Thomas Guénolé: The Misguided Intellectual Who Puts on a Show

Thomas Guénolé on a TV set to present his book

(Cover image parody, photomontage by Ecostylia)

There was a time when Thomas Guénolé embodied the stereotype of the brilliant academic, the one who prefers the smell of dusty books to the pale glow of TV sets. But alas, even seemingly promising minds sometimes succumb to the lure of glitz and glamour. Today, Guénolé is not sitting in a prestigious library, but on Cyril Hanouna‘s couch, in "I’m here every day, guys!" mode. Gone are the intellectual essays, replaced by bar jokes and debates as deep as a kiddie pool. The intoxication of narcissism when it grips us…

A brain for sale, but at what promotional price?

Hanouna doesn’t hide it, he sells laughter, a profit-driven spectacle. But Guénolé? It’s a bit more mysterious. What could possibly drive a brain of solid silver to blend into such a… let’s say… plastic mold? Narcissism, no doubt. Thomas loves to be listened to, admired, and to have his well-lit face admired, which the small screen won’t show without makeup. But still, he has traded his grand philosophical flights for Twitter brawls and punchlines worthy of a pizza night with friends. In a better neighborhood, thanks to fees.

The funniest part of the story is that he still seems convinced he’s in the right place, like a philosophy teacher lost in a Zumba class, trying hard to maintain his consistency.

Guénolé and the pointless buzz about the Sacré-Cœur

Even in this joyful cathodic mess, Guénolé can’t help but make waves. Not with the subtlety of a well-crafted argument, but rather by throwing hefty stones into the pond. Example? His call to "tear down the Sacré-Cœur". A stunt that made his buddy Fabrice Di Vizio jump, always ready to fire off an acidic comment. But instead of apologizing, Thomas doubled down by attacking the Catholic Church. And there he comes with his big clogs: "Hey, guys, I’m a rebel!" Yes, Thomas, we saw you. But if you’re looking for free provocations, remember that even four-cheese pizzas don’t like pineapple added just anywhere.

There’s a sort of Happy Hour Christianophobia in him, thrown out to make noise. Except that noise isn’t a debate, it’s just useless clamor. Too bad, Thomas.

Sentimental vaudeville live

As if the controversies weren’t enough, Guénolé treated us to a great moment of reality TV… intellectual in full vaudeville version. On a set, he proudly reveals that he seduced his partner while she was married to someone else. Seriously, dude? What a very fine moment of finesse and elegance, worthy of the best French comedies of the 70s. But why on earth does a university professor feel the need to reveal himself like that? Again, that good old Narcissus in him. He might imagine that this anecdote will reveal his soul as a Don Juan of libraries, but honestly, it only reinforces the impression that he has crossed over to the dark side of TV bling-bling. At the expense of the politics he has abandoned.

Don Quixote in the PAF

One can’t help but feel a touch of tenderness for this lost intellectual, adrift in Hanouna’s promising circus. Like Don Quixote armed with his microphone, Guénolé still believes he will make reason triumph in this universe of clashes and silly jokes. But Hanouna, eager for audience, lets him struggle, because, let’s be honest, the public doesn’t care about his hazy theories. What we want is crunchy, sensational, and a good dose of "He dared to say that!".

And his love revelations are nothing like a great moment of philosophy. Thomas Guénolé, the man of reason, has turned into a soap-opera hero. What’s missing? Maybe a syrupy theme song and a beach setting to make it all perfect.

Guénolé, or the ego on display

Let’s not lie, Thomas Guénolé suffers from a severe Narcissus syndrome. TV, this distorting mirror, reflects an image where relevance is replaced by the ephemeral light of the spotlights. And he asks for more!

But can we blame him? Today, ideas are good, but audience is better. Guénolé has understood the game: if you don’t put on a show, you’re no longer part of the show. What he hasn’t grasped is that this little merry-go-round quickly runs empty.

Between depth and comedy

In the end, Thomas Guénolé is a character who needs compassion. Not because he was promising – we already knew that – but because he has become the living symbol of our era: an intellectual who gets lost in the glitter and screams of TV, reduced to a luxury extra in this grand ball where he dreamed of being the master of ceremonies.

Guénolé could have been a big name in research, but he preferred the ephemeral of the spotlights to the depth of ideas. A surprising choice, but the burlesque tragedy of his journey is that he still seems to believe he is the hero of this story… A TV story that might not last and could definitively discredit him.