French minister under fire for Playboy magazine cover | CNN

French Minister Under Fire for Playboy Cover Appearance Amid Country's Social Crisis

France is grappling with a social crisis, including issues of policing and high levels of unemployment, yet the country's government is facing criticism over the appearance of its own minister on the cover of a provocative magazine. Marlene Schiappa, who has been a key figure in shaping France's policies on women's rights and LGBTQ+ issues, found herself at the center of controversy after she appeared on the front page of Playboy, accompanied by a 12-page interview.

Schiappa, who has been a government minister since 2017, was photographed wearing a white dress for the magazine. Her appearance has drawn criticism from within her own party, with French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne pulling up Schiappa over the cover, citing that it wasn't "appropriate" during this period.

Critics argue that the timing of Schiappa's appearance on Playboy is particularly problematic given the country's current social and economic crisis. France is in the throes of a pension reform debate, with widespread public opposition to the government's proposals. Meanwhile, issues such as policing and unemployment continue to plague the country.

French politicians have come out to criticize Schiappa's appearance, including Green Party politician Sandrine Rousseau, who called for a "smoke screen" to be lifted around the country's problems. Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who came third in the 2022 presidential elections, also weighed in on social media, criticizing both Schiappa's appearance and President Emmanuel Macron's decision to give an interview to children's magazine Pif Gadget.

In response to her critics, Schiappa defended her right to express herself and control her own body. French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin came to her defense, calling her a "woman of character." The controversy has highlighted the challenges faced by women in politics in France, where they are often held to different standards than their male counterparts.

As France grapples with its social crisis, the debate over Schiappa's appearance on Playboy serves as a reminder of the country's ongoing struggles with issues of sexism and misogyny. The controversy has sparked a wider conversation about the role of women in politics and the need for greater representation and respect for female leaders in France.

I think this whole situation is super telling, you know? It's not just that Marlene Schiappa appeared on the cover of Playboy, but it's the timing. We're living through some serious social and economic turmoil in France right now, and here she is getting scrutinized for something that's basically her personal choice.

It's like, can't we have a conversation about women's rights and representation without judging someone's appearance? I mean, Schiappa has been an outspoken advocate for women's issues and LGBTQ+ rights, and yet she gets hit with this criticism from people who probably wouldn't even care if it wasn't a high-profile politician.

And let's be real, the fact that French politicians are getting worked up over this is just revealing. It says more about their own biases and sexism than anything else. I mean, come on, Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Sandrine Rousseau both jumping in to criticize Schiappa... it's like they're trying to prove a point or something.

Anyway, the bigger takeaway here is that we need to have more nuanced conversations about women in politics and sexism. We can't just judge someone's appearance without considering the context or their actions. And we need to hold our politicians accountable for actually doing something to address these issues, not just making noise on social media.

I'm not surprised this is happening, gotta be real though, some ppl r gonna judge based on how they look or what mag they're in... but Marlene Schiappa's got more going on than just a Playboy cover she's tryna break barriers & make change happen. France needs more leaders like her who aren't afraid to speak up & stand out from the crowd

the whole thing is pretty wild, right? i mean, schiappa's just trying to express herself and she gets roasted by her own party and the rest of france... meanwhile, macron's over here interviewing kids from pif gadget and nobody bats an eye . it's like, can't we focus on the real issues facing france instead of schiappa's magazine cover? the pension reform debate is getting nowhere and yet people are still fixated on her appearance... it's just so frustrating .

I was just thinking about trying out that new cafe downtown, you know? They have this amazing lavender latte that's supposed to be super relaxing. I'm really curious to try it out, but I keep putting it off because I'm trying to finish up my current project first. Speaking of which, have you ever noticed how some projects just seem to never end? Like, I know they're not really "ending" in the classical sense, but sometimes it feels like they're just going on and on forever...

I don't get why there's so much drama over this ... I mean, isn't it just her having fun on the cover of Playboy? She's a strong woman and she gets to decide how she wants to express herself. Can't we just focus on the real issues facing France right now, like getting pensions sorted out and dealing with all that police brutality stuff? I mean, I'm not saying I would put myself on the cover of Playboy (I'm a bit too old for that ), but if Marlene Schiappa wants to do it, who cares? She's a politician, she can handle herself. And what's with all these politicians coming out to criticize her? That just smells like sexism to me ... we need more women in power, not less!

I dont get why she went for that pic when Fances is struggling . Its like, priorities fam. We got pension reform, policing issues, and unemployment on our hands...and instead we're worried about the gov minister's hotness . Just saying, if this was a dude doing it, no one would be giving him crap . The fact that she's being held to different standards is what's really concerning . Women in politics deserve better than this smoke screen .

This is crazy. Like, I get it, Schiappa wants to express herself and all that, but come on... It's not exactly the right time, you know? France is dealing with some real issues, like the pension reform debate and policing problems, and then she goes and does a Playboy cover shoot? It's just confusing. And I feel bad for her party, because they're getting roasted over this too... I mean, can't we just have one thing that doesn't go wrong with a politician in France for once?

OMG I'm literally still trying to process this , like Schiappa is already dealing with so much pressure as a gov minister but now she gets roasted for a Playboy cover? Like what's next? I feel bad for her tho, I can imagine how frustrating it must be to have people scrutinizing your every move. And can we talk about the sexism factor here? It's like women in politics are held to this impossible standard of being both sexy and competent at the same time , it's just not fair.

I'm also kinda curious about the timing of this whole thing, given France is dealing with some pretty major social issues right now. Like what if she had done something more 'edgy' or provocative when the country was in a better place? I dunno, maybe I'm just reading too much into it , but it feels like her appearance on Playboy is being used to distract from some bigger problems.

And btw, I love that Gérald Darmanin came to her defense and called her a 'woman of character' , that's what we need more of – people recognizing and supporting strong female leaders!

I feel so bad for her , I mean, who hasn't done something they regret at some point? It's just that timing is everything, you know? They're dealing with a lot of serious stuff right now, and she just happens to put herself on the cover of a magazine. And yeah, it's not like we don't have enough things to worry about in this country - high unemployment, policing issues... let her have one moment to herself without being crucified . But at the same time, I get why she's getting slammed from both sides. She is a powerful woman and she should know better . It's just frustrating because we need more women like her in leadership positions, you know? We can't keep relying on men to make decisions for us . Anyway, I hope she takes the criticism to heart and uses it as an opportunity to talk about some of the real issues France is facing .

I don't get why everyone's going nuts over Marlene Schiappa's Playboy cover. She's got the right to express herself, you know? Like, if she wants to wear a white dress on the cover of a magazine, that's her choice . But at the same time, I can see why people would think it's not the best timing, especially with all the other stuff going on in France . The pension reform debate and policing issues are major problems, and I'm like, can't we focus on those instead of Schiappa's private life? But hey, at least it's sparking a conversation about sexism and misogyny in politics, so that's a good thing, right?