High spirits in Heiligendamm
June 9, 2007 5:27 AM   Subscribe

The Heiligendamm G8 summit just ended. While some stuck to alcohol-free beer, fresh French President Nicolas Sarkozy clearly had something a bit stronger before his press conference.
posted by Skeptic (48 comments total)
 
And, yes, I know, Bushfilter, newsfilter, YouTubefilter, and whatnot.

It's still hilarious.
posted by Skeptic at 5:28 AM on June 9, 2007


I like this picture. And this picture. That is all.
posted by srboisvert at 5:36 AM on June 9, 2007


Translation please
posted by A189Nut at 5:40 AM on June 9, 2007


Aaaaaaah, the... French, champagne.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 5:41 AM on June 9, 2007 [1 favorite]


This Sarkozy, now he's a man we can do business with!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 5:56 AM on June 9, 2007


near beer contains alcohol (0.5% or less)

In the U.S., that is. The same products in Holland have 0,1%. Don't know about Germany.
posted by StickyCarpet at 5:57 AM on June 9, 2007


Somebody needs to give him his own game show.
posted by chillmost at 6:01 AM on June 9, 2007


That's just how the French are normally.
posted by stbalbach at 6:05 AM on June 9, 2007


In those pics, Angela really looks like she'd be able to hold her own in a drinking contest. Keep in mind that another version shows Blair sitting at the other end of the tableNah George? Wie wäre's mit 'nem Abzacker?
posted by chillmost at 6:14 AM on June 9, 2007


it's not hilarious
posted by bhnyc at 6:15 AM on June 9, 2007


While the cops are ordered to beat these young hippy sex loving weed smoking slogan shouting, but otherwise harmless toothless youngster in srboisvert's field ...

.... a cocaine snorting (but only socially) alcohol enyoing (but only on work socially !) favours from industrial enjoying (but again for worksof sociality !) Leader is showing that YES , being intoxicated (but ...for work, you get it ? ' FO WOK ! POUR TRAVAY ) is A-OK when you have the power to ignore millions.
posted by elpapacito at 6:28 AM on June 9, 2007


First time I've ever found him even remotely likeable.
posted by Wolof at 6:30 AM on June 9, 2007 [1 favorite]


Wolof writes "First time I've ever found him even remotely likeable."

Eh :) If he was an airplane pilot, would you like to be on that plane with a drunken pilot ? Just' saying..but surely he made me LOL :) let's not be inconvenienced by drunken piloting.
posted by elpapacito at 6:35 AM on June 9, 2007


elpapacito - I wouldn't want to board a plane if the pilot were asleep, but that doesn't mean I want the leader of my country to stay awake 24/7.

he didn't say anything embarrassing, in any case.
posted by altolinguistic at 6:49 AM on June 9, 2007


Youtube comment: Where's Inspector Clouseau?

Too funny.

If I understood correctly he apologizes for being late and says he was in a meeting with Putin. So I'm figuring between the semi-faux beer, the French Champagne and the Russian Vodka, Sarkozy was understandably lit. I especially liked how he shrugged apologetically (Mais...) communicating "yes, I'm an dweeb, sorry." after asking for questions and is greeted with an unimpressed indifference. Definitely the first time he's seemed like less than an uptight technocrat.
posted by Skygazer at 6:57 AM on June 9, 2007


altolinguistic writes "hat doesn't mean I want the leader of my country to stay awake 24/7"

Nobody is asking him to remain sober 24/7 , but at work it's a very good idea not to get intoxicated or eat too much. That's not being moralistic, that's stating a fact..you don't work/drive/do whatever as well when you're hi on something. You are at the fucking G8 working , not on a boat with your pals.
posted by elpapacito at 6:57 AM on June 9, 2007


Translation please

Rough translation:
Anchorman: ...and now I will not resist the temptation of showing you the beginning of the press conference held by the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, following this Summit. He was coming out of a meeting with his Russian colleague, Vladimir Putin, and apparently has drunk nothing but water.

