By now we should be thoroughly used to the collision of pop culture and politics. Bob Geldof and Bandaid. Bono shooting the breeze with Kofi Annan. Sean Penn bucketing water out of a sinking dinghy (with a cup) in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Even so, two recent news events suggest exciting new crossover possibilities: Model journalists and model/singer-songwriter first ladies.

First came the announcement that French president Nicolas Sarkozy is engaged to model turned pop star Carla Bruni, scandalising the French (if only because he courted her at Disneyland Paris and not the Tuileries) and exciting Hollywood scriptwriters.

Then men’s magazine GQ got phone-flinging supermodel Naomi Campbell to interview Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez — of course — from which we learnt that he works out, has memories of the Spice Girls and finds Camilla “not attractive”.

We await the announcement of Jennifer Hawkins as editor of The Australian with eager anticipation.