French state decorates Kylie Minogue, culture star

In the picture, you see the French Minister of Culture awarding a top state honour to an illustrious artist for high achievement and for enhancing the reach of the French creative arts. That's right, the decoration is being pinned on Kylie Minogue, the Australian pop singer.

The ceremony yesterday at the Ministry's headquarters in the sublime Palais Royal, beside the Louvre, is not as odd as it seems. Official France has long taken a paradoxical approach to "Anglo-Saxon" pop culture. It spends hundreds of millions of euros a year promoting the Gallic arts against the "commercial steamroller" of English-language entertainment. At the same time, it confers high-brow status on Anglo-Saxon stars and showers them with honours.

A stop by the Ministry of Culture, or even the Presidential Palace, has become almost routine for big names from Hollywood and showbiz when they drop into Paris or the Cannes festival. This is not a product  of the arrival last year of Nicolas Sarkozy, the pro-American President who prides himself on his friendship with Tom Cruise. It began around 1983, when the Socialist administration of François Mitterrand awarded Jerry Lewis, the comic, the Légion d'Honneur.

Mitterrand's government railed against American Imperialism, yet it went on to make Lewis a Commander of Arts and Letters, the highest rank in the order that is reserved for the cultural world. There are only 50 commanders in France and worldwide. They include Clint Eastwood, Bob Dylan and of course Woody Allen, France's favourite American film-maker. Minogue became one of 450 chevaliers (knights) of the order. Other non-French members include Sharon Stone, Sylvester Stallone, Warren Beatty, Robert Redford and David Bowie.

These decorations raise few French eyebrows, at least not since Stallone won his for the creative achievement of Rocky and Rambo back in 1992. Bernard Pivot,  powerful host of a television book show, said then that the award discredited the order of arts and letters. "Stallone represents the worst of American movies," Pivot sniffed.

Albanel, a civil servant who became minister after serving as administrator of the Versailles palace, enjoyed herself when she elevated George Clooney to chevalier at the Deauville film festival last September. "You are a symbol, the quintessence of the American actor from the greatest line, Clark Gable and Cary Grant," the Minister declared. "You are a living legend with uncontested talent and irresistible charm." 

That almost equalled the star-struck gush from Philippe Douste-Blazy, the Culture Minister, who pinned the decoration on Sharon Stone in 1995. He praised her erotic performance in Basic Instinct. "Your game, your presence, your physique, troubling and captivating, have given you a special place in our cinema fantasyland," said the trembling Gaullist. (watch video here)

It's hard to image that Albanel, the quintessence of the straight-laced fonctionnaire, would have known much about Minogue, who opens a new world tour in Paris tonight. But her speech-writers did a great job.

"Princess of pop, uncontested queen of the dance floors, you are a sort of Midas of the international music scene who turns everything she touches into gold, from records to micro-shorts," the minister said. She praised Minogue's good humour, her choreographic precision and "your unbridled sensuality in your last album, X"

Minogue was acclaimed for her love of France and for choosing Jean-Paul Gaultier to design the costumes for her new tour. "France dresses you; France immortalises you; France takes care of you... and France inspires you..."  The Minister did not mention Minogue's other French connection -- Olivier Martinez, the  film actor with whom she ended a four-year partnership last year, after her bout with cancer.   

[Clooney and Albanel after ceremony]

Below is another illustration of the power of American stars in French culture. Qu'est ce qu'il a ce Georges? (What's he got, this George?) is a catchy duo about George Clooney that became a hit last year. Olivia Ruiz and Salvatore Adamo are a couple bickering about  George Clooney. She adores him but he complains that the star has invaded their life [here are the lyrics]

Comments

[peter kinsley www.peterkinsley.com]

1st in the queue:

I don't want to hog
Mr. Bremner's Blog
But I'd love a quick snog
With Kylie Minogue

Congratulations, Kylie, you have lightened our lives since Neighbours. You have no idea how many Pom geezers were madly in love with you and the Oz Sheilas over the years.
Keep smiling...

[dot king]

Charles, when the Minister, Mme Albanel was going to pin the medal on the Australian Barbie Doll (yes, OK nothing against her but she looks like she came out of a kit), she dropped it.
Sort of slipped out of her hands, sort of by accident - is NOT how it looked.
I think she might have been making a ministerial statement, after all it's a fair bet the one had never heard of the other before that meeting.

