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This article assesses the influence of an extremely popular satirical television program – the Guignols de l’Info – on its viewers. For that matter, we drew on two surveys based on questionnaires led in the South East of France – Isère – in 2002 and 2004, as well as on semi directive interviews, both directed to secondary school students. Results were sufficiently converging to draw the conclusion that the Guignols did actually represent a major reference in the political socialisation of the youth. Indeed, the sustained wide audience and the attitudes of the viewers (level of political awareness, opinion on political leaders, or anti American opinions) equally correlate this assumption. Yet, the students’ verbalization indicates that these are not always capable of keeping their distance from satire.