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{{short description|French-Canadian comedy website}}
'''Têtes à claques''' is a humour website created on ] ]. Over one million clips are watched per day, making the website one of the most popular in ].
{{about|the series of short videos|the TV adaptation ''Au pays des Têtes à claques''|Knuckleheads}}
{{Use Canadian English|date=January 2023}}
{{more footnotes needed|date=April 2021}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{See Wiktionary||tête à claques|phrase}}
{{Infobox website
| name = Tête à claques
| logo = Tetes a claques.jpg
| screenshot =
| caption =
| url = {{URL|tetesaclaques.tv}}
| commercial =
| type = Humour website
| language = French<br />English<br />Spanish
| registration =
| owner = ]
| author = Michel Beaudet
| launch_date = 16 August 2006
| current_status = active
| revenue =
}}
]


'''Têtes à claques''' ({{IPA|fr|tɛtza klak}}) is a French-language humour website created on 16 August 2006. Over one million short videos are watched per day, making it one of the most popular francophone websites in ] (and eventually Canada as a whole).<ref name="Foire aux questions">{{cite web | author=Michel Beaudet | year=2007 | language=French | title=FAQ | work=tetesaclaques.tv | url=http://www.tetesaclaques.tv/faq.php | access-date=8 January 2007 | url-status=live | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070107195825/http://www.tetesaclaques.tv/faq.php | archive-date=7 January 2007 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> As of December 2017, 290 videos had been created. The most popular of these include ''Le pilote,'' ''Le Willi Waller,'' and ''Halloween.''
The creator, ], has expressed surprise at the popularity of his site, and has said it has reached a size he would never have dreamed of.


The creator, Michel Beaudet, has expressed surprise at the popularity of his site, saying it has reached an audience he never anticipated.
== Description ==
The characters are all sculpted from ], and are fairly simplistic. Michel Beaudet creates the figures himself, and ] the moving eyes and mouth on their faces using a computer.


In 2010, ] picked up the English version of Têtes à claques and began broadcasting it under the name TAC.
The site has also become very popular in ], not only because of the intentional humour and wit, but also because of the ] accent, which differs widely from the accent used in France.


In January 2016, the second version of the English series, now titled '']'', got its premiere on ]. It was partly remastered to make jokes understandable for an English-speaking audience (for example, the Prime Minister was made similar to ]).
Work is underway to convert the ''Têtes à claques'' to formats viewable on ] and ]s.

The clips are produced by Salambo Productions, a company Beaudet formed in order to capitalize on the success of Têtes à claques.

==Description==
The skits feature characters sculpted from ] that are fairly simplistic. Michel Beaudet creates the figures himself, by ] his own moving eyes, mouth, and sometimes nose on their faces with a computer. In addition, Beaudet has a set of fake, grotesque teeth, which he puts in while his face is being filmed. The phrase ''tête à claques'' translates loosely as "a face so dumb, you want to slap it".<!-- Don't change this to a more literal translation which loses the sense of the term or why it applies here. "A head to hit" for example is a word for word translation, but it doesn't make sense or give the reader any idea of what it means or why it's relevant. -->

The site has also become very popular in France, not only because of the intentional humour and wit, but also because of a stereotypical ]. This differs greatly from pronunciations used in France, and thus provides its own humour, in addition to the frequent anglicisms (English words or expressions inserted into speech).


==History== ==History==
Beaudet has said that "Têtes à Claques was an accident." He was originally trying to make a series using ], but quickly discovered that "90% of the time it takes to animate is moving the eyes and mouth." He tried doing it the regular way, but because he was "too lazy" he decided to film his own face and superimpose his eyes and mouth on the ]. Beaudet has said that "Têtes à claques was an accident". Previously a professional advertiser, he wanted to create an educational program for children by making animals using modelling clay. These animals would have described their lives, their natural habitats, and other information, interspersed with some childish gags. Beaudet says he quickly discovered that "90% of the time it takes to animate is spent moving the eyes and mouth." He tried doing it by hand, but because he was "too lazy", he decided to record his own face and superimpose his eyes and mouth on the ]s. He began by making frogs and had fun making them fart in water. After he showed the results to his friends and relatives, they were more amused by the farting frogs than by the original idea.

From late 2007 to 2010, Beaudet received offers from telephone companies and television stations. Incidentally, the first offer was from a French, not Canadian company. The popularity of the show surged to the point that Beaudet employed two other people, video editor Simon Parizeau and artistic director Hugo Caron, to help with the production at his home in ].

On 1 February 2007, Têtes à claques announced a partnership with ] to provide videos and other media on ], ], and ] services.<ref name="Bell">{{cite web | year=2007 | title=Bell Canada first to give Canadians a laugh with the Têtes à claques phenomenon | url=http://www.cnw.ca/fr/releases/archive/February2007/01/c3599.html | access-date=1 February 2007 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070510231615/http://www.cnw.ca/fr/releases/archive/February2007/01/c3599.html | archive-date=10 May 2007 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> The same year, they also signed a deal with the American company ] and produced several clips for their candy brand Vertigo.<ref>{{cite web|title=Têtes à claques: Michel Beaudet: têtes à succès |url=https://voir.ca/societe/2007/10/18/tetes-a-claques-michel-beaudet-tetes-a-succes/ |publisher=voir.ca |date=18 October 2007 |accessdate=14 October 2019 |language=fr |trans-title=Tetes a Claques: Michel Beaudet: Successful heads}}</ref> A series of figurines, sweaters, and accessories with Têtes à claques images went on sale on Beaudet's official site. A clip titled ''Le chien'' (The dog) was created in partnership with the Quebec-based ].

