the mayor election in Paris, anticipating on his defeat. 
* ''Tout à fait Thierry !'' Used by the puppet of [[Jean-Michel Larqué]] when commenting soccer matches with [[Thierry Roland]]. 
* ''Salut, Bonhomme.''  (Hello boy/lad) is used by Bernard Tapie to salute PPD. 
* ''Pt'it fromage qui pue.'' (Little stinking cheese) used by M. Sylvestre ([[Sylvester Stallone]]'s puppet) when talking of French people or when saluting PPD. 
* ''Excusez la tenue, je sors de la douche.'' (Sorry for the bathrobe, I was in the shower) Repeated by the [[Dominique Strauss-Kahn]] puppet who is always in bathrobe when doing interviews.