"George Duroy is not Robert Pattinson (or vice versa)"

We have had an unusual spike in traffic to our website recently. We owe this increased interest in our humble business, in part, to the novel "Bel Ami" published in 1885 by Guy de Maupassant. But there is also another amusing reason.

First, the book "Bel Ami" has been adapted many times for film and television over nearly 100 years. For the silver screen, it was adapted by the Italians in 1919, the Germans in 1939, the Mexicans and the United States in 1947, and the French in 1955. It was produced for West German television in 1968 with further small-screen productions by the British (1971), the Italians again (1979) and the French again (1983). Finally, in 2005, Hungarians had their turn with yet another television production.

Although many would claim the earlier versions of "Bel Ami" would have dovetailed with my life, particularly the silent-screen version 90 years ago, until recently it was the Hungarian-television version in 2005 that proved how life and art can intertwine.

That version not only shot a few scenes at the seminary down the street from my former home, it also featured in a small role an actor who moonlights occasionally for BAOL as a photographer. He experienced a moment of confusion when the script arrived at his door and he mistakenly believed it was a film about the world's most beloved porn director.

But now we have a new version of "Bel Ami" filming that stars in the title role the world's most famous vampire: Robert Pattinson, from the "Twilight" films. I must confess, I was unaware of this British actor with high cheekbones, red lips and pale skin until we began receiving some most unusual email. These letters were apparently written by very confused women who demanded to know why photos of Lukas Ridgeston, Johan Paulik and Luke Hamill turned up online when they would search for pictures of their beloved "RPattz" (the American writer JC Adams tells me this is Mr. Pattinson's nickname, which to me sounds like mangled Magyar).

These poor, besotted girls believe we have co-opted the title of Robert Pattinson's film to make a quick buck. These emails were amusing at first, but now they are becoming a nuisance. I am not sorry to tell them Bel Ami, the porn studio, has existed for 17 years and was formed when Mr. Pattinson was likely still in diapers.

But I am more than happy to share some of the spotlight with Robert Pattinson. Apparently he cannot enjoy a moment's peace without the intrusion of those delirious fangirls (and probably some boys, also). JC Adams has shown me some of the comments left after the photo you see here, which he found on a fansite for the "Bel Ami" film. I am delighted to leave you wondering to which "George Duroy" the following comments refer:

* " George Duroy alive!"

* "OMR!!! Robert Pattinson is freaking hot guy ever, so sexy and I’m in love with George Duroy already. Can’t wait to see the movie."

* "God, help me breathe ladies, I think I died and went to heaven. Why, why, why does he need to be that HOT??? I prefer the beard as it doesn’t make my heart ache like this clean shaven angelic face with bad, dirty intentions in his pretty head. He will be the end of me for sure"

* "OMFG Rob truly pulls this one hard LOL! I can already see headlines after Bel Ami™s premiere, Death by His Royal Hotness Duroy’s female bodies everywhere. .. M.Duroy will be hottest man-whore in his century! just sayin'."

* " I want to be this dog, I want to be the cigarette in his mouth, I was to be the air he breaths, I want to be his bodyguard, I don’t want to be the roll of toilet paper or only when he holds it in his hand LOL."