In June 2007, the animators listed a Body Toner Platinum Edition, a Willi Waller 2006, and an LCD shovel 2007 on eBay. These items, popularized by some of the best-known clips on the site, were intended to raise funds for the ], a prominent pediatric centre in Quebec.

In October 2007, Têtes à claques started pre-sales of its Region 1 DVDs. Volume 1 includes the first 45 clips, the history of Têtes à claques, character bios, and English, Quebec French, and international French subtitles.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://boutique.tetesaclaques.tv/Default.aspx?tabid=54&CategoryID=0&List=0&SortField=DateCreated+DESC%2cProductName&Level=a&ProductID=44|title = Boutique Têtes à claques DVD-Volume 1|author = Têtes à claques|access-date = 16 October 2007
|language = fr|url-status = live|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071023052742/http://boutique.tetesaclaques.tv/Default.aspx?tabid=54&CategoryID=0&List=0&SortField=DateCreated+DESC%2cProductName&Level=a&ProductID=44|archive-date = 23 October 2007}}</ref> Volume 2 was released on 21 October 2008. In addition to the subsequent 45 clips from the series, the DVD contains supplementary material such as a documentary on the history of the series titled Têtes à claques: une histoire "unbelievable" (Têtes à claques: an "unbelievable" story), a clip created for the 40th birthday of singer Celine Dion, deleted scenes, and others. Volume 3 was released on 1 December 2009 with the next 45 clips, and Volume 4 came out on 1 March 2011.

In 2017, new videos were released on the site titled ''Ne Paniquez Pas, Restez Calme'', and later in English as ''Don't Panic. Stay Calm'', in which they parody educational videos instructing people on how to act in life-threatening situations.
The same year, a set of older Têtes à claques videos dubbed in Spanish appeared on the site under the name ''Los Caraculo'' (The buttfaces).

In September 2019, Beaudet released a teaser trailer for a new series he had created, titled '']'' (The Bizarre Stories of Professor Zarbi), featuring the eponymous Professor Zarbi, specialist in occult and paranormal phenomena, who together with his young neighbour and assistant Benjamin takes part in incredible adventures. Each episode runs for 30 minutes.
Beaudet maintains that his team has refined their animation methods compared to Têtes à claques by using software from ]. According to Beaudet, "This allows us to create much more spectacular and fluid animations".<ref>{{cite web|title=Les Têtes à claques sont toujours bien vivantes |url=https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2019/09/09/les-tetes-a-claques-sont-toujours-bien-vivantes-1 |publisher=journaldemontreal.com |date=9 September 2019 |accessdate=14 October 2019 |language=fr |trans-title=Tetes a claques are alive and well}}</ref>

==English versions==
On 14 August 2008, the beta version of the new bilingual "Têtes à claques" website was launched. Beaudet has recently admitted that making English versions of the comedy shorts is in his "game plan".<ref name="English">{{cite web| author=Montreal Gazette| year=2008| title=Now in Hinglish| url=http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/arts/story.html?id=e820f5f8-4c6a-48ab-b36f-f66b974a8b8d| access-date=16 August 2008| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080817014043/http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/arts/story.html?id=e820f5f8-4c6a-48ab-b36f-f66b974a8b8d| archive-date=17 August 2008| df=dmy-all}}</ref>

The first English version of most dialogues is interpreted by Canadian voiceover actor ], best known for the PBS series '']''. Dinsmore was chosen by Beaudet because he was similar to him in many ways, from his looks to his eyes, so the main difference between the versions would be language. Beaudet still performs the voices of some of the characters (Captain Cooper, Raoul, and a fast food drive-through worker). The shorts were reanimated and translated to English for better humour and quality for English-speaking audiences; for example, the Super Bol has been reanimated and renamed to Beat the Buzzer. Mondo Media picked up the show under the name TAC.TV. Also, ''Le Willi Waller'' sketches have the products renamed because the episodes were produced later than when the product was made (for example, Willi Waller 2006 becomes the Willi Waller Gold Edition and the LCD Shovel 2007 becomes the LCD Shovel Full HD because it was produced in 2008, later than 2006). Some fans have complained that the jokes are meaningless since one of the main purposes of the series is to poke fun of the Quebecois accent, which the English version does not replicate. Others have appreciated the humour in the translated jokes.

The second English version, entitled Knuckleheads, feature remastered versions of full 22-minute Têtes à claques episodes (most of them now animated with ] and ]). Canadian actor Joe Cobden interpreted all of the dialogue and has played nearly all of the characters in each cartoon. This English version was developed by Toronto-based playwright Bobby Theodore. Just like TAC.tv, Knuckleheads made several edits and changes in order to make jokes understandable for English-speaking audiences. They also made numerous name changes, such as the famous character Uncle Tom, whose name was changed to Uncle Ted (possibly to avoid any racial issues). The series finally premiered on ] in January 2016, making it the first time Têtes à claques aired on English-speaking television.

==Criticism and controversy==
On 12 November 2006, Beaudet appeared on the Quebec television show '']'' (Everyone's Talking About It) hosted by ]. He noted many employers have blocked access to the site because it has become so popular that workers were watching it during the day. Numerous schools across ] have blocked it as well, mostly for its use of mature language and profanity.

