NO TOPIC TOO RISQUÉ FOR SHOW
Racicot, St-Victor tackle issues on CBC
No longer will strangers have to eavesdrop surreptitiously on the spicy conversations of Isabelle Racicot and Martine St-Victor at neighbourhood bistros.
Now everyone — across the country — can have a seat at their table as the two discourse on hot-button issues from politics to pop culture to racism on their new chat show, appropriately titled, Seat at the Table.
It debuts Saturday on CBC’s podcast service and on CBC Radio One at 11 a.m.
Those familiar with best buddies Racicot, a prominent radio and TV personality, and St-Victor, a well-connected communications strategist, will certainly vouch for the fact that there’s no topic too risqué to be left off their table. They don’t pull their punches, nor do they shy away from self-deprecation, either.
The women are also most persuasive, which, doubtless, explains how two Montreal francos were able land a national anglo radio series on the CBC.
“People seem to like listening to our conversations, so we were able to convince the CBC that the two of us who have been best friends for over 20 years and who speak to each other on the phone every day would be of interest to people across the country,” says Racicot, holding court with St-Victor in the ever-blissful outdoor terrace of Maison Boulud in the Ritz Carlton Hotel.
Although Seat at the Table might connote dining, there is no time for that. The food would get cold anyway.
Regardless, the genesis for the show involved making a list of those they wished they could wine and dine and schmooze with.
So apart from facing off against or with one another, they have conscripted an impressive and diverse group of guests to join them at their table: best-selling author and New Yorker contributor Malcolm Gladwell; Québécois entrepreneur Jennifer Brodeur, “skin guru” to Oprah and the Obamas; and Laura Wasser, “divorce lawyer to the stars” like Angelina Jolie, Britney Spears and Kim Kardashian and cocreator of a cellphone divorce app.
“The idea is also to get out of the arena of our guests and bring the conversations to another level as well,” St-Victor says.
“We’ve had our wish list for a while, but we have also been lucky. The CBC in Toronto has been exceptional in letting us bring our vision to the show, and at the same time we bring diversity to their menu.”
“And by diversity, we’re not just talking about colour,” Racicot says. “There are also francophones and francophiles throughout the country who are interested to know what’s going on here. We have references to Quebec, to France, to the rest of Europe.
“But because the rest of Canada — and the world — doesn’t know who we are, it’s about what kind of burning issues we bring to the table. And we do have interesting personalities.”
To say the least.
In addition to the guests, each show will also include an Elephant in the Room segment, wherein the hosts dig into everything from so-called wellness industries to the woes of Tiger Woods.
“We may agree on some issues — like on our love of Barack Obama and the hilarity of Larry David’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, but we have strong opinions and don’t shy away from disagreeing with one another, although it hasn’t come down to fisticuffs when we don’t agree,” St-Victor cracks.
When it comes to Tiger, there is strong disagreement.
St-Victor doesn’t believe Tiger, or other celebs, should have to apologize for marital infidelity: “I don’t think what happens between two consenting adults is anybody’s business and (I think) that an apology is unnecessary. My question is: when did we get so righteous?”
Racicot is adamant that public apologies should be forthcoming: “My point of view is that when someone like Tiger is so much in view and is paid so many millions by different sponsors because he has this image, then he should apologize for not living up to that image and own up to what he has done.
“Yes, it’s his private life, but how private could it be when he slept with so many women? More to the point, all these young kids look up to him. So he
has to say something.”
St-Victor smiles and responds: “I so disagree. He got many of his sponsorship deals before he was married. Who are his fans anyway? Middle-aged, rich, white guys. For them, Tiger is a hero.” Pause. “But I do admire Isabelle’s wisdom.”
“Martine is wrong,” Racicot shoots back. “There are a bunch of young kids, and my cousin is one of them, who started golfing because of Tiger. They wanted to be Tiger Woods.”
No fisticuffs, but the conversation is getting heated and the pita could soon fly. Same with the seemingly apprehensive ducks in the nearby terrace pond.
There are other delicate subjects broached, such as the inclusiveness, or lack thereof, of Montreal’s 375th birthday bash. Needless to say, they were less than amused and impressed that the initial TV promo for the event was lily-white.
And they nearly went postal with one part of the Fête nationale parade, wherein a coterie of pure-laine white folk were following chanteuse Annie Villeneuve on a float being pulled by young, black football players.
“Please, don’t get me started on that,” St-Victor blurts.
“When the video emerged, I was horrified,” Racicot says. “But there was something positive, because people reacted very quickly — and it wasn’t just the black community.”
“But there were white people who were actually trying to justify it, who didn’t see what the fuss was all about. They say it proves we don’t see colour here,” St-Victor interjects. “Right! Of course, we see colour!”
“It’s not that they deliberately intended to be offensive. The thing is some people here just don’t ever seem to get it,” Racicot fires back.
“As a black person, I really don’t appreciate it when a white person says that float was not offensive — as was the case in one editorial,” St-Victor notes. “That’s like a man telling a woman that, no, childbirth doesn’t hurt. They’ll never know.”
Oh yeah, you’re going to want to have a seat at this table.