An unauthorised cartoon parody of the couple, screened in the US more than a week ago, has become a surprise hit as tens of thousands of French web users viewed pirated clips of the episode.
The caricature contains the usual cliches Americans — and Britons — attribute to the French, portraying Bruni as a beautiful, cigarette-puffing, man-eating woman who quaffs red wine and has a husband who loves smelly cheese.
In the show, called The Devil Wears Nada, the bungling Homer Simpson and his superviser and friend Carl Carlson visit Paris. At a high-society reception they bump into Carla Bruni, caricatured as a femme fatale who speaks English with a heavy French accent. After a brief exchange of flirtatious pleasantries in which Bruni asks Carl what he likes most about Paris and whether they can have lunch, she remarks that he is clearly a man of the world and throws herself into his arms declaring: “I want to make love. Now.”
Later in the programme Carl threatens to have Homer sacked. In reply he threatens to call President Sarkozy.
“You know that woman you’ve been playing hide-the-baguette with? She’s the first lady of France, Carla Bruni,” says Homer. “If you fire me I’ll call president Sarkozy and he’ll be all over you like Truffaut on Hitchcock,” he warns. This is seen as a dig at French cinema greats copying their American counterparts.
When Carl doubts his threat, Homer calls Sarkozy’s office. Viewers see the French president answering the phone at his desk in the Elysee Palace. In front of him is a plate of Camembert cheese and Carla is standing beside him swigging a glass of wine.
“Allo. You are getting cosy with Sarkozy,” says the French leader. Although the episode was screened on November 15, it has only just come to the attention of the French. Agence France Press reported that more than 117,000 fans had linked to the Paris-based site DailyMotion on Friday alone to watch the clip.
Other world figures, including former prime minister of Britain Tony Blair and media magnate Rupert Murdoch, have been lampooned in the Simpsons, but recorded their own voices and escaped lightly with a gentle ribbing. Other famous figures to get The Simpsons treatment include Bill Gates, Bill Clinton, the Rolling Stones and the late Michael Jackson.
 However, the Sarkozy episode was apparently made without the couple’s consent.