Not Exactly Model Behaviour

There are several aspects to the Sarkozy-Bruni relationship that are disturbing, not the least of which was their decision to go public with their coupledom in December at Disneyland Paris. Were all the tasteful cafes full? Sarkozy did not tour Egypt with someone who twirled in a few department store trunk shows. Bruni posed and pouted for fancy European houses and, in the late 1990s, she embarked on what has been described as a singing career. Alicia Keys, she is not. But no matter. Still, that’s no excuse for snuggling up with a world leader. Paul McCartney is available. Why not date him?

Models and heads of state simply don’t go together. There was a time when models were pretty socialites who could hold an elegant pose. They were like young women who had excelled at charm school. But then came the 1960s youthquake, waifs and heroin chic.

The news that Naomi Campbell had interviewed Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez for a story in British GQ was enough to prompt snorts of disdain. Some of that is because Campbell, in addition to her fame on the catwalk, is well known for flinging communication devices at those unlucky enough to be in her employ. This is a woman who recently posed naked alongside designer Marc Jacobs — who was wearing a tutu. She gets to have a tete-a-tete with a world leader?

The stereotype is that there is little of substance behind a model’s pretty face. It’s a stereotype exacerbated by the fact that many models are so young they haven’t had the time to get a formal education or develop thoughtful opinions.

There’s a word in popular culture for men who are obsessed with models: model-izers. They aren’t drawn to the individual person but to the fantasy. And they’re perceived as being just as shallow as the women they date are assumed to be.

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