Raised eyebrows?_其他_趣味英语-查字典英语网

Raised eyebrows?

Away from the cameras, much of the French public seemed to have sought solace in the belief – held by almost two-thirds of the population, according to a poll – that the entire affair was a set-up. And also in humour: social networks were awash with jokes, while a sketch on France Inter, the equivalent of BBC Radio 4, consisted of a male comedian imagining Strauss-Kahn’s internal dialogue moments before the alleged attack. “Put away the merguez [sausage], mate,” said one voice. “Whip out the tools, mate,” countered another.

After several days of this, Osez le Féminisme decided enough was enough. In a powerful statement, it declared that the way in which the chambermaid's account had been dismissed showed how difficult it was for victims of sexual assault to come forward. The levity with which her allegations were treated by some, it added, showed “to what extent violence against women is still underestimated”. Of the estimated 75,000 women who are raped in France each year, it is said only 10% file an official complaint with the police.

In the pristine quarters of Paris, where a privileged elite work, dine and often sleep together, this machismo wears a sophisticated face. From the double life of François Mitterrand to the years of Jacques Chirac (“three minutes, shower included”, the rumour goes), France has long shrugged its shoulders at its leaders' private indiscretions. Moreover, say some, it has tacitly encouraged them. When asked in 2006 about her husband’s “passion for women”, Strauss-Kahn’s third wife, Anne Sinclair, told L’Express magazine: “I’m proud of it! It’s important for a politician to be able to seduce.”