In 2006, the clip ''So sexy'' was banned from the site due to copyright infringement for using the song "]" by ]. The clip could still be viewed elsewhere on the internet.

In April 2007, the organization Québec Pluriel deemed the clip ''Le Cannibale'' racist.<ref>{{cite web|title=Québec Pluriel passe à l'action |url=https://ici.radio-canada.ca/arts-spectacles/PlusArts/2007/05/04/007-claques-plainte.asp |publisher=Radio Canada |date=4 May 2007 |accessdate=14 October 2019 |language=fr |trans-title=Québec Pluriel takes action}}</ref> Monique, a character from the clip, nicknames one of the cannibals ], an ironic nod to the African slave whose life was the subject of the ] ] and TV miniseries '']''. Following this, Michel Beaudet stated that he had no racist intentions and justified the choice of name as purely humorous.{{Citation needed|date=May 2024}}

==Partial list of original characters in French==
{{div col}}
* Raoul Robidoux
* Lucien and Monique
* Morin and Monette
* Uncle Tom
* Natacha
* Captain Pichette
* The co-pilot
* Gabriel and Samuel
* Les ti-papoutes
* Jimmy and Réjean
* Yvon
* Gaétan
* Turcotte
* Marcel and Roger
* Jack Curtis
* Carole and Ginette
{{div col end}}

{{Navbox
|navbar = plain
|state = collapsed
|titlestyle = background:Lightblue;
|title=Complete list of Têtes à Claques shorts
|liststyle = text-align:left;
|list1=<div>
<br />
'''I. TAC SHORTS'''<br />
<br />
01. Les grenouilles <br />
02. SuperBol Part 1 <br />
03. On sort Part 1 <br />
04. Top Gun <br />
05. Le Taliban <br />
06. Le juge <br />
07. Le VJ Part 1 <br />
08. La photo Disney <br />
09. Le boxeur Part 1 <br />
10. La secrétaire <br />
xx. So Sexy ''(Withdrawn due to violations of copyright for use of the song ‘I'm Too Sexy’ by Right Said Fred)''<br />
11. Les martiens <br />
12. Wow minute <br />
13. La voyante <br />
14. Le cauchemar <br />
15. Les ti-papoutes <br />
16. Le pilote Part 1 <br />
17. La visite <br />
18. Les Vikings <br />
19. On sort Part 2 <br />
20. Le lapin <br />
21. Le camping <br />
22. La présentation <br />
23. Les ti-papoutes au zoo <br />
24. Le Willi Waller 2006 <br />
25. Halloween Part 1 <br />
26. Les orignaux <br />
27. L'anniversaire <br />
28. La police <br />
29. On sort Part 3 <br />
30. Les cadeaux de Noël <br />
31. Le pilote Part 2 <br />
32. Le père Noël Part 1 <br />
33. Bonne année 2007 <br />
34. Move your body <br />
35. La pénalité <br />
36. Le LCD shovel 2007 <br />
37. SuperBol Part 2 <br />
38. On sort Part 4 <br />
39. Le ski <br />
40. Capitaine Kung Fu Part 1 <br />
41. Le VJ Part 2 <br />
42. Le cannibale <br />
43. Le politicien Part 1 <br />
44. L'embuscade <br />
45. Le pilote Part 3 <br />
46. Le gars de Boston Part 1 <br />
47. La cabane à sucre <br />
48. Le chien <br />
49. Le Body Toner <br />
50. Le docteur <br />
51. Les scouts <br />
52. La prise d'otage Part 1 <br />
53. On sort Part 5 <br />
54. Recordman <br />
55. Paris <br />
56. Le mariage <br />
57. La réception <br />
58. La commande à l'auto <br />
59. Miss Québec Super Body <br />
60. La rentrée <br />
61. La prise d'otage Part 2 <br />
62. On accouche <br />
63. Le Easy Storing System <br />
64. Les douanes <br />
65. La chasse <br />
66. Le western <br />
67. On sort Part 6 <br />
68. Halloween Part 2 <br />
69. Le vestiaire <br />
70. Le vendeur de char <br />
71. Le chip au ketchup <br />
72. Doc nature Part 1 <br />
73. La parade de Noël <br />
74. La crèche <br />
75. Bonne année 2008 <br />
76. Les survivants Part 1 <br />
77. Le mammouth <br />
78. Le football <br />
79. Les joies de l’hiver Part 1 <br />
80. La St-Valentin Part 1 <br />
81. L’oeuf <br />
82. L’ambulance <br />
83. Les survivants Part 2 <br />
84. Le génie Part 1 <br />
85. La bibliothèque <br />
86. Dans le sud <br />
87. On déménage <br />
88. L’histoire de Jerry <br />
89. La rue bloquée <br />
90. Les survivants Part 3 <br />
91. Capitaine Kung Fu Part 2 <br />
92. Le golf <br />
93. Le boxeur Part 2 <br />
94. Le Shih Tzu <br />
95. Le Gros Prix <br />
96. La pêche <br />
97. La poursuite <br />
98. La Saint-Jean <br />
99. Nascar <br />
100. Le prix du gaz <br />
101. La natation ''(Clip created in honor of the 2008 Olympic Summer Games)''<br />
102. Le 100 mètres ''(Clip created in honor of the 2008 Olympic Summer Games)''<br />
103. La lutte <br />
104. Unbelievalbe Success <br />
105. À l'école <br />
106. La médium <br />
107. Le Toaster <br />
108. Brandon Spy Part 1 <br />
109. Le politicien Part 2 <br />
110. Galaxy One Part 1 <br />
111. Les élections U.S. <br />
112. Terreur Internationale <br />
113. Doc nature Part 2 <br />
114. Powerman <br />
115. Le mécanicien <br />
116. Le confessionnal <br />
117. Brandon Spy Part 2 <br />
118. Le sondage <br />
119. Le party de bureau <br />
120. Le pére Noël Part 2 <br />
121. Bonne année 2009 <br />
122. Le Rhume <br />
123. Galaxy One Part 2 <br />
124. La St-Valentin Part 2 <br />
125. Le génie Part 2 <br />
126. La pièce d'identité <br />
127. Les joies de l'hiver Part 2 <br />
128. La bataille <br />
129. Les retrouvailles <br />
130. Le cabanon <br />
131. Le GPS <br />
132. Galaxy One Part 3 <br />
133. Le cabanon Part 2 <br />
134. Galaxy One Part 4 <br />
135. Les pirates <br />
136. Les autruches <br />
137. Unbelievable Success Part 2 <br />
138. Le stand de limonade <br />
139. Le speed dating <br />
140. Le barbecue <br />
141. Les joies de l'été <br />
142. Aux glissades d'eau <br />
143. Le club vidéo <br />
144. Tarzan <br />
145. La cafétéria <br />
146. L'homme-canon <br />
147. Le vol <br />
148. Le répondeur <br />
149. Le lifting <br />
150. Les canards <br />
151. On sort Part 7 <br />
152. Halloween Part 3 <br />
153. Spread the Joy <br />
154. Mime en folie <br />
155. L'hypnotiseur <br />
156. Le virus <br />
157. Le pet shop <br />
158. La guignolée <br />
159. Le sapin de Noël <br />
160. Bonne année 2010 <br />
161. La résolution <br />
162. Le cross-check <br />
163. La fraude <br />
164. L'ours <br />
165. Le fleuriste <br />
166. Le bobsleigh <br />
167. La quarantaine <br />
168. Les diapositives <br />
169. Le plombier <br />
170. Les nids de poule <br />
171. Le poisson d'Avril <br />
172. L'exterminateur <br />
173. La commotion <br />
174. La grotte <br />
175. La base secrète <br />
176. Les pandas <br />
177. La répétition <br />
178. Le soutien technique <br />
179. La cabane <br />
180. Le coiffeur <br />
181. Le terrain privé <br />
182. Les mouffettes <br />
:'''<nowiki>Note:</nowiki>'''
:Shorts 01-90 filmed in Standard Definition with a 4:3 (1.33:1) Aspect Ratio
:Shorts 91 and up filmed in High Definition with a 16:9 (1.78:1) Aspect Ratio

