Dominique Strauss-Kahn or “DSK,” head of the International Monetary Fund, is accused of raping a hotel maid in his $3,000-a-night suite. At last, international finance news we can understand.
Betsy Rothstein rates the scandal coverage:
“IMF Sex Scandal Headline: Who Did it Best?” Betsy Rothstein, FishbowlDC
Courtney Comstock at Business Insider made the real headline find, last month’s French interview with alleged dirty old man Strauss-Kahn:
“Oui, j’aime les femmes, et alors?” [“Yes, I Love Women, So What?”] Antoine Guiral, Libération
The virtual linguist snares a turn of French phrase, DSK described as “a chaud lapin or ‘hot rabbit,’ which evokes quite a different picture to the English equivalents ladies’ man or Don Juan.”
The incident is leading to more scrutiny on the habits of M. Strauss-Kahn and the rich and powerful in general. The IMF itself is getting a good look-over since, under the leadership of Europeans like the gentilhomme in question, Europeans have been the biggest borrowers. Eventually, after all the joking and realpolitik, someone is bound to notice that sexual assault is not seduction, it’s assault.
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Tags: assault, Crime, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, finance, IMF, international finance, International Monetary Fund, scandal, scandals, sex, sexual assault, Strauss-Kahn
NotionsCapital 
May 17, 2011 at 12:25 pm
Updates:
“A List of Adjectives and French Puns Used by NYC Tabloids Regarding Dominique Strauss-Kahn,” Foster Kamer, New York Observer
“When economists run sexually amok,” Andrew Leonard, Salon
“Dominique Strauss-Kahn’s shameless defender [Bernard-Henri Lévy],” Justin Elliott, Salon
“How Power Corrupts,” Jonah Lehrer, Wired