€10,000 salary of Hollande’s hairdresser sends Twitter into sarcasm overload
Hollande “A rock Star,” Hollande-hipster, Queen Hollande – the French have been prolific in producing sarcastic comments and altered images of their president since learning that his hairdresser earns some €10,000 a month.
Aide le coiffeur d'Hollande à justifier son salaire :#CoiffeurGatepic.twitter.com/WttzzhZUGH
— Paddinglol (@OursPaddinglol) July 13, 2016
The generous sum Hollande’s hairdresser gets for his round-the-clock job was first revealed by the satirical Le Canard Enchaîné newspaper. It’s at least €9,895, not including “family benefits” and “residence allowances.”
Coupe budgétaire #CoiffeurGatepic.twitter.com/W4tF4wVz23
— Aurélien Véron (@aurelien_veron) July 13, 2016
The paper, in fact, displayed a copy of the hairdresser’s five-year contract, which began in 2012 as soon as Hollande was elected president and is scheduled to end in April of 2017 at the end of his presidency. By that time, the hairdresser, identified only as Olivier B, will have earned about €590,000, the report said.
Quand on flambe l'argent du contribuable on s'attend à un minimum de résultat. #CoiffeurGatepic.twitter.com/lxY7vZLezq
— Patrizio Cantello (@TheOwLisWatchin) July 13, 2016
“Mr B. commits to maintaining the utmost secrecy, during and after the completion of his contract, on the work he has done and the information he has had access to,” the contract states, according to Le Canard.
Pour la moitié du salaire proposé je veux bien m'occuper de la coiffure de François Hollande. #CoiffeurGatepic.twitter.com/GsDmHJ8Ao6
— Rashmaninoff (@RasheedDaci) July 13, 2016
Government spokesman Stephane Le Foll confirmed Le Canard Enchaîné’s report, explaining that “this hairdresser had to abandon his salon and he’s on tap 24 hours a day.”
Si encore son coiffeur lui faisait une coupe sympa... #CoiffeurGatepic.twitter.com/TcSBZZsB6K
— Caillou Bijou (@HibouChouGenou) July 13, 2016
French social media exploded as soon as the news emerged, with dozens of Twitter users offering their own candidacies for the right to serve as Hollande’s precious hairdresser and proposing new haircuts for the leader of the French Republic. Hollande has been pictured in rock-and-roll, hipster, and punk haircuts.
#CoiffeurGate et bien cela reviens cher au cheveux......
— brunomimi2008 (@brunomimi2008) July 13, 2016
voici la coupe pour sortir avec sa copine #vallspic.twitter.com/sXdzZ9SdFP
“For half of what the hairdresser earns I would like to look after Hollande’s hair,” a comment read, while another said: “When taxpayer money has minimal results.”
Social media was quick to mention Hollande’s low ratings as president, saying that he “will have at least one guaranteed vote in 2017: his hairdresser.”
#CoiffeurGate suis-je bien coiffé? pic.twitter.com/U4qAyQ2DvV
— Elisa Sims (@Sims_Elisa) July 13, 2016
Avec cette coupe là je vote pour lui jusqu'en 2135, même à 10 000 euros par mois #CoiffeurGatepic.twitter.com/Qf9tVTp7Ay
— ENORME TV (@ENORMETV) July 13, 2016
“If only his hairdresser gave him a nice cut” and “For such salary he [the hairdresser] should have be more original,” the jokes went.
Après le cireur privé d'Aquilino Morelle, le coiffeur perso du président : normal quoi ! #CoiffeurGatepic.twitter.com/FhvHOCMkKn
— carolineporot (@carolineporot) July 13, 2016
The hairdresser’s lawyer, Sarah Levy, tried to justify the salary. She explained to French media that the hairdresser had a heavy workload and had made huge personal sacrifices for the sake of France and its leader.
“He is available to the president around the clock, 24 hours a day, and is never replaced by anyone else. He missed the birth of his own children, their broken arms, their operations…,” she said.
