‘Not soft porn’: French minister Marlene Schiappa poses for Playboy magazine cover, sparks controversy

An official from the French government is set to appear on the front cover of the notorious Playboy magazine, which is known to display women in skimpy clothes. Now, French Minister Marlene Schiappa has come under fire for this controversial move.

French Minister Marlene Schiappa is set to appear on the cover of the French edition of the notorious Playboy magazine, set to make her cover debut in the first edition of the ‘fully clothed’ Playboy magazine, also giving a detailed interview on certain issues.

Marlene Schiappa will be appearing on the cover of Playboy magazine and has given her interview about women’s rights issues and LGBTQ+ rights in the country. Her appearance in the infamous magazine has sparked a major controversy in France.

Schiappa has portrayed herself as a feminist minister and writer, who often advocates for women’s rights in France. Marlene is currently the Minister for the Social Economy and French Associations and will be appearing on the Playboy cover page fully clothed.

Marlene Schiappa's decision sparked a major wave of backlash, even from French Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne. Borne slammed the French minister and said that it “wasn’t appropriate, especially during this period.”

Invité ce matin sur Europe1 le Ministre de l’intérieur @GDarmanin apporte son soutien à @MarleneSchiappa sur sa Une Une de #playboy. Il cite Cookie Dingler : « vous ne me ferez pas dire de mal de Marlène Schiappa (…) être une femme libérée, c’est pas si facile » pic.twitter.com/pz50OoQdls

— Jeanne Baron (@jeannebarontv) April 2, 2023

Marlene Schiappa was plucked from obscurity by French President Emmanuel Macron and is no stranger to controversy due to her feminist ideology. Apart from posing for the cover page, she also gave a 12-page interview for Playboy magazine’s French edition.

Taking to social media, Marlene Schiappa had written, “Defending the right of women to do what they want with their bodies: everywhere and all the time.” The minister further said, “In France, women are free. Whether it annoys the retrogrades and hypocrites or not."

Playboy issued a statement in this regard, saying that their magazine was “not soft porn” and can also be viewed as an instrument for feminist causes. They described Schiappa as the perfect choice to appear on the cover since she is a women’s rights advocate.