Sex and cheese as Sarkozys meet The Simpsons

Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni have entered the only real pantheon of international celebrity – by being parodied in
The Simpsons. A short clip of their unauthorised, and rather uncomplimentary, appearance has become one of the most-viewed clips on the French-language internet in the past few days.

The French first lady is portrayed as a sex-mad vamp. Her husband has only a brief appearance in which he answers the telephone at the Elysée Palace by saying: "You're getting cosy with Sarkozy."

Although little commented on when it aired in the US on 15 November, extracts from the episode, called "The Devil Wears Nada", have become a must-see for French internauts.

Homer Simpson and his boss Carl Carlson visit Paris and meet a yellow-faced Bruni, wearing a long purple dress, at a posh party. She throws herself almost immediately into Carl's arms and says: "I want to make love, right now."

Later in the show, Carl threatens to have Homer sacked and he retorts: "You know that woman you've been playing 'hide the baguette' with? That's the first lady of France, Carla Bruni!"

"If you fire me I'll call President Sarkozy and he'll be all over you like Truffaut on Hitchcock."

Carl refuses to believe Homer so he rings the Elysée Palace on a video telephone. The French President is seen sitting at his desk with his wife and a camembert. Research for the show was clearly very far-reaching.