'''II. TAC BONUS SHORTS''' ''(available as Extras at the TAC website)''<br />
<br />
B01. Gala les Olivier 2007 <br />
B02. KARV l'anti-gala 2007 <br />
B03. Cécile et Johnny Boy ''(Originally available as an exclusive Extra on the TAC Volume 1 DVD)''<br />
B04. Le gars de Boston Part 2 ''(Created in support of the HABS at the 2008 NHL Playoffs)''<br />
B05. La femme pigeon ''(Created for Quebec’s cousins in France, in honor of French cinema)''<br />
B06. Napoléon le magnifique ''(Created for Quebec’s cousins in France, in honor of French cinema)''<br />
B07. Un amerloque chez les gendarmes ''(Created for Quebec’s cousins in France, based on French cinema's "Gendarmes de St-Tropez" series)''<br />
B08. C’est la fête à Cèline ''(Created as a gift to Quebec singer Celine Dion on her 40th Birthday, currently available as an exclusive Extra on the TAC Volume 2 DVD)''<br />
B09. Le laboratoire ''(Created with TAC's friends The Raving Rabbids)''<br />
B10. La drague ''(Created with TAC's friends The Raving Rabbids)''<br />
B11. Le Pilote - Remix ''(Created with TAC's friends The Raving Rabbids)''<br />
B12. Bonne fête Val-d'Or <br />
<br />
:'''<nowiki>Note:</nowiki>'''
:Shorts B01-B04 filmed in Standard Definition with a 4:3 (1.33:1) Aspect Ratio
:Shorts B05 and up filmed in High Definition with a 16:9 (1.78:1) Aspect Ratio