[Romain]

Such good descriptions Charles, except you had to remind us of Philippe Douste Panzy. I wish he could remain in oblivion untill the end of times.

[rocket]

"It began around 1983, when the Socialist administration of François Mitterrand awarded Jerry Lewis, the comic, the Légion d'Honneur."

Thank you CB. Now I know where all those Jerry Lewis and the French jokes come from.

"....creative achievement of Rocky and Rambo"

Pretty funny to reward the same American violence and steroid use that the French usually moan about.

Kylie. A fox indeed but did the good minister mention her battle against cancer or was she just want to meet her *ss

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eMpDPpEcKY

In short IMHO all of these awards simply give these "leaders" the photo op to meet these "stars" that would otherwise not stop by.

Reminds me of the movie Beat the Devil with Humphrey Bogart (John Huston 1953) when the Arab prince begs Bogart to tell him about Rita Hayworth.

[christopher muir]

Good on yer, Kylie.

[Frank Upton]

Josephine Baker was the first star to be awarded the Legion of Honour, I think, although she was a French citizen and a resistance heroine by then.

[Daisy]

So when is David Hasselhoff getting his medal????

[rocket]

There is a link between the above and the story I have linked.

Anything to get noticed!

http://tinyurl.com/6akpor

[Robert Marchenoir]

Christine Albanel. My, my, my. That's very poor management. An occasion lost. If you really have to award a state honor to such an immortal genius as Kylie Minogue, at least you'd better make the most of it.

Obviously, a higher male in the official pecking order should have stepped in, in order to pin that medal onto that bosom.

Was François Fillon sleeping? And did Sarko lose his touch, he who used to have his affectionate hands all over female celebrities during official events?

It's widely rumoured that even the French elite cannot read anymore. At least it seems they can manage the first three letters of the word "culture".

[The 3rd Column]

Have they given you an award yet Charles? (If they do that then, I'll probably agree that the minister of culture has gone bonkers!)

[Lily]

Kylie, ehm, Lady Kylie, has also been Officer (Dame?) of the Order of the British Empire since 2007:

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Category:Officers_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire&from=M

This French top state honour is the French way of telling her she's a 'lady' :)

[Chris]

I've lost all respect for the French.

[CDL]

Congrats Kylie, but wasn't Streisand honored with the highest grade "Commander of Arts and Letters" last year in June by the new President Sarkozy ? I think so ! did I miss somtehitng to read in TOL then ?

[Dr. Barbara Siek]

Dear Charles,

One of the better choices in awarding the Commander of Arts and Letters was to the fine British actor and writer Sir Dirk Bogarde, who died nine years ago on the 8th of May, 1999.

[Thanks. I heartily agree on Bogarde. I was a great fan. I tried to find a list of all recipients of the French decoration so I could mention the good foreign choices too, but I didn't manage in time. CB]

[a French person]

How does she relate to my country? Does she write, speak or sing publicly in French? What has she done for the French nation? NOTHING

Granting a medal to Kylie is absolutely ridiculous... For us and for her!

[Juliette]

It would have been more intelligent to award her something for a commitment to cancer research - that's something more praiseworthy, and where she does make a lot of difference...

[azloon]

since this topic has obviously stalled, time to liven things up a bit.

here's a headline from associated press from a few mintues ago:

"Texas teens tell police they converted skull into bong"

brings to mind (mine at least) the great Jerome Kern song, ''Smoke Gets in Your Eyes,' covered by the Platters, in the 60s.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=57tK6aQS_H0

What'll these kids think up next?

for somewhat grisly story see link below:

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iTd5wxU_En1QGaNCbdtxfTYqXVIgD90HV2N81

[I prefer Nat King Cole's version of Smoke Gets in Your Eyes. Speaking as a part time cocktail pianist, it's not such an easy tune to play because of the key-change into b for the bridge... CB]

[dot king]

"Texas teens tell police they converted skull into bong"

Hands up all those bloggers who know what a "bong" is!!

[azloon]

Dot --

re what is a bong?

that's why i linked the story. if the it wasn't explicit enough, a bong is a pipe used for smoking weed (marijuana). (are you telling me you don't have a nice little patch of the stuff out in your garden?)

