Whatever Happened to “Two All Beef Patties”?

Burqas? No, bacon burgers are France’s new cultural battleground

After fights over burqas and Muslim-rights and France’s national identity, French politicians are taking on the burger. Because it’s a symbol of American imperialism? Mais non! A French fast-food chain is dishing up a pork-free halal sandwich.

Where's The Beef?

Now I don’t know about you, but I always think of the French contribution to fast-fat-fare as being the fried sliced spuds. Those ubiquitous semi-indestructible gastronomic treats often found fossilized betwixt the back seat cushions of 1960′s era American Cars when you pull the seats out to restore them…

But PORK in a HAMBURGER?

Something definitely got lost in this translation.

Paris – In eight of 362 Quick burger joints in France they’ve gone pork-less.

The “offending” Quick outlets (three are in Paris suburbs) are located in predominantly Muslim neighborhoods, in an apparent concession to a $1.3 billion halal (meaning ‘legal’ under Islamic law) food industry. While French Muslims didn’t ask for pork-free fast-food at Quick, they are appreciative of them, if sales are a sign.

Yet in a French election year where the burqa, or full length Muslim veil, is portrayed as a non-French symbol – the inalienable right to order a bacon burger is a new battleground.

The Racism In France – Redux

Fresh from whitening singer Beyonce for a magazine spread, it seems the French Fashion Industry (along with help from an American photographer who should have known better) Vogue Paris has decided to portray a blond-haired white girl in blackface on the cover of their October issue.

Laura Stone in blackface for French Vogue

Not sure how the crotch shot is a fashion statement – but it appears French Vogue is not only expanding into the Racist Minstrel Rag market segment…

But also to pioneer the Anorexic Gynecological Gazette vertical.

With all the beautiful black models available - why pick an ugly white girl?

Paris Vogue and its fiery editor Carine Roitfeld are at the centre of a race row after publishing pictures of a white model with her skin painted black. The photos of usually-blonde Dutch model Lara Stone did not raise eyebrows in France, it seems, but have provoked outrage among the usually unshockable fashionistas of New York.

The photo shoot was styled by the magazine’s long-time editor, Roitfeld, who – along with controversial photographer Steven Klein – has been denounced as “culturally insensitive” by US fashion site Jezebel.

“What Klein and Roitfeld should know is that painting white people black for the entertainment of other white people is offensive in ways that stand entirely apart from cultural context,” said Jezebel. The French anti-racism group SOS Racisme described the pictures as “tactless”.

Among the shoot’s other critics is Nana A Tamakloe, founder of Confidence Model Management, who said: “It’s horrible, there’s nothing else to describe it.” Shevelle Rhule, fashion and beauty editor at black women’s magazine Pride, commented: “It’s as if we’ve stepped back in time.”

Roitfeld has often been talked of in the past as a potential successor to Anna Wintour as editor of US Vogue. But the current row is unlikely to win her many supporters: a gimmick of this kind might be all right in Paris, but does not go down well in New York.

Speaking of tacky and tasteless – here is Rhianna posing topless for the cover of Italian Vogue, fresh from a beatdown by her boyfriend. Woman go out looking that bad, would make a less restrained man want to hit her upside the head… Makes you question whether Chris Brown beat the usually attractive Rhianna with an ugly stick to pose for this one.

This one is categorized under “Naaaaw” – because it’s hard to believe anyone in an executive position in the publication industry could be that f9889g stupid.

Burkini Wars…

I should probably do a poll, and add one of those nifty widgets here – but the Burkini-Bikini War which has roiled France has now expanded to England and Italy!

OK, I figured the Poll Thingie out – Ladies Only!

Resulting in this article by Rachel Marsden in the UK Times – The Italians have banned the ridiculous burkini from public pools. Good for them

Rachel Marsden

Now, Rachel is a conservative commentator who is CEO of GrandCentralPolitical.com a job site for politicos – seen here leaving a Canadian Courtroom after being granted a “Conditional Discharge” for harassing a Vancouver radio talk show host…

Getting fired by Faux News, and selling her ex-boyfriends clothes in an auction…

Apparently believes this is fashionable evening wear -

Rachel Marsden fashion sense

Hmmmmm… Indeed.

OK – Just for review for those who missed the subtle differences between a Burkini and a Bikini -

Miss France - Chloe Mortaud in a Bikini

So – here’s the question, to the ladies…

Would you rather be seen at the beach in a bikini, or burkini…

Or caught dead dressed like Rachel Marsden?

Unidentified Model in a Burkini

“Burkini”??????

An update to this post is available under Burkini Wars

Apparently the latest salvo in the culture war in France is Moslem women wearing “Burkinis” ….

Now – it’s common in France for women to go topless at the beaches – so apparently the complaint, is Moslem women are…

Wearing too much!

A Burkini

Now, BTx3 enjoys the sight of a finely shaped woman in a swimsuit as well as the next guy – and admittedly the Burkini leaves a lot to the imagination…

But, at the same time you have to respect someone else’s beliefs.

Apparently in France, with the first salvo being an order to ban head scarves in 2004s – a woman with clothes on…

Just isn’t French!

French Muslim woman wearing ‘burkini’ banned from Paris swimming pool

France’s struggle with Islamic dress has moved into the swimming pool after a 35-year-old woman was banned from bathing in her “burkini”, a head-to-toe swimsuit.

The woman, identified only as Carole, was making her third outing in a burkini to the town pool at Emerainville, on the eastern outskirts of Paris, when the chief lifeguard ordered her to leave.

You’re Worth It… Only of You are White – Racism in France

Hat Tip to NewsOne on this one.

French cosmetics make L’Oreal is in trouble again. This time losing a lawsuit in the French Supreme Court over overtly ordering it’s sales management to hire only white women to work in the stores in France. In a landmark case, the Garnier division of the beauty empire, along with a recruitment agency it employed, were fined €30,000 (£20,300) each after they recruited women on the basis of race. The historic ruling – the first time a major company has been found guilty of systematic race discrimination in France – saw a senior figure at the agency given a three-month suspended prison sentence.

Racial discrimination in employment is a huge problem in France with a recent survey finding three out of four firms preferred white workers.

This is fresh on the heels of a scandal last year, where the company presented a “newly Nordic” Beyonce Knowles as their Cover Girl…

The American Beyonce left, and the "You're Worth It" Beyonce from L'Oreal

La Cour de Cassation, the French supreme court, heard that in 2000, Garnier, L’Oreal’s beauty division, was looking to recruit a sales team for the Fructis Style haircare range.