Kebab, Politics and Twitter

Liberal politician Benoit Hamon - quite popular among the young electorate – unexpectedly made France smile last Thursday. Taking advantage of Twitter as the most direct link between politicians and civilians, he posted a photo of a kebab, saying “I couldn’t resist”. The hashtags #hungry and #ZeroDiet contributed to make the photo go viral. Indeed, he literally broke the Internet : immediately, the tweet was shared thousands of times. Some qualified it “an historical event”, others just appreciated his original tastes.

The funniest part is that the photo was shared/retweeted twice more than Macron’s official portrait. Amused by this absurd situation, some of Hamon’s supporters said “though he hasn’t won the presidential battle, he surely has won the Twitter one”.

Several analysts interpreted it only as a communication strategy, in a context when he is leaving the Socialist Party, which is currently in the middle of a crisis of legitimacy. Posting such a photo would be a perfect opportunity to show his potential electorate that he shares its tastes, and especially on kebab (one of the most popular snack meals in France).

However, the newspaper Paris Match went deeper in the analysis: kebab would be a symbol, used for a political purpose, a symbol of French diversity, of the fact that our country is built on immigration, and that this meal has become a part of our culture. The subliminal message would, therefore, be a rejection of xenophobia and an anthem for tolerance.

The same day, the mayor of Marseille made a statement saying he would launch a project aimed at reducing the number of kebab fast-foods in the city, and replace them with high quality commerce, in order to make the city more dynamic and attractive for tourists and investors. Strange coincidence, isn’t it?


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