an old proposal from the RN to exclude manga from the Culture Pass worries on social networks

Since the dissolution of the National Assembly, a discussion has gained momentum on social networks on the National Rally’s proposal to exclude the purchase of manga from the Culture Pass.

Will the National Rally remove manga from the Culture Pass? On TikTok and Instagram, videos, sometimes posted online on accounts managed by the New Popular Front or Renaissance, bring back to light a 2022 amendment by MP Jean-Philippe Tanguy on a finance bill of the time, estimating that the mangas had “nothing to do with literature, theater, museums or classical music concerts”. Franceinfo asked the opinions of various players in the manga sector on this measure defended by the far right.

For Ahmed Agne, boss of Ki-oon editions, the RN has a retrograde vision of this culture coming from Japan. According to the latter, “It is characteristic of the extreme right in all countries, in all periods of history, to have a vision of culture and history turned towards the past, a very museum-oriented vision of culture. It is therefore normal that they have a problem with manga, which is an eminently modern mode of expression and in keeping with the times.”.

Pablo Yanover, bookseller at BDNet, a Parisian boutique, adds to this condescension a lack of knowledge of manga, on which society and politics have nevertheless made good progress in 30 years. “In fact, they see Dragon Ball, Naruto, whether it’s good or not is not even the question, it’s just that we only see what we are shown. Next to it, we have things that are absolutely exceptional. We have the equivalent of classical music while we are presented with a radio, it’s the same“.

This 2022 proposal does not appear in the National Rally’s program for the legislative elections, but this diffuse threat is a contradiction in terms of access to culture in general for Stéphane Ferrand, who directs Vega, the manga branch of Dupuis editions. “The Culture Pass, we actually know that it has been very useful for the manga and we are not complaining about it, in the idea that it brings children back to reading in any case. And I find it astonishing that we speak out against what can tear children away from their screens when we always try to get young people to read. We have a choice here on their part and we should cut this choice for a subjective point of view on part of the content”.

If the RN in government were to remove manga from the Culture Pass, the manga sector does not say it is worried. But basically, another editor explains that this would amount to formalizing a culture which would be “official” to the detriment of the rest.