'''III. TAC COMMERCIALS''' ''(available as Extras at the TAC website)''<br />
Every day, Beaudet receives new offers from telephone companies and television stations, to the point that he has employed two other people to help with the production at his home in ]. There are plans to make a Têtes à Claques ] in time for ] ].
<br />
C01. Ça va ouatcher Part 1 ''(Created as a commercial for SFR-France)''<br />
C02. Ça va ouatcher Part 2 ''(Created as a commercial for SFR-France)''<br />
C03. Ça va ouatcher Part 3 ''(Created as a commercial for SFR-France)''<br />
C04. Alligator ''(Created as a commercial for Vertigo Candy-USA)''<br />
C05. Astronaut ''(Created as a commercial for Vertigo Candy-USA)''<br />
C06. Bus Stop ''(Created as a commercial for Vertigo Candy-USA)''<br />
C07. Caveman ''(Created as a commercial for Vertigo Candy-USA)''<br />
C08. Mariachi ''(Created as a commercial for Vertigo Candy-USA)''<br />
C09. Sandy And Jessica ''(Created as a commercial for Vertigo Candy-USA)''<br />
C10. Le rigodon du gros dindon ''(Created as a commercial for SFR-France)''<br />
C11. Aidez les Bégin ''(Created as a commercial for Hitachi)''<br />
C12. Cinéma du Québec à Paris <br />
C13. La Neufbox ''(Created as a commercial for SFR-France)''<br />
C14. Deviens le Gourou ''(Created as a commercial for Doritos-Canada)''<br />
C15. Le lion ''(Created as a commercial for Loterie Romande-Suisse)''<br />
C16. L'étoile filante A ''(Created as a commercial for Loterie Romande-Suisse)''<br />
C17. L'étoile filante B ''(Created as a commercial for Loterie Romande-Suisse)''<br />
C18. Le parachute ''(Created as a commercial for Loterie Romande-Suisse)''<br />
C19. Le secret d'Édouard ''(Created as a commercial for Microsoft SQL Server-France)''<br />
C20. <br />
<br />
:'''<nowiki>Note:</nowiki>'''
:Shorts C01-C10 filmed in Standard Definition with a 4:3 (1.33:1) Aspect Ratio
:Shorts C11 and up filmed in High Definition with a 16:9 (1.78:1) Aspect Ratio


'''IV. TAC DVDs'''<br />
On ] ], the creators appeared on the ] television show '']'' hosted by ]. The name of the show translates as 'Everyone's Talking About it.'
<br />
Volume 1 - Includes Shorts 01-45, B01-B03, C01-C09 and documentaries ''(released 23 October 2007)''<br />
Volume 2 - Includes Shorts 46-90, B04-B08, C10 and documentaries ''(released 21 October 2008)''


'''V. TAC GAMES''' ''(available at the TAC website)''<br />
==List of clips in order of appearance==
<br />
#Les grenouilles
G01. Le quiz TAC <br />
#SuperBol
G02. Faites la paire <br />
#On sort (1{{re}} partie)
G03. Le air hockey <br />
#Top Gun
G04. Le casse-tête <br />
#Le Taliban
G05. La machine à boule <br />
#CPT News
G06. Le Dippidy Babble <br />
#Le juge
G07. Le Ping-Pong <br />
#Le VJ
G08. Beat Master Turbo Remix <br />
#La photo Disney
G09. Les Pichenottes ]]<br />
#Le boxeur
G10. Le Strip Poker <br />
#La secrétaire
</div>
#So sexy<ref>retiré en raison de problèmes de droits d'auteur</ref>
}}
#Les martiens
#Wow minute
#La voyante
#Le cauchemar
#Les ti-papoutes
#Le pilote
#La visite
#Les Vikings
#On sort (2{{e}} partie)
#Le lapin
#Le camping
#La présentation
#Les ti-papoutes au zoo
#Le Willi Waller
#Halloween
#Les orignaux
#L'anniversaire
#La police
#On sort (3e partie)
#Les cadeaux de Noël
#Le pilote (2e partie)
#Le père Noël
#Bonne année 2007


==Notes== ==References==
{{Reflist}}
<references />


==Liens externes == ==External links==
* {{fr}} * {{Official|tetesaclaques.tv}}
* {{fr}}
* {{fr}} ]]
{{Portail Québec}}


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Latest revision as of 15:48, 2 September 2024

French-Canadian comedy website This article is about the series of short videos. For the TV adaptation Au pays des Têtes à claques, see Knuckleheads.

This article includes a list of general references, but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (April 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

For a definition of the phrase "tête à claques", see the Wiktionary entry tête à claques.
Tête à claques
Type of siteHumour website
Available inFrench
English
Spanish
OwnerMichel Beaudet
Created byMichel Beaudet
URLtetesaclaques.tv
Launched16 August 2006
Current statusactive
Le Willi Waller, one of the most popular shorts

Têtes à claques (French pronunciation: [tɛtza klak]) is a French-language humour website created on 16 August 2006. Over one million short videos are watched per day, making it one of the most popular francophone websites in Quebec (and eventually Canada as a whole). As of December 2017, 290 videos had been created. The most popular of these include Le pilote, Le Willi Waller, and Halloween.

The creator, Michel Beaudet, has expressed surprise at the popularity of his site, saying it has reached an audience he never anticipated.

In 2010, Mondo Media picked up the English version of Têtes à claques and began broadcasting it under the name TAC.

In January 2016, the second version of the English series, now titled Knuckleheads, got its premiere on Adult Swim. It was partly remastered to make jokes understandable for an English-speaking audience (for example, the Prime Minister was made similar to Stephen Harper).

The clips are produced by Salambo Productions, a company Beaudet formed in order to capitalize on the success of Têtes à claques.

Description

The skits feature characters sculpted from modelling clay that are fairly simplistic. Michel Beaudet creates the figures himself, by superimposing his own moving eyes, mouth, and sometimes nose on their faces with a computer. In addition, Beaudet has a set of fake, grotesque teeth, which he puts in while his face is being filmed. The phrase tête à claques translates loosely as "a face so dumb, you want to slap it".

The site has also become very popular in France, not only because of the intentional humour and wit, but also because of a stereotypical Quebec accent. This differs greatly from pronunciations used in France, and thus provides its own humour, in addition to the frequent anglicisms (English words or expressions inserted into speech).

