Paris (AFP)

Sexism, "LGBTIphobia", "grossophobia" and "racist sequences" punctuate "Les Grosses tête", RTL's emblematic daily show, says the association of lesbian bi trans and intersex (AJL) gay journalists in a study published on Tuesday counting precisely these About a month.

The results are "bitter" for the AJL, which indicates to have noted in particular "159 sexist remarks, 66 homophobic and transphobic statements, 51 racist statements, 29 grossophobic statements" after a month of listening to Big Heads, a humorous program created in 1977 by Philippe Bouvard.

"Each program contains, on average, 19 discriminating remarks. Sexist statements hold the upper hand since they are present in all the programs", details the AJL whose study was carried out between September 21 and October 23 2020.

The show, hosted by Laurent Ruquier since 2014, brings together a team of columnists and recreates, according to the AJL, "the pattern of playground harassment (...) where insults and discrimination are constantly encouraged against goats. emissaries appointed. All under the pretext of humor ".

Asked by AFP, RTL indicated that Laurent Ruquier did not wish to speak on the subject, the group specifying to have "confidence in the judgment of [its] listeners".

According to the association of LGBTI journalists, "the presentation of the columnists, from the first seconds of the show, gives the + the + of sexist, racist, homophobic remarks" through a "gallery of stereotypical portraits" .

"+ Housewife +, + fucking +, + too fat + or + too ugly +, + stupid +: women are constantly targeted there because of their gender", says the AJL.

The association also denounces the presence of "grossophobic" remarks affecting "both men and women", those trivializing "rape, crimes, sexual violence and child crime" in "nearly one in two programs".

She finally indicates that in around 80% of the broadcasts, she noted "LGBTIphobic" remarks, despite the presence of three "openly gay" columnists, and racist remarks, "mainly on Roma, Romanians and Asians" or on "foreign names, especially African-sounding".

"Les Grosses Têtes cannot be exempted from their media responsibility in the propagation of hate speech" in view of its audience, estimated at "more than two million listeners".

"The justification of the + good bunch of friends + cannot hold up," says AJL.

The CSA will "look closely at this study" - which it "obtained" without having been seized - in "the next few days", its president, Roch-Olivier Maistre, said on Tuesday during a hearing by the Cultural Affairs Committee of the National Assembly.

The fight against discrimination on the airwaves and the antennas "is an important theme for us" underlined Mr. Maistre, recalling the heavy "sanction" inflicted on C8 and its owner, the Canal + group, after a hoax deemed homophobic in the program "Touche pas à mon poste", three years ago.

This fine, of 3 million euros, was "confirmed" at the end of September by the Council of State, recalled the president of the CSA, who answered a question of the deputy LFI Michel Larive.

© 2020 AFP