French First Lady Brigitte Macron has faced intense criticism after a video emerged of her using a sexist insult against feminist activists who disrupted the show of actor Ary Abittan, who was once accused of rape. The incident occurred at the Folies Bergère theatre in Paris where Macron had met with Abittan before his performance.
According to Macron's team, she had intended to critique the "radical method" of protest employed by the feminists, but her comments were misinterpreted and sparked outrage. However, many are accusing her of insensitivity towards victims of sexual violence and perpetuating a culture of impunity.
The incident has reignited a wider debate about rape and sexual assault in France, with several high-profile cases in recent years, including that of actor Gerard Depardieu, who was convicted of assaulting two women on a film set. French President Emmanuel Macron had previously expressed admiration for Depardieu, citing the presumption of innocence.
Critics, including former French President François Hollande, have called for Macron to apologize for her use of the sexist slur. However, some on the far-right, such as National Rally lawmaker Jean-Philippe Tanguy, have defended Brigitte Macron's comments as being delivered in private and "stolen" by social media.
The hashtag #sallesconnes has been circulating on social media, with many sharing it to show support for feminist activists. Actress Judith Godreche, who has become a feminist icon since accusing two directors of sexually abusing her when she was a minor, has also taken to Instagram to express her solidarity with the cause.
As the controversy continues to unfold, Macron's use of the sexist insult has raised questions about her own views on women's rights and feminism. Will she take responsibility for her words or maintain that they were meant as a critique?
According to Macron's team, she had intended to critique the "radical method" of protest employed by the feminists, but her comments were misinterpreted and sparked outrage. However, many are accusing her of insensitivity towards victims of sexual violence and perpetuating a culture of impunity.
The incident has reignited a wider debate about rape and sexual assault in France, with several high-profile cases in recent years, including that of actor Gerard Depardieu, who was convicted of assaulting two women on a film set. French President Emmanuel Macron had previously expressed admiration for Depardieu, citing the presumption of innocence.
Critics, including former French President François Hollande, have called for Macron to apologize for her use of the sexist slur. However, some on the far-right, such as National Rally lawmaker Jean-Philippe Tanguy, have defended Brigitte Macron's comments as being delivered in private and "stolen" by social media.
The hashtag #sallesconnes has been circulating on social media, with many sharing it to show support for feminist activists. Actress Judith Godreche, who has become a feminist icon since accusing two directors of sexually abusing her when she was a minor, has also taken to Instagram to express her solidarity with the cause.
As the controversy continues to unfold, Macron's use of the sexist insult has raised questions about her own views on women's rights and feminism. Will she take responsibility for her words or maintain that they were meant as a critique?
it's wild how quickly our emotions can shift from outrage to apathy, isn't it? one minute Brigitte Macron is under fire for her "insensitive" comments, and the next, people are trying to defend her actions. what does that say about us as a society? we're so quick to jump on the bandwagon of outrage, but do we ever stop to think about the complexities of human nature? maybe Brigitte Macron didn't mean to hurt anyone's feelings, maybe she was just trying to spark a conversation. but how easy is it to take back what you've said when the internet is already churning out memes and hashtags? 
anyway, this whole thing got me thinking... are we more afraid of being seen as insensitive than we are of actually doing some harm? that's a question for another day... 
omg can you believe what brigitte macron said?! i mean i get it like she was just trying to make a point but using a sexist insult against feminists is SO not cool. and now ppl are saying shes insensitive towards victims of rape... 
that's just not right. im all for critiquing radical methods but u gotta do it in a respectful way, ya know? 
i dont think she should apologize or anything but maybe just acknowledge that her words were hurtful and take responsibility for them? 
She didn't even realize how hurtful it would be to say something like that in front of all those people. And yeah, she had the best intentions or whatever, but that's not the point. The point is that women should never have to face sexism and misogyny from someone in power. 
And honestly, I'm surprised her team thinks it was a joke 
... if it were me, I'd be apologizing and explaining myself ASAP.
, she's such an inspiration for young women everywhere. And can we talk about the fact that some people are defending Brigitte Macron's comments on social media? 
like, what even is that? It's just not okay to make light of something so serious.
And yeah, I get that social media can distort our perceptions, but come on – we should know better than to pretend like someone's words aren't hurtful just because they're being shared online.
And Brigitte Macron needs to take responsibility for her words and apologize for her actions – it's not too much to ask! 
#MeToo
brigitte macron using a sexist insult against feminists is just soooo wrong 
i feel bad for the feminists who got disrupted at that theatre performance and now they're getting roasted online 
but let's be real, the video could've been edited to make her sound like she was trying to silence them or something 
will she own up to it or try to distance herself? 
. I'm all for holding people accountable, but can't we also take a step back and try to understand where they're coming from? 
. Feminism is about supporting victims, and if she's going to use language that invalidates them, then I don't see how she can be taken seriously on the issue. And what's up with the "private conversation" defense? If it was private, why did it get recorded? 
Come clean, Brigitte - what were you really saying?