Word On The Street

...or in the tabloids, or at least word in the teachers' room today, is that France's love-to-hate-'em-hate-to-love-'em first couple might not be quite the fairy-tale match they've been presented as for the past two years. Rumors of lovers on both sides of the equation recently hit the French tabloid blogs. Now personally, I don't care in the least about the private life of the French president. And traditionally, that's how the French population feels too about their political leaders. As long as they do a good job in the position they were hired/elected to fulfill, then no one wants to know about their personal lives.

But WOW, it certainly makes for some hilariously entertaining conversation! And as soon as the principal brought up the topic as we were all mechanically eating our lunches (typical Monday!), well it certainly lit a spark and everyone had some sort of comment - mostly sarcastic or irreverent - to add.

And I find it really curious that just about exactly two years ago was when the first President Sarkozy scandal went down. I was (fortunately!?!) studying in Paris at the time, and came home one night to my host mother nearly bursting to talk about the gossip. And over the span of about 3 weeks - from Sarko's divorce from his second wife, to the first public appearance with Carla Bruni, to their very sudden marriage - our dinner table was just not the same! Catherine would start by filling me in on all the details I had (or hadn't) missed during the day, "Did you hear!?!" she'd ask, and then go on to explain the latest occurance. She'd rant a bit about how all this nonsense was really none of the public's business, and how Sarko & Bruni were really not helping themselves by flaunting their relationship. She'd say how awful it was that this "news" had taken over all forms of the media and what should really be news was being forgotten for what amounted to Hollywood-style scandal. But every night, without fail, she could tell me exactly what new developments there were in the story. I loved it, and was highly entertained. And after about three weeks of intense media coverage, like every other sensational story, it too faded away.

Perhaps it's starting up again, and perhaps not. But the timing could not be more perfect: I'm going to Paris this coming weekend, and will be visiting my former host family. I wonder what Catherine is going to have to say about the newest development in the saga!