In 2001, M6 launched Loft Storyinspired by the Dutch show Big Brother. It’s a shock wave in the audiovisual landscape and in society. The first reality TV show in French history, it films 24 hours a day eleven single people cut off from the world who live together in a loft. The series Worshipbroadcast this Friday on Prime Video, goes behind the scenes of the creation of the television phenomenon at the beginning of the image society, social networks and influencers.
“Everyone was talking about it in the playground, we debated it with our parents, with our teachers… (…) It marked our youth,” recalls Nicolas Slomka, co-creator of Worship. On the occasion of the broadcast of this series inspired by reality, several journalists from 20 Minutes delve into their memories of the wave of trash TV in France.
Caroline Vié, film journalist, at the Cannes Film Festival
In 2001, Loft Story is in full swing during the Cannes Film Festival. Obviously, everyone is talking about it even if few festival-goers have the time to see the show. Some people watch without daring to admit it or shout loudly that they find it stupid. Most people only know the photos of Loana and Jean-Edouard displayed on newsstand stalls. This does not prevent them from having an opinion, most often negative. Professionals vaguely fear this unexpected phenomenon which seems to them to threaten traditional cinema.
« My boyfriend at the time admitted to me a few weeks later that he was hesitant to break up. »
Benjamin Chapon, head of the Culture department, in journalism school
In 2001, I went to journalism school. To give ourselves an air, among students, we debate the coming to power of George W Bush and Ariel Sharon, the recognition of slavery as a crime against humanity or even the first marriages between people of the same sex in the Netherlands … A certain intellectual snobbery prevents us from debating the media explosion represented by the irruption of Loft Story in the landscape. It will take several months before it becomes a “subject”, that is to say, the subject of articles, analyses… At the start of the post-Loft school year, a teacher asked us “if you were to interview Loana, what would your questions be? » Eye rolls and general disapproval from the class. “Okay, I get it, no one is looking but everyone knows her. If that’s not an interesting article topic, I don’t know what you need. »
Laure Beaudonnet, Culture journalist, at high school
At high school, there were two clans: those who refused to give in to the stupidity of the “Loft” and those who religiously turned on their screen on the six to follow the adventures of the lofters. A big television consumer at the time, I was curious to watch the daily lives of these somewhat young adults. A good opportunity to feel less stupid. One summer, I admitted to watching the show in front of my then-boyfriend’s friends. I had even handed in my TPE homework (supervised personal work) on the image society and reality TV, as a continuous assessment for the baccalaureate. A confession that almost cost me dearly. Society was torn between the pro-Loft and the anti-Loft and I was clearly facing a horde of opponents. My boyfriend at the time admitted to me a few weeks later that he was hesitant to break up, convinced that he was dealing with a brainless person.
Cécile de Cèze, news journalist, at college
Eleven years old at the time of the first season, I was assiduously in front of M6 to watch “Loft” every evening. I remember a lot of candidates. Of course Loana and Jean-Edouard in the swimming pool, but also Steevy who “fucks them with a capital A”, Laure who then went to the Morning live (but what an era this TV is!). And the following season with Lesly (now Afida Turner) and Félicien’s “cum cum mania” that we sang at recess. We also repeated the credits of Loft Story in yogurt, “lofteur up and down”. It was our first TV, apart from cartoons and American series like Friends, When twins get tangled or The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It was captivating even though nothing was happening except some confusion between the candidates. Not even a little secret to get your teeth into as in Secret Story.
Victoria Berne, culture journalist, born in 2001
When Loft Story arrived on television, I was barely over a year old. I have no memory of it, but I heard about it throughout my adolescence. I grew up with reality TV between Secret Story, The Angels, Les Ch’tis, The Marseillais, Temptation Island… At 6 p.m., when I finished my homework, regardless of the television channel, I came across a reality TV show and my parents did everything to prevent me from watching this content. For them, it was “stupid and vulgar”. That was the main argument. Loft Story had broadcast the images of the sexual relationship between Loana and Jean-Edouard in the swimming pool. They completely demonized Loft Story and they lumped all the other reality shows together.
