Orchids Galore, Ginter Botanical Garden. Copyright 2012: singeronthesand
...if there be any virtue, if there be any praise,
think on those things.
Philippians 4:8
France has a new President-elect. Francois Hollande has defeated Nicholas Sarkozy to gain the top spot in the land. Normally I wouldn't pay any attention to a political contest in Europe, but a sidebar caught my eye because it dealt with a subject I am interested in: music.
In the closing days of the campaign, Mr. Hollande's team produced a campaign video that featured background music by two American rappers - Jay-Z and Kanye West, specifically their hit song, Niggas in Paris. [Now, I could have just typed a capital "N" and put little stars for the rest of the letters in order not to type that offensive word, but hey, that's the official title of the song.] At first (and only) glance, this little ditty appears to be about themselves living it up in Paris, thoroughly enjoying their celebrity status and the perks it brings. I would share the lyrics below, except I can't: the song is so profane and, yes, filthy, I wouldn't want to see the words scratched on a bathroom stall much less write them in a public blog, which certainly begs the question: why in the world would Mr. Hollande lay claim to this music in a nationwide political ad that has now gone far beyond the borders of France?
Did he use it in order to attract young voters? Is it an indication of his social mores - particularly regarding his view of women? Did the candidate even know that the video was being voiced by this music? I certainly hope so, for his public character is now colored by the video that bears his image and name.
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