Sarko: Ladies and gentlemen, I ask you to forgive my being late, which was due to the length of the dialogue I had with Mr Putin. What would you prefer, that I respond to questions? So...are there any questions? One here...yes, yes...?
posted by senor biggles at 6:59 AM on June 9, 2007 [1 favorite]


He seems to be a happy drunk, which is of course better than the snarling, belligerent type. Wish that clip had been a little longer, though: it was just his brief opening statement, if you could call it that. I'd love to see him actually answering reporter's questions! I wonder if any reporter asked him what he'd been drinking?
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:00 AM on June 9, 2007


You are at the fucking G8 working , not on a boat with your pals.

You say that as though there's a difference.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:02 AM on June 9, 2007 [2 favorites]


What time of day was this press conference? Anyone got Sarko's meeting schedule?
posted by mdonley at 7:13 AM on June 9, 2007


flapjax at midnite writes "You say that as though there's a difference."

Oh yes at G8 you attempt to remember the "leaders" that they are supposed to work for us and take position on issues and act accordingly, or get lost. On the boat it's rich people inviting you to amuse themselves with your desperation, feeling better for being so nice they actually gave you something to eat !

But of course if there is no difference for you, why don't you stick a broom up your ass and also clean me the room ? It wouldn't inconvenience you much and there's not much of a difference from your actual job. Thanks :D
posted by elpapacito at 7:30 AM on June 9, 2007


What was with the beer George Bush seemed to have in the footage they showed on Newsnight last night? I though he wasn't supposed to drink. He'd poured it badly too.
posted by Mocata at 7:32 AM on June 9, 2007


He's a master.. He could be found in the toilets with powder up his nose and people would still find he's the best president we have had in a while.
posted by nicolin at 7:38 AM on June 9, 2007


Elpapacito, dude, relax. The guy got tipsy, it's not the end of the world. Not that he gets any cudos from me for that either, but hey, he's the one on TV, getting drunk at G8, not you.
Taking such a moralistic position, expounding on what "the leaders" should or should not be doing, especially from your position is just silly. You can show people how things should be done when you're someone anyone gives a damn about, m'kay?
posted by c13 at 8:00 AM on June 9, 2007


elpapacito: Uh, sorry, but I'm finding the wording of your comment obscure enough to be somewhat mystified as to your point in general and completely mystified about one key point in particular: Is it to me that you're directing your colorful broom suggestion, or is it the G8 leaders who are supposed to insert this broom into their rectum? I'm genuinely unable to discern your meaning, so if you'd be so kind, please inform.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:01 AM on June 9, 2007 [1 favorite]


I thought the general conclusion was that it was a non-alcoholic beer of some sort. And Sarko looks like Rowan Atkinson playing a French president.
posted by caution live frogs at 8:03 AM on June 9, 2007


Putin is savvy. Get the Frenchman drunk and get what you want.
posted by five fresh fish at 8:14 AM on June 9, 2007


For an alcoholic, that small buzz is everything. And in any case, what would an alcoholic be doing touching alcohol at all? I thought even a sip was off limits?

Bush is an untreated alcoholic. I'm not ever sure he's ever admitted to being one, at least not in the way that AA insists that their members do. His having a drink from time is probably permissible by his internal logic.

And, duh, of course he "falls off the wagon" from time to time. WTF do they think that choking on a pretzel episode was all about.
posted by Tommy Gnosis at 8:34 AM on June 9, 2007


Flapjax: I think the point of elpapacito's comment is that yes, there is indeed a difference between drinking on a boat and drinking at G8.

He also asks that since you apparently do not see the difference, coud you please shove a broom up your rear and clean the room since there is that much difference between "music" as an occupation and "anal sweeping."

You're lucky I'm fluent in Second Language English. Don't worry elpapacito, I got your back.


As for Frenchie: Ehhhh. I'm not outraged. He may or may not have gotten tipsy. ::shrugs::
posted by CitrusFreak12 at 8:35 AM on June 9, 2007


Putin is savvy. Get the Frenchman drunk and get what you want.

