The XX Factor: Slate women blog about politics, etc...

Speaking of Nude Women ...

Christie's New York will be auctioning a naked portrait of the French first lady, Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, on April 10. I'm no prude, I'm certainly not a Victorian, and I commend the French for turning a blind eye to their politicians' private lives, but I'm starting to come around to the idea that we're better off with straight-laced statesmen.

Case in point: A CNN article on the French couple's first official visit to the U.K., which tries to, ahem, cover Carla's bod and Sarkozy's foreign policy all at once. The result is absolutely ridiculous: a nude pix lede, followed by the portentous quote, "We cannot afford to lose Afghanistan," back to the nude pix, then mention of a rumor that Sarkozy might boycott the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

I think the world needs dull, egghead politicians. Or maybe sexless ones, at least until the press grows up (and God knows we never will). I'm pretty sure the Qing Dynasty had eunuch bureaucrats, so there's precedent.