First Lady Carla Bruni Records an Album; Critics Pan It

France's first lady drops her third album on Monday and it's getting hideous reviews. The reaction is fascinating to watch: it shows that media outlets and general public have a very specific idea as to the role of a First Lady, her demeanor, and even her profession.

The Guardian authored one of the more scathing reviews, writing:

"The hardest part about listening to Carla Bruni's new album is somehow erasing from your memory that woman in the demure, dove-grey Dior coat, flat shoes and little black hat who had us all swooning back in March," its reviewer wrote.

"When she sings, in 'Je Suis une Enfant', that she remains a little girl 'despite my 40 years, despite my 30 lovers', for instance, that doesn't exactly sound what you might call presidential."

The Independent writes:

"First lady... of schmaltz", the reviewer said it was "all very pleasant, and unsurprisingly inoffensive... but none of these arrangements, despite perhaps stretching Bruni's personal envelope, exactly breaks new ground."

So after all those years dating rockstars like Mick Jagger it is evident, at least in the reviews, that Bruni didn't absorb their songwriting ability through osmosis. Ahem.

Bruni was lauded for her beauty and fashion when she visited London with her husband, President Nicholas Sarkozy, but music? Not so much. Can you imagine the field day the American press would have with Cindy McCain or Michelle Obama if either of these women had photos online like this? Or if they tried to do record a serious album and release it? Big media is a hen house; the cacophony of clucking would drown everything else out.

Comments

[Smiley]

That picture looks like Brenda Walsh from Beverly Hills 90210 (Shannon Daugherty)

Please, tell I'm not the only one who thought that when they saw the picture. :)

[rednexmama]

OK, so it's not like I'm madly downloading Carla Bruni singles from iTunes, but I seem to remember that her two first albums were pretty decent hits. And from the sounds of these reviews, the only thing that's changed is the fact that now she's the first lady, and NOW it's inappropriate. Wow, that sucks. Hope she's more attached to Dior than Dylan.