French TV Host Makes Crass ‘Fukushima’ Joke After Japan’s Win Over France, Japanese Government Demand Apology

Chris Wright

17th, October 2012

3 Comments

By Chris Wright

A French television host has incurred the wrath of the Japanese government after making a joke about the devastating 9.0 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami that hit Japan in March of 2011, triggering a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant – the largest nuclear disaster since Chernobyl in 1986.

Japan snaffled a 1-0 away victory over France on Friday night thanks largely to a string of saves from ‘keeper Eiji Kawashima.

French television channel France 2 then filed a humourous report on the dismal French performance which included a mocked-up photo of Kawashima with four arms, which the host, comedian Laurent Ruquier, signed-off by calling Kawashima’s extra limbs ‘The Fukushima Effect’.

While Ruquier’s quip seemed to get a slightly hesitant laugh from the studio audience, Osamu Fujimura, Japanese politician, member of the House of Representatives and chief cabinet secretary, was altogether less impressed with the host’s repartee, saying: “The comment was completely uncalled for and inappropriate.”

Fujimura also confirmed that the Japanese Embassy had written a letter demanding an apology from France 2 for the remark, which he said had “hurt the feelings of people affected by the disaster” and had “hindered efforts for reconstruction.”

Nice one Laurent.

(Via Telegraph)

Posted in FAIL, International football, Media, Videos

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3 Comments

  1. Pierre Jean-Pierre says:

    And I case you wonder what his other “jokes” were, he also mocks the fact that one Japanese defender is named “Konno” (a few brainless people start laughing at this point), which incidentally sounds like “conno”, a way of calling someone an imbecile in southeastern France.

    And then Ruquier says that it’s weird that this Konno gave France a hard time since we French also have a dumbass and an idiot in our own squad, showing Menez and Ribéry. And then people in the audience laugh, while pretty much everyone else facepalms in despair.

  2. Jarren says:

    He sounds like a bit of a dick.

    The TV station should apologise without reservation.

  3. krak says:

    this s*&t was blown way out of proportion. the station should not have to apologize.

Leave a Reply to Jarren