Vaping got Talent: Mainstream - in France

There’s no more mainstream cultural phenomenon these days than the “Got Talent” franchise.

Watching this clip of Canadian vaper Michael Lee performing vape tricks on France’s edition last week, you might feel like you’re peering into a parallel universe. A standing ovation from a mainstream crowd? An ex-international Soccer star in the wings clapping “extraordinaire!” to the camera? The entire judging panel sharing a look of wonderment and excitement?

This is vaping hitting the big time, baby! And boy does it look unreal to anyone outside France.

Only en France?

Indeed, even in the UK I don’t believe you’d see, say, Gary Lineker reacting to vaping with such delight. And a standing ovation from a American crowd? Well, it could happen, but the producers wouldn’t even dare, would they? I can just picture Simon Cowell’s scowl of disapproval - can’t you?

Cowell doesn't like you (It would look like this)

So, what’s happened here? Well, first, Michael’s really good at vape tricks! Imagine, without all the baggage of the association with smoking, seeing someone doing this at, say, Cirque de Soleil - you’d think it was pretty awesome, right? In other words, this is the correct unfiltered reaction to someone doing vape tricks.

And, whatever the filter is that the rest of our nations have, the French clearly don’t. Why? What is so fundamentally different about France and vaping? I’ve got theories, but I want to hear your thoughts… let me know in the comments.