Marlène Schiappa Posed for Playboy (Clothed). France Is Looking, and Talking. – The New York Times

Catherine Porter: For almost a week, after word leaked that the French cabinet minister Marlène Schiappa would appear on the cover of French Playboy, the country’s talking heads have debated whether it is appropriate for a self-described feminist to appear in a magazine known for its nude centerfolds.

The prime minister rebuked the minister’s timing amid monthslong antigovernment protests. Ms. Schiappa’s colleagues in government raced to defend her. Others mumbled that they would not have chosen a publication packed with photos of naked women, but voilà.

On Thursday, the issue landed like a lead weight on newsstands.

There was Ms. Schiappa in a white dress on the cover, her right hand over her heart and cupping one breast. It was an allusion to the painter Eugene Delacroix’s symbol of French liberty, leading citizens over barricades, holding a rifle and the French flag, both breasts emerging from her unraveling dress.

A prolific writer, Ms. Schiappa has published 10 books since joining the government in 2017. She has also released many erotic titles under a pseudonym, including “Dare the Female Orgasm.”“It’s important that our shared erotic imagery should not be written solely by men,” she told Playboy.
over a 12-page spread in the magazine, with six pages of answers to an interview, Ms. Schiappa appears in five photos, dressed in the national colors. She poses as iconic French figures, including Joan of Arc, dressed in a neck-to-calf metallic blue dress; and Louis XIV, in a billowing red cape that reveals one long leg.

Source: Marlène Schiappa Posed for Playboy (Clothed). France Is Looking, and Talking. – The New York Times