Why Are The Anglo-Saxons Showing So Much Interest?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/14/francois-hollande-to-face-media-affair-allegations

Why are our press going into such a frenzy over this, I could understand it if it had been one of our politicians 'playing away' but a Frenchman, who happens to be the President why?

The 'First Lady' isn't even his wife?

[Zeuhl]

Because there isn't much UK news deemed interesting enough by the editors to fill the airtime or columns?

We must be careful not to confuse what is in the media with what is actually happening, let alone assume they are the most significant.

[ToraToraTora]

I'm surprised it's even in the news, I thought it was more shocking if the French President wasn't playing away!

[youngmafbog]

It's in the French papers but not in the same way. I think you will find the take in France is more do we trust a cheat and ditherer (he cant make his mind up which woman) with our economy.

Front page of le Figaro, use google to translate it for you AOG.

[youngmafbog]

And no not his wife as in marriage.

[jno]

beats me, aog. I can't believe the Telegraph has a photo of the French president's "girlfriend" (absurd word) on its front page.

[sandyRoe]

Pure prurience

[jno]

a useful vocabulary is here, Steve,5

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-magazine-monitor-25718210

[Ken4155]

No-one in France seems to be overly fussed about it. I saw a few being interviewed on last night's news. Plenty of Gallic shrugs but no outrage.

[jno]

it was just a funny reading list, Steve.

I think the girlfriend in the photo was the real one, not the unofficial one. I don't know if they both qualify as tartes.

[jomifl]

The only thing that is outraging the French re. Hollande's affairs is that the French are paying for his middle girlfriends office, that really hurts them.

[anotheoldgit]

Well he has definitely upset the Muslims due to his philandering.

http://www.independent.co.uk/incoming/article9035384.ece/ALTERNATES/w2048/hollande2-afpgt.jpg

Even Paul O'Grady is bowing his head in shame.

http://www.independent.co.uk/incoming/article9035387.ece/ALTERNATES/w2048/hollande5-afpgt.jpg

[jomifl]

I thought that the 'grille au coq' was a variety of chastity belt. Obviously there is a hole in that reasoning.

[FredPuli43]

It is of interest to the serious papers here because it has never been the French way to concern themselves with such matters. That there has been any fuss at all is interesting because a) it originated in the one, newish, French magazine that does concern itself with tittle tattle, gossip, and delving into the personal life of celebrities. The question is therefore whether this new style of journalism for France shows that the people are becoming like the Anglo-Saxons.

b) if not (a) then why is this particular President being singled out ? Previous Presidents have had mistresses; Mitterrand fathered a daughter with one; but the press never bothered with saying anything and the people were not interested anyway. Well, Hollande is deeply unpopular. He is seen as a bearer of false promises, of policies which are disliked, and as rather duplicitous. His minor misuse of state employees and property is irrelevant; previous Presidents did far worse with both; but his behaviour in this, otherwise immaterial, affair tends to support that belief that he is shifty. And the magazine is now claiming that the flat which he used had a woman with connections to the Corsican mafia as the tenant; this doesn't help!

[craft1948]

I think the French are upset because of the crash helmet and scooter....he looked a pratt.

[jomifl]

The other day most of the French male newsreaders on tv were wearing crash hemets as they read the news.

[anotheoldgit]

FredPuli43

/// It is of interest to the serious papers here because it has never been the French way to concern themselves with such matters. ///

So better then that I took the decision to use a Guardian link, because I knew that I would have received the usual jibes had it had been a daily Mail one.

But regardless of what you consider to a 'serious newspaper', it has strangely been reported by most newspapers and TV outlets.