What a grand thing the French have done in voting for Laetitia Casta to symbolize Marianne. I'm almost 60 and have always been reluctant to be seen paging through the Victoria's Secret catalog. Now I can do so freely without the risk of someone thinking I'm a cross-dresser.

-- Loren Harmon

Don't believe everything you hear. France's Marianne is about as important and representative as your Miss America.

Having cleared that up, at least the French panel of judges chose a natural beauty, not the big-hair, fake-breast, plastic-face variety that wins in the United States.

-- Gentry Lane
(another Paris-based Salon contributor)

The obvious title -- "Liberté, Égalité, Décolleté!" -- must have escaped you.

-- Nick Wade

Does Debra Ollivier live in Paris, France or Paris, Texas? I hate to sound like an apologist for the French -- they don't really need me as they're excellent at arguing for themselves, but, unlike Ollivier, as an American living in France I've never had to have government approval to get my heater fixed. Also, the implication was that the vote for Marianne was by the French people themselves -- actually it was by the mayors of France.

Political correctness of the American variety hasn't come to France yet -- hence the lack of shame at running such a beauty contest. That's all it was, and the prettiest woman won.

-- James Brister

So what's wrong with great breasts? I have great breasts, and if Texas (for example) decided me make me their national symbol, then terrific! Think of all that a slick P.R. campaign could do for breast-cancer research, women's health, body issues and so on!

If you find yourself in the public eye (in Victoria's Secret or otherwise), then for God's sake use it for something worthwhile!

-- C. Simmons

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