History

Beaudet has said that "Têtes à claques was an accident". Previously a professional advertiser, he wanted to create an educational program for children by making animals using modelling clay. These animals would have described their lives, their natural habitats, and other information, interspersed with some childish gags. Beaudet says he quickly discovered that "90% of the time it takes to animate is spent moving the eyes and mouth." He tried doing it by hand, but because he was "too lazy", he decided to record his own face and superimpose his eyes and mouth on the figurines. He began by making frogs and had fun making them fart in water. After he showed the results to his friends and relatives, they were more amused by the farting frogs than by the original idea.

From late 2007 to 2010, Beaudet received offers from telephone companies and television stations. Incidentally, the first offer was from a French, not Canadian company. The popularity of the show surged to the point that Beaudet employed two other people, video editor Simon Parizeau and artistic director Hugo Caron, to help with the production at his home in Boucherville.

On 1 February 2007, Têtes à claques announced a partnership with Bell Canada to provide videos and other media on Bell Mobility, Sympatico, and Bell Satellite TV services. The same year, they also signed a deal with the American company Topps and produced several clips for their candy brand Vertigo. A series of figurines, sweaters, and accessories with Têtes à claques images went on sale on Beaudet's official site. A clip titled Le chien (The dog) was created in partnership with the Quebec-based Mira Guide Dog Foundation.

In June 2007, the animators listed a Body Toner Platinum Edition, a Willi Waller 2006, and an LCD shovel 2007 on eBay. These items, popularized by some of the best-known clips on the site, were intended to raise funds for the Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine, a prominent pediatric centre in Quebec.

In October 2007, Têtes à claques started pre-sales of its Region 1 DVDs. Volume 1 includes the first 45 clips, the history of Têtes à claques, character bios, and English, Quebec French, and international French subtitles. Volume 2 was released on 21 October 2008. In addition to the subsequent 45 clips from the series, the DVD contains supplementary material such as a documentary on the history of the series titled Têtes à claques: une histoire "unbelievable" (Têtes à claques: an "unbelievable" story), a clip created for the 40th birthday of singer Celine Dion, deleted scenes, and others. Volume 3 was released on 1 December 2009 with the next 45 clips, and Volume 4 came out on 1 March 2011.

In 2017, new videos were released on the site titled Ne Paniquez Pas, Restez Calme, and later in English as Don't Panic. Stay Calm, in which they parody educational videos instructing people on how to act in life-threatening situations. The same year, a set of older Têtes à claques videos dubbed in Spanish appeared on the site under the name Los Caraculo (The buttfaces).

In September 2019, Beaudet released a teaser trailer for a new series he had created, titled Les Histoires bizarres du professeur Zarbi (The Bizarre Stories of Professor Zarbi), featuring the eponymous Professor Zarbi, specialist in occult and paranormal phenomena, who together with his young neighbour and assistant Benjamin takes part in incredible adventures. Each episode runs for 30 minutes. Beaudet maintains that his team has refined their animation methods compared to Têtes à claques by using software from Toon Boom Animation. According to Beaudet, "This allows us to create much more spectacular and fluid animations".

English versions

On 14 August 2008, the beta version of the new bilingual "Têtes à claques" website was launched. Beaudet has recently admitted that making English versions of the comedy shorts is in his "game plan".

The first English version of most dialogues is interpreted by Canadian voiceover actor Bruce Dinsmore, best known for the PBS series Arthur. Dinsmore was chosen by Beaudet because he was similar to him in many ways, from his looks to his eyes, so the main difference between the versions would be language. Beaudet still performs the voices of some of the characters (Captain Cooper, Raoul, and a fast food drive-through worker). The shorts were reanimated and translated to English for better humour and quality for English-speaking audiences; for example, the Super Bol has been reanimated and renamed to Beat the Buzzer. Mondo Media picked up the show under the name TAC.TV. Also, Le Willi Waller sketches have the products renamed because the episodes were produced later than when the product was made (for example, Willi Waller 2006 becomes the Willi Waller Gold Edition and the LCD Shovel 2007 becomes the LCD Shovel Full HD because it was produced in 2008, later than 2006). Some fans have complained that the jokes are meaningless since one of the main purposes of the series is to poke fun of the Quebecois accent, which the English version does not replicate. Others have appreciated the humour in the translated jokes.

The second English version, entitled Knuckleheads, feature remastered versions of full 22-minute Têtes à claques episodes (most of them now animated with CG and After Effects). Canadian actor Joe Cobden interpreted all of the dialogue and has played nearly all of the characters in each cartoon. This English version was developed by Toronto-based playwright Bobby Theodore. Just like TAC.tv, Knuckleheads made several edits and changes in order to make jokes understandable for English-speaking audiences. They also made numerous name changes, such as the famous character Uncle Tom, whose name was changed to Uncle Ted (possibly to avoid any racial issues). The series finally premiered on Adult Swim Canada in January 2016, making it the first time Têtes à claques aired on English-speaking television.

Criticism and controversy

On 12 November 2006, Beaudet appeared on the Quebec television show Tout le monde en parle (Everyone's Talking About It) hosted by Guy A. Lepage. He noted many employers have blocked access to the site because it has become so popular that workers were watching it during the day. Numerous schools across Canada have blocked it as well, mostly for its use of mature language and profanity.

In 2006, the clip So sexy was banned from the site due to copyright infringement for using the song "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred. The clip could still be viewed elsewhere on the internet.

