Another fascinating example of what social media is actually good for. Tittle-tattle. Scuttlebutt. Gossip. Prurient – and some might say, inappropriate – interest in the doings of others. Destroying the careers of powerful men.
Hold on – what? Yes – Nicolas Sarkozy, 23rd and current President of the French Republic is apparently ‘avin’ it away with the karate-chopping Chantal Jouanno, his (and I hope I won’t get accused of being sleazy when I state, quite attractive) 40-year-old Ecology Minister. Good grief, she’s young enough to be my slightly younger sister!
Apparently, it’s in reaction to his slightly taller wife, the fragrant – and self-confessed anti-fan of that outmoded convention, monogamy – Carla Bruni doin’ the do with Benjamin Biolay “a musician six years her junior” (this courtesy of the breathless, soaraway Daily Telegraph).
Now – I will confess I have enjoyed writing about this, but there is a point. And I’m not going to labour it.
The affairs – if indeed they actually exist outside the fevered minds of the gossiping classes – came to light via a rising tide of Twitter buzz, which gained critical mass and, in so doing, migrated into the – if I can use the term – mainstream. This is what Twitter – and indeed all social media – is good at. Taking a story with a hint of gossip, salaciousness, controversy and/or sex and spreading it far and wide, regardless of what the truth or reality might actually be.
This is why non-one can afford to ignore social media – not because it is a valid commercial communications, marketing or sales tool, but because it moves so quickly that it poses a real threat. When social gets you – you’ve no time to prepare – you’re back-footed and it’s damage limitation time.
There are two courses of action therefore. One, as I’ve said before, is to prepare for the issues that might happen, before they do – and monitor, monitor, monitor. The second is become President of the French Republic.
Apparently they’ve all had affairs and it’s not damaged a single one of them. Gotta love the French.
thewordmonger 
Great post about the power of Twitter, akin to the example of Iran, yet with an amusing twist.
Best,
Christine Hueber
BTW, did you mean fragrant and flagrant?
I’d say she’s fragrant – but, if the rumours are to be believed, she’s also pretty damn’ flagrant as well. In the nicest possible way, Ms Bruni-Sarkozy has never been backward in coming forward.
And thank you for your feedback!