Bernadette Chirac

[Lafaucheuse 4,046]

I know some of you won't be glad to see another thread created but I won't stop advocating for her inclusion in next year list. 

One of the most influential french political figure of the XXth and 00's still alive.

In failing health for a decade now, too frail to attend her husband funeral in 2019. Last public appearance was in 2019 when she pronounced a speech for the inauguration of a "Jacques and Bernadette Chirac street" in Brive-la-gaillarde : wheelchairbound, can't even take the veil of the street sign down by herself, has difficulties talking etc (here, around 14min)

The only news that we have of her are from her family telling us that she's "on the margins of society" and "very weak". 

Surely qualifies in term of notoriety and age. The fact she's still alive is a miracle. 

 

Her in 2017. Already looked really frail 

[Jonah 180]

Possibly her last publicly known picture (taken on November 9, 2020):

[Sir Creep 7,070]

She does not need her own thread.  No reason this couldn’t reboot the Chirac thread we had.  

[Toast 16,137]

For once I agree with Sir Creep.  There's also a First Ladies thread.

It's not as though she's active, there's unlikely to be anything to say until she dies.

[time 8,599]

Mary Wilson, Clarissa Eden, Rosalynn Carter, Nancy Reagan all had their own threads, so I don't see any reason for Mme Chirac not to. She was/is a notable figure in her own right, even before Chirac was President.

 

 

[Lafaucheuse 4,046]

Famous enough, discussed enough here, picked enough in several pools, plus it’s not because you’re retired that you don’t deserved your own thread : if so, I’d say Al Fayed, Barker, Belafonte or Kundera didn’t deserve their own one. The point is also here to push her onto next year list (which, I know, is unlikely to happen but you never know !)  

[Perhaps 1,423]

The French users only have Bardot, Le Pen, Delors and this lady going for them in terms of main list material. They're allowed this thread. 

[Lafaucheuse 4,046]

1 minute ago, Perhaps said:

The French users only have Bardot, Le Pen, Delors and this lady going for them in terms of main list material. They're allowed this thread. 

Two of them being « neo-nazi » (yes, Bardot too)  and Chirac quite conservative… talk about good image of France  

[msc 18,439]

I mean, after this many years watching the DL I can't rule out Grim Reaper having a drink in late December, putting on Sky Arts, seeing that recent Alain Delon documentary and bunging him on DL2024.

 

In fact that feels more realistic than Bernadette. 

[tracy 2,392]

I think Bardot and Polanski will probably appear on the list in the next couple of years. Anouk Aimee and Leslie Caron would be fair candidates also, but I'm not sure they're in the DL wheelhouse when guys like Trintignant couldn't make the list (although Caron was pretty Hollywood). I don't think Chirac will make the list but it's ok as Delors and Le Pen will probably be on it until the sun explodes.

[Sean 6,315]

1 hour ago, tracy said:

I think Bardot and Polanski will probably appear on the list in the next couple of years. Anouk Aimee and Leslie Caron would be fair candidates also, but I'm not sure they're in the DL wheelhouse when guys like Trintignant couldn't make the list (although Caron was pretty Hollywood). I don't think Chirac will make the list but it's ok as Delors and Le Pen will probably be on it until the sun explodes.

I would be surprised if Bardot isn't on next year's list.Old recently ill and a true A_lister.Looking at previous lists ticking all 3 boxes will get you on the DL.

 

Chirac seems like a too French centric name for the committees tastes. I mean as an Englishman I only know she was First lady of France however I know more about all the other names you mentioned there and they all strike me as far more notable.

 

Polanski will almost certainly debut on the list sometime in the next 5 years unless he dies first.Havent heard anything bad about his death.

 

Delon wiĺ appear in the next couple of years probably however him exaggerating may count against him.

[wannamaker 1,407]

Agree with pretty much everything Sean said, Chirac seems very notable in France but not really worldwide or in the UK. I do think that she would be a good pick if the committee somehow picks her, but barring the US first ladies, they don't really pick political spouses, or at least they haven't recently. 

[Lafaucheuse 4,046]

13 hours ago, Sean said:

I would be surprised if Bardot isn't on next year's list.Old recently ill and a true A_lister.Looking at previous lists ticking all 3 boxes will get you on the DL.

 

Chirac seems like a too French centric name for the committees tastes. I mean as an Englishman I only know she was First lady of France however I know more about all the other names you mentioned there and they all strike me as far more notable.

 

Polanski will almost certainly debut on the list sometime in the next 5 years unless he dies first.Havent heard anything bad about his death.

 

Delon wiĺ appear in the next couple of years probably however him exaggerating may count against him.

