For the sequel to last week's Polanski playlist, we have the Frederic Mitterand/My Bad Life playlist. The recently appointed French Minister of Culture stuck his neck out to voice support for Polanski's case, only to have it cut by National Front VP, Marine Le Pen. Le Pen called for the Culture Minister to step down based on accounts from Mitterand's 2005 book, My Bad Life. In his autobiographical account, written four years before Sarkozy appointed him as Minister, the then TV personality and actor describes acquiring the habit of "paying for young boys" in Thailand while vacationing there. In response to the allegations he has remained defiant, saying that he is only guilty of "crimes against [his own] dignity," and insisting he only paid for men his own age. Despite the semantic evidence–they are referred to as "garcons" in the account–he also deftly called out his accusers for conflating homosexuality with pedophilia. According to most recent reports, based on his pedigree and the generally liberal French attitude toward such things, it's likely that Mitterand will survive this attack.

The music on the list is a mostly light-hearted look at this subject. I just had to include Book of Love's classic "Boy," Pet  Shop Boy's "Rent," and the Ramones' "53rd and 3rd." I also have to comment on the near-bizarre, almost Saturday Night Live-quality of the new Raveonettes song poetically titled: "Boys Who Rape (Should All Be Destroyed)." As Gilbert and George said recently in an interview in Amazing Man, "There are no taboos left anymore...except pedophilia."

Les Playboys Dutronc