- After L'Oréal's decision to delete the words "white", "whitening" and "clear" from its products, a parody tweet suggesting that Mont Blanc was going to change its name went viral and gave rise to many comments .
- Its author, who has received threats, explains to 20 Minutes that he did not expect such reactions.
- This controversy reacts to the mayor of Saint-Gervais (Haute-Savoie), who fights on his side to defend the environment of the famous summit.
"But what to do with Michel Blanc, Michel Noir and Pascal Nègre? It was with these ironic words that a tweet on Mont Blanc was widely taken up and commented on Facebook. Posted this Saturday, he informed of the name change of the highest point in the Alps, renamed "Grand Mont". The testimony of an activist from Extinction Rebellion, allegedly quoted by AFP (Agence France Presse), justified the decision: "A white summit, a symbol of oppression, which dominates Europe, there is something that does not pass in 2020. "
This ironic tweet echoed the controversy raised by L'Oréal's decision this weekend, which announced the removal of certain words, such as "whitening", from its products. Very quickly after this announcement, a boycott campaign via the hashtag #BoycottLoreal was launched on social networks.
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The author of the tweet, which has gone viral, testified to 20 Minutes that he deleted it after receiving “threats” on social networks: “It was obviously a travesty, I thought it was absurd enough not to be taken in. serious. When I thought about this story of Mont Blanc, I said to myself: "It's big enough not to be ambiguous." Unfortunately, I created a fake news without my knowledge, many laughed, but some believed it. It happens to me from time to time to bounce on the news with this kind of joke, but usually, it does not create controversy. I did it on the Benjamin Griveaux campaign, inventing a story of snow cannons which he intended to install in Montmartre and which I had signed AFP. The tweet had caused a lot of laughter, without creating controversy, and without being taken in the first degree. With Mont Blanc, you could say that I completely missed my shot. "
The reactions and threats to this parody tweet illustrate once again how tense the context is, after the anger expressed since the death at the end of May of George Floyd, an African-American asphyxiated by a white police officer in Minneapolis.
White like eternal snow
Questioned by 20 Minutes , the mayor of Saint-Gervais (Haute-Savoie), Jean-Marc Peillex, who has campaigned for years for the protection of Mont Blanc as a unique natural space, sets the record straight: If this name was discriminatory, why not? But there, it turns out that he is white because of the eternal snow. All this is really degrading in fact, it's making fun of people! "
The National Commission for Toponymy (CNT), attached to the National Council for Geographic Information (Cnig), is responsible for preserving the toponymic heritage in France. It draws up the list of names of cities, landforms and rivers. “But technically, it is the municipal councils that have all power over toponymy. For Mont Blanc, three municipalities are concerned, Chamonix, Saint-Gervais and Courmayeur in Italy. It is therefore not tomorrow the day before that name will be able to change, ”explains Cnig at 20 Minutes .
The Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc brand acquired by L'Oréal
"There are also trademarks registered with the INPI (National Institute of Intellectual Property), such as Montblanc pens, which are German," continues Jean-Marc Peillex. There is also the Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc cosmetic brand. The latter uses Mont Blanc thermal water from Saint-Gervais, recognized by the French Academy of Medicine for its restorative, soothing and healing properties. In 2016, the Saint-Gervais thermal baths and its range of treatments were acquired by… L'Oréal.
Be that as it may, "athletes from all continents are welcome to climb Mont Blanc, as long as they respect the environment," concludes Jean-Marc Peillex. A decree aiming to better regulate access and activities at the heart of this site is being prepared.
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