À ce prix là il aurait pu se permettre un peu d'originalité et de folie bordel ! #CoiffeurGatepic.twitter.com/efeYjP5vlT
— Le Nain Somniaque (@beno_ide) July 13, 2016
Elysée Palace also hurried to state that the hairdresser “starts very early in the morning, and has a long working a day… He does the president’s hair every morning and as often as is necessary at each public speaking event,” it added.
Le changement c'est maintenant ! #Hollande#CoiffeurGatepic.twitter.com/0u9ZcfIC7H
— Bolec Holiday (@brunoperrone2) July 13, 2016
The Statista.fr website, which claims to get the data from the government agencies, has already compared the salary of the now well-known barber to the income of government ministers and the president himself.
According to the website, the barber gets less than the President, the Prime Minister, and other ministers, but more than the mayor of Paris.
Les mecs, planquez vos gonzesses, Hollande vient de passer chez le coiffeur #CoiffeurGatepic.twitter.com/YFuLdAWyuk
— Martinus Wallace (@Martilace) July 13, 2016
The presidential barber’s salary is nearly four times higher than the average salary of an ordinary French citizen (€2,874), which itself is twice that of an ordinary French hairdresser (€1450), according to the website.
"@Sarkoziste: Les photos privées qui justifient le salaire du coiffeur #Hollande sont dévoilées #CoiffeurGatepic.twitter.com/jtB7mb6ZIp" mdr
— #PrayForParis (@AgnsNicolas) July 13, 2016
Heureusement, #Hollande n'est pas devenu « Président normal » au milieu des années 60. Sinon... #CoiffeurGatepic.twitter.com/ImeQh9yJp7
— Ju Dalei (@JuDalei) July 13, 2016
En même temps, avouez qu'avant sa coupe n'était vraiment pas terrible.#CoiffeurGatepic.twitter.com/uepvx3hMgr
— IAN (@IanMaddison) July 13, 2016
Tout ça pour ça...#CoiffeurGate
— CléA (@Zenon8703) July 13, 2016
(via Fawkes) pic.twitter.com/PdgEhEm5jD
#CoiffeurGate parc' que je le vaux bien! pic.twitter.com/Okln0F4xOe
— SONYA (@sonja3177) July 13, 2016
Le changement c'est toujours pas maintenant #CoiffeurGatepic.twitter.com/Yn9Ia9vMkA
— Metalleuse Écorchée (@Metalleuse2) July 13, 2016
Voilà voilà...#CoiffeurGatepic.twitter.com/hDa1zexAx7
— Tom ¨nn (@Umlaut_doubleN) July 13, 2016
#CoiffeurGate Les 9 895 euros de salaire du coiffeur de François Hollande inspirent le web https://t.co/OPmpI1KN5opic.twitter.com/BjAa6oDbhb
— La Voix du Nord web (@lavoixdunord) July 13, 2016
Parce qu'il le vaut bien... #CoiffeurGatepic.twitter.com/XXIRrnpQzf
— SniperDeDroite (@SniperDeDroite) July 13, 2016
C'est après avoir vu les succès de Trump et Johnson que #Hollande aurait explosé ses frais de coiffeur#CoiffeurGatepic.twitter.com/aVof7VCHJW
— airwone17 (@airwone17) July 13, 2016
9000€ la coupe, ça va changer #CoiffeurGatepic.twitter.com/odsjGyO8wT
— Ⓐthégriste (@athegriste) July 13, 2016
@RTLFrance
— croustibat (@croustibat1) July 13, 2016
A ce tarif là il aurait au moins pu avoir un look sympa #CoiffeurGate#Hollande#coiffeur#FNpic.twitter.com/Ad5ev0nssW
Parce qu'il le vaut bien ! #CoiffeurGate@Lorealpic.twitter.com/bn8XuaO2EN
— laurencedescloix (@ldescloix) July 12, 2016
Moi je trouve que c'est justifié 8000€ quand on voit ça #CoiffeurGatepic.twitter.com/12stUnzknI
— EnzoKtg10 (@EnzoKtg) July 13, 2016
Et qu'est-ce que ce sera quand nos futurs présidents hipsters auront aussi une barbe à tailler ? #CoiffeurGatepic.twitter.com/wjwSMT89IZ
— Pierre Schneidermann (@pierreschnee) July 13, 2016