Yeah and you know Merkel could drink most of the guys under the table. Most Germans I know can drink like 100 beers before they even begin to loosen up a bit. Ja it's true. Only competition I can see is from the Russian or the Canuck and Putin just seems to anal to be anything beyond a minor league drinker (although a Russiam minor league drinker I would posit is still a quite considerable drinking buddy). As for Harper, the Canuck, and correct me if I'm wrong (I sadly know almost nothing about the man) just seems like a square.

Anyhow I'm just very relieved that there was no inappropriate touching this time around (at least not in front of the cameras). I don't think I could stomach another one of those, I still gag thinking about the last one.
posted by Skygazer at 8:36 AM on June 9, 2007


For the benefit of those who aren't up-to-date in French politics, it's worth mentioning that during the campaign Sarkozy antagonized the whole French wine industry by mentioning that he didn't drink. Maybe this was his way of winning them back...

This said, I also have to point out that this was on *Belgian* TV. French media seem remarkably coy about Sarkozy's show. Of course that doesn't have absolutely nothing to do with the fact that his campaign manager has immediately got a job directing France's biggest commercial TV network...
posted by Skeptic at 8:37 AM on June 9, 2007


Buckler is a low alcohol beer, which means it has a maximum alcohol percentage of 0.5%. This percentage is reached by pasteurization.

Reportedly, Alocholics Anonymous recommends against alcoholics drinking near beers.

Alcohol is alcohol, whether 40 proof or .5%. But by AA standards, since Bush doesn't call himself an alcoholic, most AA members wouldn't either.
posted by swell at 8:43 AM on June 9, 2007


Most Germans I know can drink like 100 beers before they even begin to loosen up a bit. Ja it's true. Only competition I can see is from the Russian or the Canuck...

Don't rule out the English.
posted by StickyCarpet at 8:46 AM on June 9, 2007


As for Harper, the Canuck, and correct me if I'm wrong (I sadly know almost nothing about the man) just seems like a square.

You're not wrong, he has less personality than a LEGO man (Despite the frankly unfuckingcanny resemblance.).
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 8:50 AM on June 9, 2007


c13 writes "You can show people how things should be done when you're someone anyone gives a damn about, m'kay?"

Nah I will think whatever I think without waiting for "permission" by anybody , therefore I can point out Sarko being drunk or Clinton being stoned or whoever I want. It seems you may have missed the evident point in which I said nobody is asking him to be the incarnation of any moralistic stance, anti-alcool or anti-anything. (Even if I guess some french people may be able to cite me some moralistic position he took)

But he isn't not an ordinary Joe, not by any means. Even if he was Joe Sixpack, it still wouldn't be acceptable to be intoxicated while at work, for reason that apparently escape many , even after the "pilot" example.

flapjax at midnite writes "Is it to me that you're directing your colorful broom suggestion"

By all means yes. My point being that if one Joe (not necessarily you) thinks that G8 is , really and in practice, just a well-dress well-behaved party of megapowerful people deciding about the future of the world , then this Joe may as well assume a completely subservient position, willingly accepting any treatement no matter how humiliating.

Even more summarily : if one accepts to be treated as shit , if one accepts that the elected representative can get carelessy drunk and do basically whatever the fuck he please , including NOT WORRYING about looking sober, then this person will be treated worse then a bitch.

There's a difference between macho posturing "demanding respekt" and actually pretending that your boss doesn't "boss you" around. In your instance shoving a broom up your arse was enough of a threat to get you moving somehow.
posted by elpapacito at 8:52 AM on June 9, 2007


I'm beginning to think that elpapacito is the drunk one around here.
posted by monju_bosatsu at 9:03 AM on June 9, 2007


Sarko
Kevin from Kids In The Hall
posted by swell at 9:18 AM on June 9, 2007 [1 favorite]


Most Germans I know can drink like 100 beers before they even begin to loosen up a bit. Ja it's true. Only competition I can see is from the Russian or the Canuck...

Don't rule out the English.


