Rémi Gaillard
![]() | This article needs additional citations for verification. (May 2017) |
Rémi Gaillard | |
---|---|
![]() Gaillard in 2011 | |
Born | Montpellier, France | 7 February 1975
Occupation | Prankster |
Years active | 1999–present |
Website | nimportequi |
Rémi Gaillard (French pronunciation: [ʁemi ɡajaʁ]; born 7 February 1975 in Montpellier, France) is a French prankster. Well-known for his videos on YouTube, his channel is the 91st most subscribed comedy channel on YouTube with more than 7.2 million subscribers as of September 2021.[1]
After losing his job at a shoe store and leaving Preston Manor School, Rémi began to use his free time to run pranks on the public.[2] Gaillard gained attention in the French media after performing a series of pranks, including an appearance disguised as a Lorient football player in the 2002 Coupe de France final match, during which he took part in the winners' celebrations and was greeted by then president of the French Republic, Jacques Chirac. He plays football non-professionally, and has posted numerous trick shot videos, including one with Brazilian footballer Ronaldo.
Gaillard has appeared in several sports events, TV game shows and political rallies as well as the 2011 Banksy-produced documentary, The Antics Roadshow.
Concept[]
Rémi Gaillard became known for his videos, in which he displays an "outrageous" style of humour.[3] Recurring themes include dressing up as and interpreting the behaviour of various animals in public, racing unsuspecting car-drivers whilst dressed up as Mario à la Mario Kart, and numerous provocative interactions with parking enforcement officers and the police.
Gaillard's satirical motto is C'est en faisant n'importe quoi qu'on devient n'importe qui whose literal meaning is "It is by doing whatever that we become whoever". The understood meaning is satirical because "n'importe quoi" implies doing something ridiculous and "n'importe qui" implies no one important. It plays on a classic French proverb C'est en forgeant qu'on devient forgeron. Literally translated the proverb reads, "It is by smithing that one becomes a blacksmith".
Sketches[]
The majority of Gaillard's sketches are of the hidden camera type, often disguising himself in outlandish costumes for his pranks. In some videos, Gaillard is accompanied by a crowd of friends, giving the action a flashmob-like nature.
Gaillard shot his first sketch in 1999 with a friend in Montpellier, and in 2001, he launched his website nimportequi.com.[4]
He gained fame in 2002 at the finals of the Coupe de France.[citation needed]
He achieved further YouTube popularity through his Rocky Balboa parodies, Pac-Man, Mario Kart and Santa Claus pranks, as well as his football videos. His recent pranks often entail dressing up in large animal costumes; including a kangaroo and a bat. He has also dressed up as a bomb and a Traffic enforcement camera, and has stayed locked in an animal cage for 87 hours to raise funds for animal shelters.
On his official site, Gaillard claims over 2.5 billion views on his videos on the web.[5] His YouTube channel has 1.8 billion total views and his most popular YouTube video, "Kangaroo", has 90 million views.[6]
In 2010, English comedian Dom Joly claimed that some of Gaillard's sketches plagiarize from Joly's show, Trigger Happy TV,[7] as shown by YouTube channel CopyComic in December 2017.[8] Gaillard responded by demonstrating that many of Dom Joly's own pranks may have equally been plagiarized from his own work as well as the work of other comedians including Buster Keaton.[9]
Movie[]
Gaillard starred in his first full-length feature film titled N'importe qui. It was directed by Raphaël Frydman and released on March 5, 2014, in France.
See also[]
References[]
- ^ "Remi Gaillard'S YouTube Stats (Summary)". SocialBlade. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
- ^ "Rémi Gaillard". Retrieved June 23, 2021.
- ^ Champenois, Sabrina (February 11, 2009). "Rémi Gaillard : Farce de frappe". écrans.fr.
- ^ "Rémi Gaillard". Retrieved January 26, 2021.
- ^ "Rémi Gaillard". Retrieved May 6, 2011.
- ^ Kangaroo (Rémi Gaillard) on YouTube
- ^ Joly, Dom (August 7, 2010). "Dom Joly: I am the victim of a dastardly art heist". The Independent. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
- ^ "#CopyComic - Rémi Gaillard". Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
- ^ "F*ck the Media (Rémi Gaillard)". Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
External links[]
- 1975 births
- Mass media people from Montpellier
- Living people
- French humorists
- Pranksters
- Freestyle footballers
- French YouTubers
- French male writers
- Male YouTubers