I completely agree. I think in terms of notoriety, there are better french names and I can understand that Bernadette is not that well known outside of France. However, Chirac is a safer bet than Delon, Bardot or even Polanski : Delon is a drama queen, Bardot is so hateful that it can carry her for some years (Cf. Le Pen) and she stills publishes things on her twitter etc, and Polanski is still active despite his age. Chirac on the other hand is a death cert in one year time, and this is not only according to me. I can't help but think that if the committee wants, they can have a easy hit with this one and if Bill Gates sr. made the list, then I don't see why she couldn't… 

[TQR 14,389]

34 minutes ago, Lafaucheuse said:

I can't help but think that if the committee wants, they can have a easy hit with this one and if Bill Gates sr. made the list, then I don't see why she couldn't… 

Have you seen the Bill Gates Sr. thread? You should. It’s a good laugh. Almost all of it is us asking the “committee” what the fuck they’re playing at.

[Lafaucheuse 4,046]

2 minutes ago, TQR said:

Have you seen the Bill Gates Sr. thread? You should. It’s a good laugh. Almost all of it is us asking the “committee” what the fuck they’re playing at.

That’s Why I’m talking about him : nowhere to meet the fame criteria of DL standards… and still, a welcomed hit ! Chirac is, I think, more famous right ?

[TQR 14,389]

Just now, Lafaucheuse said:

That’s Why I’m talking about him : nowhere to meet the fame criteria of DL standards… and still, a welcomed hit ! Chirac is, I think, more famous right ?

No more, no less. Just the family of someone notable.

 

If the DL is gonna get hits, it’s gotta do it properly. Household names, people we know all about. That hasn’t been the case with all picks but when it hasn’t, we’ve been on them straight away.

[The Old Crem 3,583]

In France she is probably more famous that Bill Gates SR was anywhere in the world. I mean First Ladies of the USA are a staple of the list, 

[Spade_Cooley 9,519]

(dull question) Throughout history, how many first ladies of non-Anglophone nations would you say are DL worthy? Obviously Imelda Marcos is in the mix currently. Surprised Madame Chiang Kai-shek wasn't a pick in the early 2000s. Is that about it?

[The Old Crem 3,583]

8 minutes ago, Spade_Cooley said:

(dull question) Throughout history, how many first ladies of non-Anglophone nations would you say are DL worthy? Obviously Imelda Marcos is in the mix currently. Surprised Madame Chiang Kai-shek wasn't a pick in the early 2000s. Is that about it?

Carla Bruni was always in the news when her husband was President. 

[YoungWillz 21,037]

8 minutes ago, Spade_Cooley said:

(dull question) Throughout history, how many first ladies of non-Anglophone nations would you say are DL worthy? Obviously Imelda Marcos is in the mix currently. Surprised Madame Chiang Kai-shek wasn't a pick in the early 2000s. Is that about it?

Elena Ceaucescu and Graca Machel spring to mind.

[La Tombe 353]

14 hours ago, Sean said:

I would be surprised if Bardot isn't on next year's list.Old recently ill and a true A_lister.Looking at previous lists ticking all 3 boxes will get you on the DL.

 

Chirac seems like a too French centric name for the committees tastes. I mean as an Englishman I only know she was First lady of France however I know more about all the other names you mentioned there and they all strike me as far more notable.

 

Polanski will almost certainly debut on the list sometime in the next 5 years unless he dies first.Havent heard anything bad about his death.

 

Delon wiĺ appear in the next couple of years probably however him exaggerating may count against him.

There are some picks in the International official DL, some English names and American who are unknown outside the UK and could be replaced by more famous ones. 

[Bibliogryphon 9,573]

3 minutes ago, La Tombe said:

some English names and American who are unknown outside the UK and could be replaced by more famous ones

 

Examples?

[La Tombe 353]

 

26 minutes ago, Bibliogryphon said:

 

Examples?

Ethel Kennedy, Pete Murray, Dennis Skinner and others

[TQR 14,389]

7 minutes ago, La Tombe said:

 

Ethel Kennedy, Pete Murray, Dennis Skinner and others

Dennis Skinner is a political colossus and everyone in the UK who has paid even the slightest bit of attention to politics in the past 50 years will know exactly who he is.

 

Pete Murray is very well known in broadcasting if you’re over a certain age.

 

Ethel Kennedy…yeah I’ve got nothing for that one, but I’m sure a American will tell us exactly why she’s such a big name.

[Clorox Bleachman 2,410]

2 minutes ago, TQR said:

Ethel Kennedy…yeah I’ve got nothing for that one, but I’m sure a American will tell us exactly why she’s such a big name.

To be fair, Dennis Skinner and Pete Murray haven't had a Taylor Swift deep-cut written about them.