LSD trips, Voldemort & pigeons: Twitter mocks French presidential debate
The latest round of the French presidential debates seems to have created a storm of social media creativity. From Marine Le Pen’s ‘LSD trip’ to hints at Macron’s marriage – enjoy the most heated and hilarious offerings from the Twitterati.
The Le Pen-related highlight of the evening, as seized on by many, was her sudden “trippy” experience.
One person said that she should have been “at a psychiatric ward” and “not at the debate.” Another tweet wrote that Le Pen was somehow showing “a flying saucer,” also noting Macron’s look.
Sans le son c'est encore plus flagrant.
— Guillaume Blardone (@gblardone) May 4, 2017
Le regard atterré et gêné de Macron quand MLP fait..la soucoupe volantepic.twitter.com/0aLKwiFf7w
Jokes aimed at the right-wing candidate varied from simple to quite eloquent comparisons – not at all flattering, though.
Je me disais aussi #Debat2017#debatpresidentielpic.twitter.com/xUIKg65teI
— Metalice 78 (@Metalice78) May 3, 2017
“I’m not saying that they are the same person, I’m just saying that no one ever saw them at the same place at the same time,” the caption to this reads.
One user posted a photo with the cartoon reading, “Arguing with a militant is like playing chess with a pigeon: regardless of your level, the pigeon will overturn all the pieces, sh*t the board, and swagger about as though it won.”
The pigeon in the picture is clearly wearing a T-shirt sporting the sign “Marine Le Pen 2017,” and shouting out slogans like “Europe is the worst,” “We don’t feel at home anymore,” and “anti-white racism.”
Peu importe votre niveau #LePen va renverser toutes les pièces, chier sur le plateau & se pavaner fièrement comme s’il avait gagné #LeDebatpic.twitter.com/eTz0yKoKlx
— Je vote donc jexiste (@FaireLeBonChoix) May 4, 2017
Even Alain Juppe, a former right-wing presidential candidate and one of France’s best-known politicians, blasted Le Pen as “bad, incoherent, aggressive, sarcastic,” and wondered, “how can one imagine such a person as the President of the Republic?”
Qu'elle a été mauvaise! Brouillonne, agressive, sarcastique. Comment imaginer une telle personne Présidente de la République ?
— Alain Juppé (@alainjuppe) May 4, 2017
Many also lambasted Le Pen for her alleged lack of research: tweeters thought that those folders on her table meant there wasn’t much preparation going on.
Quand tu n'as pas révisé avant le bac VS Quand tu as révisé.#2017LeDebat#debatpresidentielpic.twitter.com/9L28g8kr7r
— keli_af (@kelio09) May 3, 2017
There were, indeed, many, many folders on her table.
Ca commence vraiment à se voir cette histoire de fiches #LEDEBAT2017pic.twitter.com/TLUEM2epJy
— Mathieu Flaig (@MathieuFlex) May 3, 2017
All in all, many supposed that Le Pen wouldn’t make her father proud, tweeting a video of Jean-Marie supposedly “looking for his daughter’s dignity.”
Quand tu cherches la dignité de ta fille. #2017LeDebatpic.twitter.com/uIWdF4SKMZ
— Caustique Twitto (@Freezze) May 3, 2017
Arguments against Macron involved his at times controversial rhetoric.
Macron thinks the French people are responsible for their homegrown terrorists #2017LeDebat#LeDebat
— HateHypocrisy (@BritishPolitico) May 3, 2017
And something Le Pen said during the debate as well.
"France will be lead by a woman: it will either be me or Mrs Merkel, that's the truth!" -@Marine2017_EN#LEDEBAT2017#LeDebat#Marine2017
— Connor Johnston 👌✌ (@generalharambe) May 4, 2017
His age came up more than once, in fact.
.@MLP_officiel to @EmmanuelMacron: "Your arguments are twice your age".#LeDebat#LeGrandDebat
— Vive Le Pen! (@lepenarmy) May 3, 2017
There were numerous tweeters evoking what they viewed as the general pointlessness of the debate.
Where's a guillotine when you need one? #2017LeDebat#LeDebat#LeGrandDebat#LeDebat2017
— everything/j4ck (@everythingj4ck) May 3, 2017
The Twitterstorm engulfed the presenters, too.
Current representation of French people in front of #LeDebatpic.twitter.com/eCiICFnMvk
— tatiana🍍 (@KatiesDebnam) May 3, 2017
Alerte ! Nous sommes a la recherche des deux journalistes #2017LeDebat 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/CvM1dpNQYS
— Steven 〽️ (@StevenJoly3) May 3, 2017
The two journalists.#2017LeDebatpic.twitter.com/UQ4i6n55ks
— Ralph (@Aamchit) May 3, 2017