Right. Because the English hold their alcohol so well.
posted by srboisvert at 10:03 AM on June 9, 2007


Don't much care about Sarkozy, who seems a pleasant enough drunk anyways...

But the obsessive coverage of Bush is positively embarassing to every lefty blog wasting the text to cover it. Starting out at a 'BUSH FALLS OFF THE WAGON' position, then retreating to faux-moralism about how "Alcoholics should never drink near beer, tut tut!" - just place foot firmly in mouth on this one already, americablog et al.

I don't care if Bush is off the wagon; I don't care if he drinks beer, snorts coke, shoots heroin.

I care that he has decimated the economy, shit on the constitution, landed the country in an unwinnable war, poisoned US relations with the rest of the world, and has quite possibly permanently broken the back of an already very sick democracy.

And I care that he has so badly polarized political discourse that people on the left who should fucking well know better are now engaging in the same kind of petty character assassination and yellow journalism that the right will always do better at anyways. When your liberal/left politics have lost every trace of libertarianism, and you find yourself pompously finger-wagging at people, you might as well just jump the fence and save yourself a few years.
posted by blackberet at 10:31 AM on June 9, 2007 [2 favorites]


So the G8 isn't that much different than an office party where the boss takes the stage to congratulate everyone, and is too drunk to get it out right.

Following this idea; there are probably two drunk leaders dry humping in a coat room, both of whom will incredibly embarrassed about the whole thing tomorrow, and a least one intern who is using this as an opportunity to tell his boss what he really thinks, or failing that, to put his dick in the guys drink before he brings it back from the bar.

Awesome.
posted by quin at 10:34 AM on June 9, 2007


Even more summarily : if one accepts to be treated as shit , if one accepts that the elected representative can get carelessy drunk and do basically whatever the fuck he please , including NOT WORRYING about looking sober, then this person will be treated worse then a bitch.

that wasn't winston churchill's experience
posted by pyramid termite at 2:07 PM on June 9, 2007


angrydrunkfilter
posted by nervousfritz at 2:38 PM on June 9, 2007


The unmitigated Gaul.
posted by ZenMasterThis at 2:41 PM on June 9, 2007


if one accepts that the elected representative can get carelessy drunk and do basically whatever the fuck he please , including NOT WORRYING about looking sober, then this person will be treated worse then a bitch.


I must've missed the part where they danced on the tables, puked all over the place, had a gangbang and launched some nukes.
But never mind, you just rock on. Don't let anyone keep you from speaking truth to power.

Seriously, people. One guy gets slightly tipsy, the other drinks non-alcoholic beer. It's not THAT bad. You all need to unclench.
posted by c13 at 2:41 PM on June 9, 2007


I must've missed the part where they danced on the tables, puked all over the place, had a gangbang and launched some nukes

Ain't no party like a Tailhook party 'cuz a Tailhook party don't stop.
posted by Tommy Gnosis at 2:44 PM on June 9, 2007


A historian from the 22nd century traced the roots of the Second Cold War from a little known dialogue during the 2007 G8 summit:

Sarkozy: Are you sure I'm supposed to drink five shots of vodka before negotiating?

Putin: Yes. In my country, it's customary!

Sarkozy: Oh, okay...we don't really drink in France...

Putin: That's quite alright.

Later...

Sarkozy: Shiiiiit! I've got a press conference!

Putin: So, we can annex Eastern France as a missle base still?

Sarkozy: Offffffffff courssse!

Putin: Sweet!

Sarkozy: I gotta bounce!

Putin: Bye. Idiot.
posted by portisfreak at 3:41 PM on June 9, 2007


c13 : I must've missed the part where they danced on the tables, puked all over the place, had a gangbang and launched some nukes.

So, you're saying that you were at my last office party too, huh?
posted by quin at 4:05 PM on June 9, 2007


As for Harper, the Canuck, and correct me if I'm wrong (I sadly know almost nothing about the man) just seems like a square.

I'm reasonably certain you could not be less wrong. A square, a jerk, and a bastard.
posted by five fresh fish at 5:44 PM on June 9, 2007


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