In April 2007, the organization Québec Pluriel deemed the clip Le Cannibale racist. Monique, a character from the clip, nicknames one of the cannibals Kunta Kinte, an ironic nod to the African slave whose life was the subject of the Alex Haley book and TV miniseries Roots. Following this, Michel Beaudet stated that he had no racist intentions and justified the choice of name as purely humorous.

Partial list of original characters in French

  • Raoul Robidoux
  • Lucien and Monique
  • Morin and Monette
  • Uncle Tom
  • Natacha
  • Captain Pichette
  • The co-pilot
  • Gabriel and Samuel
  • Les ti-papoutes
  • Jimmy and Réjean
  • Yvon
  • Gaétan
  • Turcotte
  • Marcel and Roger
  • Jack Curtis
  • Carole and Ginette
Complete list of Têtes à Claques shorts


I. TAC SHORTS

01. Les grenouilles
02. SuperBol Part 1
03. On sort Part 1
04. Top Gun
05. Le Taliban
06. Le juge
07. Le VJ Part 1
08. La photo Disney
09. Le boxeur Part 1
10. La secrétaire
xx. So Sexy (Withdrawn due to violations of copyright for use of the song ‘I'm Too Sexy’ by Right Said Fred)
11. Les martiens
12. Wow minute
13. La voyante
14. Le cauchemar
15. Les ti-papoutes
16. Le pilote Part 1
17. La visite
18. Les Vikings
19. On sort Part 2
20. Le lapin
21. Le camping
22. La présentation
23. Les ti-papoutes au zoo
24. Le Willi Waller 2006
25. Halloween Part 1
26. Les orignaux
27. L'anniversaire
28. La police
29. On sort Part 3
30. Les cadeaux de Noël
31. Le pilote Part 2
32. Le père Noël Part 1
33. Bonne année 2007
34. Move your body
35. La pénalité
36. Le LCD shovel 2007
37. SuperBol Part 2
38. On sort Part 4
39. Le ski
40. Capitaine Kung Fu Part 1
41. Le VJ Part 2
42. Le cannibale
43. Le politicien Part 1
44. L'embuscade
45. Le pilote Part 3
46. Le gars de Boston Part 1
47. La cabane à sucre
48. Le chien
49. Le Body Toner
50. Le docteur
51. Les scouts
52. La prise d'otage Part 1
53. On sort Part 5
54. Recordman
55. Paris
56. Le mariage
57. La réception
58. La commande à l'auto
59. Miss Québec Super Body
60. La rentrée
61. La prise d'otage Part 2
62. On accouche
63. Le Easy Storing System
64. Les douanes
65. La chasse
66. Le western
67. On sort Part 6
68. Halloween Part 2
69. Le vestiaire
70. Le vendeur de char
71. Le chip au ketchup
72. Doc nature Part 1
73. La parade de Noël
74. La crèche
75. Bonne année 2008
76. Les survivants Part 1
77. Le mammouth
78. Le football
79. Les joies de l’hiver Part 1
80. La St-Valentin Part 1
81. L’oeuf
82. L’ambulance
83. Les survivants Part 2
84. Le génie Part 1
85. La bibliothèque
86. Dans le sud
87. On déménage
88. L’histoire de Jerry
89. La rue bloquée
90. Les survivants Part 3
91. Capitaine Kung Fu Part 2
92. Le golf
93. Le boxeur Part 2
94. Le Shih Tzu
95. Le Gros Prix
96. La pêche
97. La poursuite
98. La Saint-Jean
99. Nascar
100. Le prix du gaz
101. La natation (Clip created in honor of the 2008 Olympic Summer Games)
102. Le 100 mètres (Clip created in honor of the 2008 Olympic Summer Games)
103. La lutte
104. Unbelievalbe Success
105. À l'école
106. La médium
107. Le Toaster
108. Brandon Spy Part 1
109. Le politicien Part 2
110. Galaxy One Part 1
111. Les élections U.S.
112. Terreur Internationale
113. Doc nature Part 2
114. Powerman
115. Le mécanicien
116. Le confessionnal
117. Brandon Spy Part 2
118. Le sondage
119. Le party de bureau
120. Le pére Noël Part 2
121. Bonne année 2009
122. Le Rhume
123. Galaxy One Part 2
124. La St-Valentin Part 2
125. Le génie Part 2
126. La pièce d'identité
127. Les joies de l'hiver Part 2
128. La bataille
129. Les retrouvailles
130. Le cabanon
131. Le GPS
132. Galaxy One Part 3
133. Le cabanon Part 2
134. Galaxy One Part 4
135. Les pirates
136. Les autruches
137. Unbelievable Success Part 2
138. Le stand de limonade
139. Le speed dating
140. Le barbecue
141. Les joies de l'été
142. Aux glissades d'eau
143. Le club vidéo
144. Tarzan
145. La cafétéria
146. L'homme-canon
147. Le vol
148. Le répondeur
149. Le lifting
150. Les canards
151. On sort Part 7
152. Halloween Part 3
153. Spread the Joy
154. Mime en folie
155. L'hypnotiseur
156. Le virus
157. Le pet shop
158. La guignolée
159. Le sapin de Noël
160. Bonne année 2010
161. La résolution
162. Le cross-check
163. La fraude
164. L'ours
165. Le fleuriste
166. Le bobsleigh
167. La quarantaine
168. Les diapositives
169. Le plombier
170. Les nids de poule
171. Le poisson d'Avril
172. L'exterminateur
173. La commotion
174. La grotte
175. La base secrète
176. Les pandas
177. La répétition
178. Le soutien technique
179. La cabane
180. Le coiffeur
181. Le terrain privé
182. Les mouffettes