CB --as a part time cocktail drinker (and avid listener only), i can agree totally that Nat King Cole's version is the 'gold standard' of this song we'll as his version of several others. " 'when i fall in love,' and unforgettable' come to mind.

Cole recorded many smash-hit albums in spanish and portuguese, and even sang in japanese. don't know if he sang in french. anyone know?

Charles, do you slip inconspicuously in and out of these places you play piano, or could one of us listen in some time?

[Romain]

Azloon

Can't remember any Cole songs in French; although they must exist.
My favorite is the traditional caraibean song "daylight come and me want go home" He sang with Myriam Makeba in bantou and also in Swahili: the most popular african song "Malaika" (my angel).
There is a nice version of smoke gets in your eyes by Gainsbourg.

[dot king]

Azloon, whilst I know what a bong is, I wasn't 100% sure that everyone else would.
Re mon jardin, whilst there are weeds, despite my occasional efforts at creating horticultural perfection, there is no weed!

I like "honeysuckle rose" but have only found the rambling variety.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGSZu1bVRHs

[qwerty]

"Unforgettable" with Natalie Cole and her father is unforgettable, too...

[azloon]

Romain --

fascinating that Cole sang in Bantu and Swahili. i will try to download the songs you menioned from itunes. Cole was obvious a talented linguist/mimic.

re Miriam Makeba: wonderful, sang with Hugh Masakela (and Ladysmith Black Mombazo) in a Paul Simon's Graceland concert held in an outdoor venue with 100,00 Zimbaweans -- black, white and all shades in between as audience. best concert i've ever ever ''seen.' i actually saw the same concert live, sans Makeba/Masakela in Phoenix. you can find the DVD at Netflix in the U.S. or i am sure some european equivalent. maybe downloadable from the net?

Qwerty --

i am sure you know that those duos were a synthetic product made years after King Cole's untimely death (age 45) from lung cancer.

[Maggie]

Romain,

That's Harry Belafonte you're thinking of, not Nat King Cole.

It was Harry Belafonte who sang with Myriam Makeba ("Malaika" etc) , and "Day-O" is also Harry Belafonte, as well as "Island in the Sun", "Jamaica Farewell", and all those other great songs -- "Matilda", "Brown Skin Girl", "Come Back Liza".....

He's the greatest!

[dot king]

What clever bloggers we are - from the uninteresting fluffy Kylie Barbie Doll to Nat and Harry in hardly any easy steps - here they are: specially for MAGGIE
Ta-dah!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3vgaCNY-aI

[Maggie]

Wow! Thanks, Dot! That was terrific!

I do love Harry Belafonte!

[Romain]

Dot & Azloon

SOS Alzheimer! Of course it's Harry Belafonte, thanks Dot for correcting. I love lady smith black mambazo and south african gospels.
If you guys (sorry Dot: lassies and laddies) like african singers, I would warmly recommend Angelique Kidjo, from Benin (francophone country). Among the francophone African musicians we have the legendary Manu Di Bango (from Gabon).And so many others.

[Romain]

Here is Malaika by Angelique Kidjo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haQz9dCoZ3E

[azloon]

for the record (which record i have no idea) 'Day-O' is actually called 'the banana boat song.'

[dot king]

"SOS Alzheimer! Of course it's Harry Belafonte, thanks Dot for correcting." (Romain)

Romain, it wasn't I who corrected, suggest renew SOS soonest! ; )
(Maggie possibly)

Thanks for the clip. African music and musicians get good coverage in France. I love any music that'll fill my room and my mind with sunshine from elsewhere.
There is no sound to compare with African voices singing.

Dianne Reeves, although American (Afro-American should I say?) includes quite a lot of African music in her shows - I saw her at the Marciac Jazz Festival last year. With her, you KNOW someone's on stage!
Here's "afro blue" - clearly demonstrates the African roots of jazz.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4gwHLntdCP0

[azloon]

nice piece from NY Times today about all this stuff;

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/11/fashion/11chevalier.html?_r=1&ref=world&oref=slogin

apparently, jerry lewis pretended to fall asleep while his commendation was being read during his ceremony. the audience laughed uproariously. he also wore bedroom slippers to the event.

[Lily]

"he also wore bedroom slippers to the event." (Azloon)

I've just misread the line and wondered what 'boredom slippers' were. :)

[azloon]

i think they may also have been 'boredom slippers,' reserved for special occasions. :)