Lord Browne of BP: Everything but Bosie

A profile in the Evening Standard of Lord Browne of Madingley, battered departing chief exec of BP, employs all the usual gay cliches about him - "confirmed bachelor", "devoted to opera and ballet" and "fellow aesthetes": the only thing missing is a Bosie for that latterday Oscary touch. The pity is that a mighty business baron cannot simply be called gay, especially when he's riding high and not just on his way down: the media have become very interested in his private life since his stock fell over the Texan and Alaskan scandals, among other things.

A few years ago an ex-boyfriend of Browne's took his own life - nothing to do with Browne I should add, but what a pity he couldn't freely talk about it in the media even as his company ravaged the global environment.

Lord Browne: The international outing market

The mysterious Duralex sends me an interesting comment to a posting below deserving of a wider audience ...

"Such "outings" as Lord Browne's or Peter Mandelson's wouldn't be possible in the French influenced area, for example, where homosexuality is not an issue. Do you know that the mayor of Paris is openly gay, and constantly re-elected? I might be wrong, but my bet is that no French tabloid would be interested in publishing the kind of "revelations" Jeff Chevalier sold to the Mail on Sunday. Homophobia is a big taboo in the French media. A positive taboo, for once. :-) The situation is not so good in Québec (probably the American influence) but André Boisclair, the handsome gay leader of the PQ, is a well-respected man, and that's encouraging.
I don't think the problem in the UK is only a social class problem. If the popular press considers a "gay scandal" is a valuable selling topic, that implies massive approval from the British population. IMHO, of course... "

Lord Browne: Hinted here first

Lord Browne's current problems were flagged up a little while ago on Arcati - click here. So much for my unreliability.

For people who don't get out much, click here.

The First Post quotes Arcati

The First Post quotes Arcati on the Lord Browne affair today, specifically on all the gay cliches the Evening Standard employed in a recent profile of the former BP boss. It also quotes a comment from a regular Arcati reader, nsfl - "A big problem for Browne was he dealt with the two most homophobic constituencies on the planet: Arabs (regardless of their private behaviour) and Texans. Of all businessmen, it was he who could least afford to come out."

The First Post homepage, click here.

Duralex: A letter from (Yes! Yes! Yes!) "France"

The person calling himself Duralex replies to the posting below about Sarkozy and Duralex's insistance that the French are above tawdry tattle ...

Demented, moi ? Beneath my rhetoric I’m as cold as a snake and as sharp as a slaughterer’s [corrected] knife. I thought you already knew.

Oh, did I say so, really? Well, let me see. Here is all I could find:

Click here

I said: "Such "outings" as Lord Browne's or Peter Mandelson's wouldn't be possible in the French influenced area, for example, where homosexuality is not an issue. Do you know that the mayor of Paris is openly gay, and constantly re-elected? I might be wrong, but my bet is that no French tabloid would be interested in publishing the kind of "revelations" Jeff Chevalier sold to the Mail on Sunday. Homophobia is a big taboo in the French media. A positive taboo, for once. ” (08/05/2007)

Click here

I just said: “In the French area, no one cares about that sort of stuff.”

Which you enthusiastically interpreted and elaborated as follows: “In France, the appearance of not caring about such matters is probably more important than the expression of any interest in other people's sex lives – the old culture is above such things.” (09/06/2007)

Your words, chéri, not mine.

So no, I never said anything of the sort. The context of my statements was totally different from the one we are presently talking about. Back then the discussion was about the typically Anglo-Saxon preoccupation with who is gay or not among public persons, and the way your media use to fuel that kind of speculation. I never said the French are not interested in “the sex lives of their governing and celebrity classes”. I just said they are not prejudiced about their sexual orientation, which is not the same thing at all.

I can’t figure out why you’re calling out to me about this topic. My first language and literary culture are French, OK, but I’m Canadian and I don’t know much about French political life. Besides, I suppose that caring about the king’s (or whatever you call him) love life is something quite common all over the world. It’s natural curiosity, but unlike you I wouldn’t state it’s a sign of deep political conscience and maturity. I’d rather say it’s a sign of… ah, in informal French we say “ringardise” (a ridiculous traditionalism).

What I personally find more significant and interesting than this is that suddenly, the French president has become a valuable gossip topic in the Anglo-Saxon tabs and internet blogs. Maudit, even Perez Hilton is talking at length and peddling wild rumors about Mr Sarkozy’s relationship with Carla Bruni! This is truly unbelievable !

Mmmm. I remember some juicy stories about Giscard’s and Mitterrand’s escapades. And as far as I know, Sarko’s affair with Carla is in no way extra-marital. He’s officially divorced and so is she.

Well, as they use to say it comes with the territory. But in Mr. Sarkozy's case it seems to be part of the territory, and I’m afraid the French are not very happy about it. For the media are one thing, but the people’s opinion is a whole other story. Just read the comments on Perez Hilton, many of them come from French readers, and they are pretty steep. I also hear Sarkozy’s popularity is sinking in the polls. So yes, just as you say: the French finally grow up. But a bit too late…