French high-level diplomacy takes a turn for the weird (OH...MY...GAWD!!!)

[Jim March]

Here's the link, but there's no picture - thank GOD!



This has gotta be a gag?

http://www.msnbc.com/news/906776.asp?0cv=KB20&cp1=1

Chirac to Pose Naked

Lastest Entertainment Weekly cover boy ‘desperate’ to win back American fans, critics say

NEWSWEEK WEB EXCLUSIVE

April 29 — French President Jacques Chirac startled diplomatic circles today with his decision to pose nude for the cover of Entertainment Weekly magazine.

MR. CHIRAC, HIS HANDS strategically covering key parts of his anatomy, appears buck naked on the magazine cover with controversial phrases and epithets such as “cheese-eating surrender monkey†written on his body in what appears to be magic marker.

Reached at his home in Paris, Mr. Chirac said he took the unusual step of doffing his duds for Entertainment Weekly after losing a coin toss to French Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin.

While some in the State Department called Mr. Chirac’s bid to win back American fans “desperate,†the French President defended his decision: “It’s not about the nakedness. It’s about clothes getting in the way of labels.â€

A spokesman for the French President later acknowledged that Mr. Chirac had no idea what that statement meant.

Secretary of State Colin Powell, who just last week said that the French would be “punished†for opposing the U.S.-led mission in Iraq, said today he was not sure whether Mr. Chirac’s naked photo shoot fit the bill. “After looking at Mr. Chirac naked, it’s hard for me to say who’s punishing whom,†Mr. Powell said.

In other news overseas, British Prime Minister Tony Blair made a rare visit to Great Britain today. Mr. Blair said he had been “overwhelmed†by the warm greeting he received from the British people and that he hoped to visit again “soon.â€

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andy Borowitz won the 2001 Dot-Comedy Award for Best Humor Columnist on the Net and is the author of the forthcoming book, ‘Who Moved My Soap? The CEO’s Guide to Surviving in Prison.’ His Web site is www.borowitzreport.com

© 2003 Newsweek, Inc.

 

[Don Gwinn]

Definitely a joke. It was written by a humor columnist and it references too many actual scandals to be a coincidence.

 

[PATH]

Pretty funny though!

 

[CZ-75]

HIS HANDS strategically covering key parts of his anatomy

Does he really need BOTH of them?

 

[PlayTheAces]

Here's the dead giveaway it's a fake:

Mr. Chirac’s bid to win back American fans

 

[4570Rick]

Thanks for the visualization Jim.

I didn’t need any sleep tonight anyway.

 

[roscoe]

Yeah, that's pretty much a direct reference to the Dixie Chix mag cover.

 

[Calamity Jane]

ACK!! My eyes! My EYES!!!!

 

[WilderBill]

American fans?

 

[Dave Markowitz]

 

[Monte Harrison]

MR. CHIRAC, HIS HANDS strategically covering key parts of his anatomy, appears buck naked on the magazine cover with controversial phrases and epithets such as “cheese-eating surrender monkey†written on his body in what appears to be magic marker.

I blew coffee all over my monitor when I read that!
It's a joke, and a quite funny one.

 

[foghornl]

Those thoughts should help my diet plan.... I won't be hungry for 3 or 4 days, now...

 

[Mike Irwin]

Obviously a humorous take on the Dixie Chicks recently posing nude on the cover of that magazine.