Rose Apodaca

Can you imagine if a U.S. government official cried outrage that the very fabric of Americana culture is under threat because an American Idol contestant sang in Spanish?
That's basically what's been going on in France since last month's announcement that the nation's "Eurovision Song Contest" entrant would be native son Sebastien Tellier crooning his English-heavy "Divine."
Never mind that it's cuckoo enough that the alt-pop artist with a penchant for porn film-flavored electro and a hyper-stylish, yet cheeky persona has even made it into Eurovision, an achievement which still cracks up his rep and producer Stephane Elfassi, co-founder of the Paris-based indie label Record Makers, and an old pal of Andy's. Stephane was in town this week for business, including Musexpo in West Hollywood. We grabbed a leisurely bite the other night at La Mill, and he regaled us with all the comic huff going on over Sebastien landing the slot.
The singer has even pledged, with a bit of ironic aplomb, of course, to bump up the French quotient in the hit song for the May 24 battle being held this year in Belgrade. The "Eurovision Song Contest" is major, one of the longest-running TV shows worldwide since first airing in 1956, and drawing something from 100 million to 600 million viewers from year to year. It's beyond cheesy. Consider that two of its best-known winners who actually went on to have a career are Celine Dion and Abba.
So many in France's conservative government (helmed, you'll recall, by ol' Nic who married the supermodel) have been demanding to know why France is giving up its language in front of a global audience. The Defense of the French Language group said France had bowed before the language of the "masters of the world."
Eurovision stats indicate English does lead in the contest, in which viewers pick the winner by phone and text messages. English or mostly English songs have won 22 times, compared to 14 times for songs in French. Some 25 contestants this year--more than half--will sing in English.
Of course, all this is publicity-so-good-you-can't-pay-for for any pop star, however freaky he likes to put it out there. In fact, it only fuels Sebastien's trippy mystique.
And it appears the French hoopla is not all when it comes to this third studio album, "Sexuality," an 11-track reverie on, well, sex, produced by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo of Daft Punk.
The surrealistic cover has also come under scrutiny by Asian retailers, Stephane told us. That exposed mountain of a breast--specifically the nipple--is just too racy. So, in Japan, at least, a black band will be sleeved over the bare nipple.
Stephane left yesterday because Sebastien is rocking La Cigale in Paris tonight. But he promises the outlandish Sebastien will finally be touring the U.S. later this year.