Succès de scandale is French for "success from scandal", i.e. when a success derives from a scandal. It might seem contradictory that any kind of success might follow from scandal, but scandal attracts attention, and this attention is sometimes the beginning of notoriety and/or other successes. Today, the often-used cynical phrase, "no such thing as bad publicity" is indicative of the extent to which "success by scandal" is a part of modern mass media culture. The archetypal example of succès de scandale in art is Stravinsky's ballet Le Sacre du printemps, which premiered in 1913 by the Ballets Russes. During the Belle Époque, the public attending this premiere was so scandalised by the sounds produced by the orchestra, and the evocation of a blood sacrifice on stage, that a riot broke out. Negative press and criticism followed, but Stravinsky kept aloof, as if he knew that overnight, he had become the most famous composer of the 20th century. Wikipedia [ - ]

Succès de scandale is French for "success from scandal", i.e. when a success derives from a... [ + ]