We meet Louis T at Théo Café, a charming establishment in Longueuil where the man, openly a coffee addict, has his habits. After Objectively speaking (2017) and Truths and consequences (2019), the 41-year-old comedian is preparing to unveil a third solo show whose title alone, Alpha maleis a conversation starter. “We thought about calling it Toxic masculinityhe explains, or even Crisis of masculinity. These are subjects that I address, but we found it a little too serious, too academic. Alpha maleit immediately provokes reactions: laughter, questions, perplexity… it leaves no one indifferent. I love that people wonder where I’m going with this. »
It must be said that on the poster for the show, next to the title in large letters, stands a friendly intellectual with glasses, a tall, thin guy who doesn’t exactly correspond to the idea we might have of a alpha male, which according to a zoological theory, let us remember, would be the one who dominates the other males with regard to access to reproduction and food. “There is a clear counter-use,” recognizes the main person concerned. It is right on this contrast, on this form of derision that the show is based. This represents well the posture that I adopt, the frankly comical way in which I go about approaching these issues. »
The comedian admits to having embarked on the mined territory of the masculine condition with great candor: “I now realize how sensitive a subject it is. During the break-in, a crucial step in my case, I made several blunders, errors regarding delivery and angle. Some nights it was even shocking how many missteps I made. After having tested and retested everything, I can say that today, I take responsibility for everything, that I am at peace with everything I say on stage, and also with the way in which I say it. »
Less theoretical
While Louis T’s previous shows were inspired by his readings, Alpha male was nourished by experiences and observations: “Before, when I finished an essay, when I adhered to a vision of things, I quickly became an ayatollah. To write this show, I adopted a less theoretical and more empirical approach. I witnessed what the men around me were going through and it led me to look at them more kindly, to develop empathy towards them. It’s not easy, being a man in 2024, saying it on stage still earns me boos. I still think that there is a distress to be heard, a dismay to be recognized. »
Father of two boys, Louis T believes that the essential thing is to accept his masculinity as it is, without trying to fit into a box, without wanting to correspond to any prototype: “I am not always strong, I sometimes doubt, and even cry, but that doesn’t stop me from feeling very good about my masculinity. Every decade, for centuries, we’ve been trying to define what a guy should or shouldn’t be. In my opinion, we must move away from injunctions, free ourselves from the single model, provide more openness, more opportunities. » To young men, regardless of where they position themselves on the spectrum of masculinity, the comedian addresses this: “Take what you are and embrace it, have fun around it, don’t hesitate to make fun of it. makes you less good at certain things. There is strength in being able to laugh at yourself, a completely healthy way of owning your masculinity. »
At this stage of the discussion, Louis T wants to clarify that his show is not a conference: “There, we talk about the thoughts behind my jokes, but you won’t hear any of that on stage. Compared to previous shows, I took a more subtle approach. Without planning it, without premeditating it, I moved towards more accessible humor. » Let us specify that Alpha male was developed through evenings at the Bordel Comédie Club, in front of an audience that was not won over by the comedian: “I had to go out of my way to get them. By talking about toxic masculinity, but without naming it, I managed to keep the whole room with me. There I discovered the pleasure of making everyone laugh, including people who are not part of my natural audience. I must admit that I find it very fun, very rewarding. You could say that I’m more of a clown than before and I live very well with that. »
Without rejecting the label of woke that sticks to him, the comedian confides that as he gets older he feels less and less the need to polarize, to take sides, or even to educate: “Generally speaking, since I have entered my forties, I have less certainties than I had. I allow myself to change my mind more and more often. This is reflected in my way of doing humor. My opinion is much less in the forefront. I’m less trying to convince. Even on social networks, where I continue to comment on current events, I do so by being less in the editorial. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not taking my positions any less, but I’m simply more open to the opinions of those who don’t think like me. »
With this new show, which leaves more room for interpretation than the previous ones, Louis T recognizes that he is venturing out of his comfort zone. “I believe that my intentions are clear, but for the first time I chose not to make them explicit on stage. It’s risky, I’m aware, some people might not laugh for the right reasons, but I’m betting that people know who I am and where I come from. Even if I am at peace with this change in tone, I will not hide from you that it worries me, that I am afraid of losing some of my early admirers. I feel a bit like Radiohead releasing a new album in a different style. »