Groland
Encyclopedia
Fictional country
A fictional country is a country that is made up for fictional stories, and does not exist in real life, or one that people believe in without proof....
featured in various humorous programs on French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
channel Canal+
Canal+
Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...
. It is a vague parody
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
of France and of European microstates. The show associated with the country (Bienvenue au Groland).
The landlocked nation is described as a ‘presipality’ (a neologism made from "principality
Principality
A principality is a monarchical feudatory or sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a monarch with the title of prince or princess, or by a monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince....
" and "president"), and its main regions are: Upper Groland (le Groland-du-Haut), Side Groland (le Groland-de-Côté), Lower Groland (le Groland-du-bas), and Other Side Groland (Groland-de-l'Autre-Côté). The capital is Groville, the main river is the Gro, and the main prefectures are Grugny, Mufflins, Maroufle and Vichumes. The placenames, certain elements of Grolandais speech
Picard language
Picard is a language closely related to French, and as such is one of the larger group of Romance languages. It is spoken in two regions in the far north of France – Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy – and in parts of the Belgian region of Wallonia, the district of Tournai and a part of...
(e.g. the use of "ch'" instead of "le" or "la"), and the generally crass and unintelligent character of the Grolandais themselves, reflect popular stereotypes about rural northern France. Groland has the distinction of having a border with every country in the world.
The motto
Motto
A motto is a phrase meant to formally summarize the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used. The local language is usual in the mottoes of governments...
of the country is Joie, hospitalité, lâcheté ("Joy, hospitality, cowardice"). The country remained neutral during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and was famous for being a haven for soldiers on leave, with its cheap alcohol and prostitutes. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the country's leadership collaborated with the Nazi
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
occupier; the government engaged in policies of persecution and deportation of Jews and homosexuals. After American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
troops liberated the country, a sudden change of mood happened, and alleged former collaborators were murdered.
The most recent elections, the presidential, took place in 2001. There was one candidate, President Christophe Salengro; and one elector, again the president. The president was elected with 100% of the votes. President Salengro is the heir of a dynasty of feudal lords.
Groland Police and repressive forces
- Groland Police Department is known as GroPD which means approximatively big faggot in French (gros pédé).
- P.A.S.T.I.SPastisPastis is an anise-flavored liqueur and apéritif from France, typically containing 40–45% alcohol by volume, although alcohol-free varieties exist.-Origins:...
which stands for PôleArmé pour la Securite des Trains Inter Secteur - S.U.Z.ESuze (drink)Suze is a French brand of bitters flavoured with the roots of the plant gentian, normally drunk as an apéritif.-History:Suze was invented in Paris by Fernand Moureaux in 1885, but was not put on the market until 1889. It is still in production, now under the ownership of the Pernod group, although...
which stands for Section d'Urgence des Zones Electrifiées - C.A.L.V.ACalvados (spirit)Calvados is an apple brandy from the French région of Basse-Normandie or Lower Normandy.-History:Apple orchards and brewers are mentioned as far back as the 8th century by Charlemagne. The first known Norman distillation was carried out by "Lord" de Gouberville in 1554, and the guild for cider...
which stands for Centre d'Aide Logistique aux Vigiles Aggréssés - G.I.NGinGin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...
which stands for Groupe d'Intervention Neurologique - V.O.D.K.AVodkaVodka , is a distilled beverage. It is composed primarily of water and ethanol with traces of impurities and flavorings. Vodka is made by the distillation of fermented substances such as grains, potatoes, or sometimes fruits....
which stands for Volontaire pour les Operations Décérébration des Kabyles et des Arabes - C.O.G.N.A.CCognac (drink)Cognac , named after the town of Cognac in France, is a variety of brandy. It is produced in the wine-growing region surrounding the town from which it takes its name, in the French Departements of Charente and Charente-Maritime....
which stands for Commando d'Opposition Gauloise aux Negros, Arabes et Chinetoc
Groland had been the star and permanent character of a continuous news television channel, CANAL International , a clear parody of CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
, until the style of the programmed was renewed. After CNL, the tone has slightly evolved towards a parody of a famous programme once called "Aujourd'hui Madame" (Madame Today), the soundtrack of which used to be a landmark of the two-channel, state-owned French TV of the late seventies.
Since September 2008 a new visual line puts the emphasis on a collection of not-so-clean old people dancing around in home-mixed music selected by Sylvain Fusée the historical pillar-director of the programme. This visual evolution reflects a more profound come-back of the programme to its original inspiration: depicting Groland as a character who by the voice of its various and colourful citizens embodies the hidden face of the French society. This repositioning now leaves the systematic criticism of the Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy
Nicolas Sarkozy is the 23rd and current President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating the Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier....
administration to the other parody programme of Canal Plus "Les Guignols de l'info".
As per the words of the founders of Groland, Jules-Édouard Moustic and Sylvain Fusée, the programme takes its roots in two sarcastic magazines "Fluide Glacial" (Icy Fluid) and "Charlie Hebdo" (Charly Weekly) that formed the background of their typical post 68 neo leftist culture. This form of black humour that prohibits puns is the essence and the main differenciator of this programme which has no equivalent in the Paysage Audiovisuel Français (French Multimedia Landscape) also known as PAF.
A deeper scrutiny of the situations and narrative style of Groland star presenter Jules-Edouard Moustic would reveal a clear Rabelais influence in Groland. The special reports convey a permanent allegory
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
of alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
and food as well as an omnipresence of all aspects of both digestive and reproductive functions. The images, visual line (by Jérôme Letué) and soundtrack are carefully crafted to depict the Groland characters as driven by greed
Greed
Greed is an excessive desire to possess wealth, goods, or abstract things of value with the intention to keep it for one's self. Greed is inappropriate expectation...
and luxury.
Notable Groland citizens:
- President Salengro;
- News anchor Jules-Édouard Moustic;
- Journalist Francis Kuntz;
- Former investigative journalist Michael Kael
Notable honorary Groland citizens:
- José BovéJosé BovéJoseph Bové is a French farmer and syndicalist, member of the alter-globalization movement, and spokesman for Via Campesina. He was one of the twelve official candidates in the 2007 French presidential election...
syndicalist and altermondialist; - Valérie LemercierValérie LemercierValérie Lemercier is a French actress, scriptwriter, director and singer.-Biography:Born in Dieppe, Seine-Maritime as the daughter of farmers, she grew up in Gonzeville and then studied at the Rouen Conservatoire - a dance, music and drama school. Lemercier made her screen debut in 1988, in the...
; Aki KaurismäkiAki Kaurismäki-Career:After studying Media Studies at the University of Tampere, Aki Kaurismäki started his career as a co-director in the films of his elder brother Mika Kaurismäki. His debut as an independent director was Crime and Punishment , Dostoyevsky's famous crime story set in modern-day Helsinki...
; - Noël GodinNoël GodinNoël Godin is a Belgian writer, critic, actor and notorious cream pie flinger or entarteur. Godin gained global attention in 1998 when his group ambushed Microsoft CEO Bill Gates in Brussels, pelting the software magnate with cream pies...
; - The puppet of Jacques ChiracJacques ChiracJacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
from the Canal+ show Les Guignols de l'infoLes Guignols de l'infoLes Guignols de l'info is a satirical latex puppet show broadcast on Canal+, a French subscription-based television channel. Hosted by a puppet facsimile of TF1 news anchor Patrick Poivre d'Arvor, Les Guignols is similar to the 1984–1996 British show Spitting Image...
; - Yannick Jolin; and
- Michael MooreMichael MooreMichael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
.
External links
- Groland on Canal Plus
- Théodocle Fion Groland Citizen and Philosopher