French President Marries Supermodel

Post Reply New Topic

http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/st ... 58:00%20PM

(I've pasted the article below the pictures of France's new first lady).

If an American president ever attempted the lifestyle of a French president, man, it would be the biggest media-gossip frenzy ever.

What does this say about French culture and politics versus American?

For one thing, in the USA, we are a bunch of stuck-up prudes.

For another, I wonder if this might be part of the explanation as to why American presidents are so much more up-tight and trigger-happy than French presidents.

For another thing, they had like a 30-day engagement. I've known of a lot of American couples who spent years, and tens of thousands of dollars, just planning their weddings.


http://www.wallpapergate.com/data/media ... ni_002.jpg









The moment that the world had been speculating till now arrived on Saturday, when France President Nicholas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni wed.

Three months after they met and four months after his divorce, Sarkozy married Bruni in a private civil ceremony conducted by the Mayor of the 8th district of Paris, he also broke the news to the press.

Francois Lebel, Mayor of Paris 8th district said, ''It was a moving ceremony. It was like any other ceremony. He did not say anything in particular. They exchanged rings. They were very moved.''

This is Sarkozy's third marriage and Bruni's first. He also has three children from his earlier marriages.

Bruni, is an Italian-born heiress who had a major modeling career and is now a singer. She has a son, Aurelien, from an earlier relationship.

Bruni's love life has been a much publicised affair, her ex boyfriends include Mick Jagger, Eric Clapton, tycoon Donald Trump and actor Vincent Perez.

The French who dislike overt display of private life in politics had a mixed reaction to their new first lady.

Some said, ''She doesn't have the profile of a First Lady. Well, not the same stature as Cecilia.'' Some were supportive, ''It's great. We need winners in France, not losers. We must go forward, not backwards.''

Their first public appearance as a couple was during a visit to Disneyland with Bruni's son. Their holidays in Egypt and Jordan were also highly publicized.

Early in January Sarkozy had declared that the world will get to know of his wedding with Bruni once it happens. Sure he kept the promise and the world learnt of it afterwards.

The French have been getting very impatient with Sarkozy and want him to fulfill his electoral promises with the same speediness.

yep, Cecilia was more what they are used to, and they are cross/feeling a bit manipulated, thinking cecilia was part of the deal when voting sarkozy in, when in fact he and cecilia just patched things up to look good for the election.
And this is all new for the french. The last two presidents, chirac and mitterand, were both married only once and very long term, all through their appointments, of 12 and 14 years respectively. Mitterand had an illegitimate child which was kept totally hush hush for almost whole term.
Sarkozy is supposed to be a breath of fresh air, to take france into the modern world, and it is causing a few waves.

Hang on, isn't this one a photo of Christy Turlington?

Not that I'm complaining. Have you got any more?

Pah, what of the intellectual capacity and personality of this girl?

You must be right--I just did a google search of Christy Turlington, and came across the exact same photo. Well, she looks close enough to Carla Bruni for me.

If you perform an unfiltered Yahoo search for Carla Bruni -- oh la la!! ! as the French might say.

Cecilia was also a model, wasn't she? I remember her helping free Bulgarian nurses in Libya who had been accused of (and sentenced for) infecting children with the AIDS virus. At that point, she did have all of the makings of a great first lady. Then, poof! Everything went higgledy-piggledy.

Carla Bruni is probably one of only, what, maybe 200 women who have done both Mick Jagger AND Donald Trump? She has definitely set a new standard by adding a French president to the list of conquests.

I guess that she knows how to ride horses.

She needs a cupcake or two though.

Do you mean so that she can put on a bit of weight?

Here she is singing

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMUedRUJ_HA&NR=1[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD0lVZNHN_4[/youtube]

Well, okay, maybe she isn't such a great singer.

Here she is, advertising boots.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7l4911xPG1o[/youtube]

Here she is in an advertisement for a car.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6mlZ7wHNMs[/youtube]

Well, okay, maybe she is turning Mr. Sarkozy into a laughingstock:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aag4LLGXECs[/youtube]

I wouldn't have imagined you are so much interested in french politics. Here in France we are trying to understand how United States primary elections works.

Even if I don't really like Sarkozy, France needs reforms after dozens of years of inaction. I think there is a good chance to have them with him. What our president does with his private life (even if it is not so private these days) doesn't matter.

That is what the French always say, but is it really true?

Yes, I don't think it has real impact. This just demonstrates that Sarkozy is not the same generation as Chirac or Mitterrand. It has not even prevented his fall in popularity.

Well, Segolene Royale waited until after the election to break up with her cupcake.

And, Sarkozy and Cecilia waited until after the election to divorce.

There must have been some political considerations in their timing.

Now, if George Bush were to break up with Barbara and suddenly marry Hillary Duff, I'm sure that we would have non-stop press coverage.

We expect our presidents to behave in a saintly, dignified manner, at least as far as their personal sexual lives are concerned.

Exactly.

Although the French eat well, the typical French diet isn't so amenable to weight gain. And, with all of the exquisite French pastries available, I doubt that she would find an American cupcake to be especially palatable.

(My first thought, since you said that she needed two cupcakes, was that you wanted her to insert them into her brassiere for some reason).

Anyway, wow. We know that she can't sing well, but she must have other significant talents that Monsieur le President found indispensible.

I read something in "The New Yorker" magazine about this. All modern French presidents had mistresses, but none has made it so overt, let alone dump his wife for her. The French, it said, feel like American values are usurping their own. A sign of the times there, I guess.

Americans do not want playboys and jingaloes as role modals for their country; someone who just want the top job to attract more beautiful babes. When you go to a president’s house, you want to see books related to his job books that inspire, not shelves of playboy magazines. Bad presidents come and go but when destructive view are acceptable, they can take a lifetime to change.

I acknowledge that trying to impress woman can lead men to grate things. But in some field can only work with interest in that profession or else we wouldn’t need geeks and aspies because the stub muffins of the world would be able to do a better job.