Now in its 25th season, Quebec’s satirical news show “Infoman” is still going strong

MONTREAL – In an interview nearly a quarter century ago, Jean-René Dufort said he was afraid of his own shadow.

At the time, he had just launched a weekly satirical news program called Infoman, which has since become a mainstay on Quebec television and made Dufort a household name in the province.

The show is known for its irreverent, sometimes biting humor and no one – from the Prime Minister to the Pope – is off limits. Dufort has interviewed everyone from Jane Fonda to Justin Trudeau to Sarah Palin. His stunts are legendary, including the time he showed up to the christening of Celine Dion’s son dressed as one of the Magi with a live camel in tow. Still, he never completely shook his nerves.

In 2000, Dufort said that his unscripted encounters with politicians made him want to die out of fear. It was the thrill of hindsight – like a roller coaster ride – that kept him going, he said.

Years later, not much has changed. “I’m always nervous,” he told The Canadian Press in an interview in his Montreal office, where he sat next to a framed photo of King Charles. “Every time you see me in the truck five minutes early, I don’t want to get out. Maybe that’s what makes it funny.”

His fear didn’t stop him. “Infoman” recently began its 25th season on Radio-Canada and shows no signs of slowing down. Dufort, who hates anniversaries, had a mariachi band serenade him during the season premiere last month – but only for a short time. Then the show continued.

Dufort, 56, claims he doesn’t know the secret to his program’s immense success. But he has been trying to straddle the line between journalism and entertainment for years, describing “Infoman” as a cross between “The Rick Mercer Report” and “The National,” CBC’s flagship evening news program.

In some ways, it’s difficult to compare “Infoman” to anything outside of Quebec. Dufort’s humor is unmistakable – he once gave Trudeau a copy of Stormy Daniels’ memoirs, in which he had the porn actress personally write some advice on dealing with then-President Donald Trump, with whom she allegedly slept before he took office. She told Trudeau to “bring a paddle and a sense of humor.”

And with “Infoman” there are no sacred cows. During one segment of Pope Francis’ recent Asia-Pacific trip, Dufort played the sound of a truck reversing over footage of Francis backing into his wheelchair. He later said the Pope was like Taylor Swift for nuns.

“There are things we can do here (in Quebec) that we might not be able to do elsewhere,” he acknowledged.

And then there is the audience. The show’s annual New Year’s Eve special, an annual review of politics and culture, attracts around three million viewers. That’s more than one in three Quebecers. “There is no show in English Canada that reaches so many viewers,” he said. “It doesn’t exist.” He added that his regular shows attract 1.2 million viewers weekly.

Probably for this reason, Dufort has a level of access in Ottawa and Quebec City that would make any political reporter jealous. In recent years, Trudeau, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and Quebec Premier François Legault have all lined up to be gently roasted at his year-end show. A few years ago, American supermodel Tyra Banks made a guest appearance.

Dufort is a passionate politician and has a deep aversion to political duplicity. On his show, he said, viewers will see a more open side of their leaders, for better or worse. “If I do something with a politician, the power is in their hands,” he said. “If they are brilliant, I make sure they come across brilliant. If they’re being silly, I’ll make sure they come across as silly.”

But Dufort had to earn his place in Quebec’s star system. Pierre Barrette, a professor at the media school at the Université du Québec à Montréal who studies the history of television in Quebec, said Dufort initially had difficulty being accepted by the political establishment. “There was a time when he was systematically rejected by politicians. Nobody wanted to talk to him,” Barrette said. “The first few years were very difficult for him.”

With a degree in biochemistry, Dufort began his career in a laboratory but quickly became bored. He dabbled in science journalism and caused a stir in 1996 when he was hired as a medium for an investigation into psychic telephone measurements. Soon after, he was picked up by a daily news parody program on a private television station in Quebec. “Infoman” started on the public broadcaster in October 2000.

Barrette said Dufort relied on his outsider status in the first few years. Stéphane Dion’s long-standing refusal to appear on Infoman became a running joke on the show – Dion eventually gave in after becoming federal leader of the Liberals.

Dufort was also not immediately welcomed in journalistic circles, although he says he values ​​fairness and accuracy. He recently became a member of the Quebec Association of Professional Journalists, which has helped him plan international reporting trips, including to Ukraine.

This question – whether he is a journalist – has been asked to Dufort many times, and he hesitates to answer it. “I was quite a stone in the shoe for journalism,” he said. “Because it is difficult to decide who is a real journalist and who is not.”

Although Dufort’s trademark chin-length hair and black-rimmed glasses have remained unchanged over the years, Barrette said his acerbic wit has “softened” over time, perhaps one of the losses of success. “By being part of the elite, you end up with a perspective that is somewhat influenced by that of the people you are criticizing,” he said.

Still, Dufort maintains an impressive work ethic. His show continued during the pandemic as he interviewed people on the street while his microphone was taped to a hockey stick for social distancing.

And his stunts haven’t lost their charm. After NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh announced last month that he had “torn up” the supply and confidence agreement with the Liberals that had propped up Trudeau’s minority government, Dufort met Singh at a news conference in Montreal and asked him to tear up some papers He included the word “agreement” to prove he was serious. Singh obliged.

“After 25 years, I don’t feel bored,” Dufort said. “And I don’t think the audience will be bored either.”

In 2001, when Infoman was still in its infancy, Dufort and his camel made national headlines. He told a Globe and Mail reporter covering the baptism that Celine Dion’s son was “like a little Jesus for Quebec” and so he was bringing him a fitting gift. Looking back, Dufort remembered that it was his photo, not the baby’s, that appeared on the front page of La Presse after the baptism. He said Dion’s late husband René Angélil never got over it.

More than two decades later, “Infoman” is still going strong. Dufort says he will do the show as long as he enjoys it. And he really seems to be having fun.

Unfortunately the camel died.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 6, 2024.

Maura Forrest, The Canadian Press