Britney Spears has been wisely testing the waters all weekend by performing overseas before bringing her lip-syncing show back to America. On Thursday she performed at a German awards show before hitting up a French talent competition on Friday and the UK's X Factor on Saturday. When asked to give advice to the X Factor contestants, Brit wisely suggested, "Just keep doing it." Here's an idea: Let's not ask Britney Spears for advice. She still has a long way to go. Her "Womanizer" performance is leaps and bounds better than the VMA disaster of '07, but it's nothing to write home about.
Clip after the jump.
Le Presidente Francaise (shut up, elementary French was 9 years ago) Nicolas Sarkozy is a very lucky man. He's sort of like the French James Bond: he's suave, a little cocky, and is boning a (NWS) model.
Unfortunately, Sarkozy doesn't seem to have the, how do you say, "International politics" of 007. As evidenced by the fact that he still thinks Barack Obama beat out Hillary Clinton for the Presidential race. I mean he did, but that was months ago:
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'France's broadcast authority has banned French channels from airing TV shows aimed at children under 3 years old, to shield them from developmental risks it says television viewing poses at that age. The High Audiovisual Council, in a ruling published Wednesday, said it wanted to "protect children under 3 from the effects of television."' [AP]
Oui! Oui! Oui! Whereas we deep-fried Americans lounge behind computers and blog angrily ("I'ma break this fuckin' MacBook, y'all!!!1!) when news about Angelina Jolie and her ubiquitous brood overtakes all the other headlines, the French take to the fucking rues and let the world know they're pissed:
Monsier R, nee Richard Makela, is a French rapper who might be sent to jail for doing the sort of thing that American rappers do all the time. A court recently agreed to consider a complaint lodged by a conservative MP against Monsieur R. Why? Because the rapper referred to France as a “slut” in the song “FranSSe” off of his latest album, Politikment Incorrekt. The actual offending lyrics are ‘”France is a bitch, don’t forget to fuck her till she’s exhausted/You have to treat her like a slut, man.” At another point, Mr Makela says: “I piss on Napoleon and on General de Gaulle.”‘ Mon Dieu!
In photographing and videotaping Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen while they walked the streets of Paris, paparazzi agency X17 may have broken French and international law.
The French have much stricter privacy laws protecting non-public officials than America does, keeping even the most famous of celebrities out of public eye, since individuals must give their permission to be hounded by photogs. (After the death of Princess Diana in 1997 in Paris, a campaign was launched to further tighten regulations for civilians.)
But that didn't keep the agency helmed by Francois and Brandy Navarre from harassing the Olsen twins on the street and while they dined inside Cafe de Flore.
Possibly, X17 could claim they only photographed the Olsens inside France's borders, but did not sell photos there. And that strategy might work — if those photos only circulate inside the U.S., where privacy laws are nil.
But if those photos are sold inside any part of Europe, X17 may face trouble.
In 2004, Princess Caroline of Monaco successfully sued photographers for snapping her in France and then selling the pictures to German magazines. The defense that "we didn't sell them in France" didn't hold weight before the European Court of Human Rights, as Caroline claimed a violation under Article 8 of the Human Rights Convention, which protects one's right to private and family life. Even Britain, which has looser laws than France (which goes so far as to ban photographs of crime suspects in handcuffs, because it could sway public opinion against someone presumed innocent) but stricter than the U.S., must now take the ruling "into account" when making its own right to privacy rulings. In Italy, prison terms are being threatened against invasive photogs.
The regulations in France are so tight, the tabloid magazines there are essentially forced to focus on foreign celebrities, including Americans, because they cannot secure legal photos of their own stars. But when those Americans, like Mary-Kate and Ashley, step into France's borders, they're afforded the same protections as citizens. And foreign photographers who follow them, like X17, are afforded the same legal liabilities for hounding them.
"The French magazine l'Express is likely to sell out quicker than hot croissants in Paris today. That's because it rushed its latest issue to newsstands one day early headlined by an exclusive interview with Carla Bruni — the first given to the press by the new first lady since her marriage to French President Nicolas Sarkozy. The magazine's editor in chief, Christophe Barbier, conducted the interview, but has kept a tight lid on its contents." This, from a land where 89 percent of the people consider the relationship a private matter, and are said not to care about such trivial gossip. [WWD, A-R]
The romance and, as of last Saturday, marriage of French President Nicolas Sarkozy and model-singer Carla Bruni has bored the French to death. "DO NOT WANT!" we are told they scream, put off by the tabloid coverage, or Sarkozy's willingness to open his life up as if the tabloids care.
But somebody must care. How else to explain the rushed delivery of two Bruni biographies, which hit bookstores yesterday, with a third one coming out Feb. 14? And: How else to explain the free publicity that airline Ryanair hoped to get out of the couple, by using a photo of them in an advertisement without their permission, only to have to pay nearly $90,000 in damages? CONTINUED »
French President Nicolas Sarkozy and his GF Carla Bruni were the subject of a fawning profile in the Sunday Styles this weekend. But it turns out, the two might also be worthy of a vows video feature. French papers are reporting that the two may have married at Elysee palace last week.
Some may say the fact that the French paparazzi care about the possible marriage of their president while our paparazzi care about the very real mental deterioration of a former teen idol makes them better than us. But we think we're just more honest.
• The election that started way too early is finally happening. The Iowa Caucus is tomorrow. If you're not excited now, it maybe time to re-take high school civics.
• Pete Wentz is not engaged, and is still looking for that high school sophomore who understands him totally. CONTINUED »
French President Nicolas Sarkozy seems to be enjoying the single life. Word on the rue is that Sarkozy is dating TV journalist Laurence Ferrari. The recently divorced newscaster has been spotted at the Elysee Palace, Sarkozy’s official residence, and having dinner around town with him.
Ferrari interviewed Sarkozy in March for the network Canal Plus. According to a source at the station, they “got on like a house on fire,” and have been seeing each other ever since.
See, in America if you have an affair with a separated politician you’re reporting on, you get suspended and demoted. France is just more liberated than us. Then again, in America, we don't use expressions like "house on fire."
"The French magazine Paris Match touched up a photograph taken of President Nicolas Sarkozy during his US vacation to get rid of some unattractive rolls of flesh around his waist," relays AFP. "Sources said Sarkozy's 'seated position on the boat accentuated the bulge.'"
We always thought Sarkozy had a certain je ne sais quoi. We just didn't realize that was actually the French phrase for "love handles."
Editorial Director
