6.11.11

Barack Obasmots! By Hadrian, Floriane, Anne-Sophie & Jérémy


US President Barack Obama congratulated France's Nicolas Sarkozy on the birth of his daughter on Thursday. On Friday he is due to make an unprecedent joint appearance alongside his counterpart on French television.

"I want to congratulate Nicolas and Carla on the birth of Giulia," Obama said, referring to Sarkozy's supermodel-turned-singer wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy who last month gave birth to the couple's first child.

"And I informed Nicolas, on the way in, that I am confident that Giulia inherited her mother's looks rather than her father's!" Obama joked to muted laughter from reporters and a rueful smile from Sarkozy.
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This blooper could have created a diplomatic incident. It is a good example of how American (rather denigrating) humour does not translate well into a French context. The joke backfired because it was spoken out of turn; public figures in a public context should not mock each other about private (family) matters...

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