Toxic masculinity was observed in a changing room full of sweaty victorious rugby players (where else?) as the Present of the Republic drank a bottle of beer down in one. With the Toulousains chanting him on, Macron necks the bottle of beer in a reputable 17 seconds. First he gets his hairy chest out while on the phone to Russia, now this.
As controversial as it may be, here at French Beer* we have other cultural shifts in mind – such as where this little bottle of fermented grain came from.
As Toulouse won the 2023 Top 14 French rugby title against La Rochelle, Monsieur le President was there in person to congratulate the victors. He was handed a beer and proceeded to neck the beverage in a one-er. Much to the joy of the onlooking Toulouse players and the chagrin of his political opponents.
Promoting binge drinking, toxic masculinity and attention seeking were just three of the accusations thrown at him. The dressing room erupted in delight as he slammed the empty bottle back onto the table.
Worse, closer inspection of the video shows it was, I am sad to report, a bottle of Corona. The Mexican beer which became infamously associated with a certain pandemic at the start of 2020.
Inexplicably, harm was caused to the Corona brand. Viral videos showed UK supermarket shelves almost empty of all beer brands aside from the unlucky Corona. People never cease to amaze. Do I need to mention that the only connection between the two is simply the name? Perhaps I do.
Corona’s fortunes are clearly changing, unlike those of Macron’s government. Under fire in recent times for his controversial retirement plans for the working French people, Macron will apparently do anything to represent himself as an ordinary fellow. Of course this is quite normal for any politician.
Something else a politician should be doing is promoting his country’s finest products. When it comes to wine, he’s a pro. Named personality of the year in 2022 by La Revue du Vin de France. He famously expressed tristesse for any meal eaten without a glass or two.
It was a great opportunity to support the burgeoning breweries of his homeland. Even a modest 1664 would have done the trick.
Despite the number of breweries in France, not to mention the history and tradition of a humble glass of ale, Macron hasn’t shown any clear signs of support for this lesser known side of French life. The wine industry may deserve a patriotic thumbs up, but the brewers of France need some kudos for all their hard work too.
Ah bon?
He could, for example, have gone for a lovely French mountain stout.
Featured image source: Instagram Other image sources: Wikimedia Commons / Author