Note:
Shorts 01-90 filmed in Standard Definition with a 4:3 (1.33:1) Aspect Ratio
Shorts 91 and up filmed in High Definition with a 16:9 (1.78:1) Aspect Ratio

II. TAC BONUS SHORTS (available as Extras at the TAC website)

B01. Gala les Olivier 2007
B02. KARV l'anti-gala 2007
B03. Cécile et Johnny Boy (Originally available as an exclusive Extra on the TAC Volume 1 DVD)
B04. Le gars de Boston Part 2 (Created in support of the HABS at the 2008 NHL Playoffs)
B05. La femme pigeon (Created for Quebec’s cousins in France, in honor of French cinema)
B06. Napoléon le magnifique (Created for Quebec’s cousins in France, in honor of French cinema)
B07. Un amerloque chez les gendarmes (Created for Quebec’s cousins in France, based on French cinema's "Gendarmes de St-Tropez" series)
B08. C’est la fête à Cèline (Created as a gift to Quebec singer Celine Dion on her 40th Birthday, currently available as an exclusive Extra on the TAC Volume 2 DVD)
B09. Le laboratoire (Created with TAC's friends The Raving Rabbids)
B10. La drague (Created with TAC's friends The Raving Rabbids)
B11. Le Pilote - Remix (Created with TAC's friends The Raving Rabbids)
B12. Bonne fête Val-d'Or

Note:
Shorts B01-B04 filmed in Standard Definition with a 4:3 (1.33:1) Aspect Ratio
Shorts B05 and up filmed in High Definition with a 16:9 (1.78:1) Aspect Ratio

III. TAC COMMERCIALS (available as Extras at the TAC website)

C01. Ça va ouatcher Part 1 (Created as a commercial for SFR-France)
C02. Ça va ouatcher Part 2 (Created as a commercial for SFR-France)
C03. Ça va ouatcher Part 3 (Created as a commercial for SFR-France)
C04. Alligator (Created as a commercial for Vertigo Candy-USA)
C05. Astronaut (Created as a commercial for Vertigo Candy-USA)
C06. Bus Stop (Created as a commercial for Vertigo Candy-USA)
C07. Caveman (Created as a commercial for Vertigo Candy-USA)
C08. Mariachi (Created as a commercial for Vertigo Candy-USA)
C09. Sandy And Jessica (Created as a commercial for Vertigo Candy-USA)
C10. Le rigodon du gros dindon (Created as a commercial for SFR-France)
C11. Aidez les Bégin (Created as a commercial for Hitachi)
C12. Cinéma du Québec à Paris
C13. La Neufbox (Created as a commercial for SFR-France)
C14. Deviens le Gourou (Created as a commercial for Doritos-Canada)
C15. Le lion (Created as a commercial for Loterie Romande-Suisse)
C16. L'étoile filante A (Created as a commercial for Loterie Romande-Suisse)
C17. L'étoile filante B (Created as a commercial for Loterie Romande-Suisse)
C18. Le parachute (Created as a commercial for Loterie Romande-Suisse)
C19. Le secret d'Édouard (Created as a commercial for Microsoft SQL Server-France)
C20.

Note:
Shorts C01-C10 filmed in Standard Definition with a 4:3 (1.33:1) Aspect Ratio
Shorts C11 and up filmed in High Definition with a 16:9 (1.78:1) Aspect Ratio

IV. TAC DVDs

Volume 1 - Includes Shorts 01-45, B01-B03, C01-C09 and documentaries (released 23 October 2007)
Volume 2 - Includes Shorts 46-90, B04-B08, C10 and documentaries (released 21 October 2008)

V. TAC GAMES (available at the TAC website)

G01. Le quiz TAC
G02. Faites la paire
G03. Le air hockey
G04. Le casse-tête
G05. La machine à boule
G06. Le Dippidy Babble
G07. Le Ping-Pong
G08. Beat Master Turbo Remix
G09. Les Pichenottes
G10. Le Strip Poker

References

  1. Michel Beaudet (2007). "FAQ". tetesaclaques.tv (in French). Archived from the original on 7 January 2007. Retrieved 8 January 2007.
  2. "Bell Canada first to give Canadians a laugh with the Têtes à claques phenomenon". 2007. Archived from the original on 10 May 2007. Retrieved 1 February 2007.
  3. "Têtes à claques: Michel Beaudet: têtes à succès" [Tetes a Claques: Michel Beaudet: Successful heads] (in French). voir.ca. 18 October 2007. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  4. Têtes à claques. "Boutique Têtes à claques DVD-Volume 1" (in French). Archived from the original on 23 October 2007. Retrieved 16 October 2007.
  5. "Les Têtes à claques sont toujours bien vivantes" [Tetes a claques are alive and well] (in French). journaldemontreal.com. 9 September 2019. Retrieved 14 October 2019.
  6. Montreal Gazette (2008). "Now in Hinglish". Archived from the original on 17 August 2008. Retrieved 16 August 2008.
  7. "Québec Pluriel passe à l'action" [Québec Pluriel takes action] (in French). Radio Canada. 4 May 2007. Retrieved 14 October 2019.

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