Jenice Armstrong: The French win again

THE FRENCH are good for one-upping Americans.

Whatever we have, theirs just seems better - whether it's lifestyle, cuisine, fashion, perfume or even their health-care system. And French women supposedly don't get fat!

At the moment, the French have us beat in the soap-opera department, too. They're not wasting major time on ridiculous Britney Spears' public meltdowns. No, the saga capturing French headlines at the moment goes all the way to the top and involves the country's twice-divorced president, Nicolas Sarkozy.

Reports surfaced yesterday that Sarkozy, 52, has married Carla Bruni, 39, his model-turned-singer girlfriend, in a small, private ceremony.

As People magazine so aptly put it, "What's French for rebound?"

Sarkozy, who took office in May, became the first president to divorce while in office when he officially split with wife No. 2 in October.

You'd think a man in Sarkozy's position would have a cooling-off period of at least a year or so, before hooking up with wife No. 3. He was married to Cecilia Ciganer-Albaniz for 11 years and has a 10-year-old son with her. Besides, he's a world leader with a country he's supposed be to running, yet he's been nicknamed "President Bling Bling" for the ring he gave Bruni. You'd think that taking care of France's affairs would be more important than his own.

The French, who you'd assume would have a sophisticated view of all this, are apparently none too pleased with their hot-to-trot chief. Can you blame them? Carla's not what some voters had in mind as a first lady.

In America, those words conjure up a pearl-wearing, law- school grad in the vein of an Elizabeth Edwards or maybe a traditional, stay-at-home Laura Bush-type - not a pop star with a love resume that could give even Angelina Jolie pause. The Italian heiress' past lovers include Mick Jagger - while he was still married to Jerry Hall - Eric Clapton and Donald Trump,among others. Bruni even dated a French publisher, only to dump him for his married son, with whom she had a child who is now 6. She has been quoted as saying, "Monogamy bores me terribly."

American male politicians generally tend toward more conventional women, although there have been exceptions over the years.

When he was governor of Nebraska, former Sen. Bob Kerrey dated actress Debra Winger, and former California Gov. Jerry Brown dated singer Linda Ronstadt. And although eyebrows may have been raised, their pairings never reached the height of Sarkozy's circus.

Even though it remains to be seen how Republican voters will react to former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani's third wife, Judith, should he get the nomination, chances are the response will be mild by comparison. Once again, the French have us beat. *

Have you peeped a hot trend that hasn't been reported? E-mail heyjen@phillynews.com and let me know what you know.