The Absurdity of the French

[LancasterSteve]

Crazy stuff. The French never cease to amaze me with their utter disdain for anything Anglo.

 

Nutso link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/03/french-ban-twitter-facebook_n_871153.html?icid=main%7Cverizon%7Cdl6%7Csec3_lnk2%7C215145

[LeviF]

Crazy stuff. The French never cease to amaze me with their utter disdain for anything Anglo.

 

Nutso link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/03/french-ban-twitter-facebook_n_871153.html?icid=main%7Cverizon%7Cdl6%7Csec3_lnk2%7C215145

That is nuts.

 

But please, as if the "freedom toast" and "freedom fries" movements were any less nuts.

Edited June 6, 2011 by LeviF91

[LancasterSteve]

That is nuts.

 

But please, as if the "freedom toast" and "freedom fries" movements were any less nuts.

 

Ya those responses were sophomoric by a rather insignificant number of Americans. What the "French government" by making it illegal to speak these words at all is outright censorship. Just because they are Anglo in origin, they ban them??? Pansy-a$$ed sissies

[/dev/null]

I suspect this French defense mechanism will be almost as successful as the Maginot Line

[BuffaloBill]

There are reasons why the French were run over like road kill in both world wars .....

[KD in CA]

I'd respect this decision if they had the balls to just come right out and say "we're banning references to this social media nonsense because it's nothing but a huge waste of time for culturally deprived nerds" instead of hiding behind some typically Euro-weenie "oh, it's not faaaair!!!" excuse.

 

 

 

[Andrew in CA]

There are reasons why the French were run over like road kill in both world wars .....

You might want to brush up on your WWI history...

[Pete]

They also have resisted the term "email". I can understand why some feel it is censorship (I am vehimately opposed to any censorship) but I feel this is preservation of their beautiful French culture. Globalization sucks IMO and France (and just about everywhere else) is littered with McDonalds, KFC, Nike, etc. I have read accounts of how many Parisian bouchons (over 10,000 IIRC) have closed since 1900. The first McDonalds opened in France in 1979 and it spread like aggresive cancer. It sickens me when I see glorious Wenceslas Square in Prague desecrated with Burger Kings and Pizza Hut. It is the homogenization of cultures. It blows my mind when I see someone foregoing the exquisite cuisine of France for a McDonalds, just as it blows my mind when I see someone pass up a Vienna coffeshop for a Starbucks. Corporate America is desecrating the world, destroying cultures, and exporting obesity and diabetes. I support France in their attempt to preserve their culture

[KD in CA]

They also have resisted the term "email". I can understand why some feel it is censorship (I am vehimately opposed to any censorship) but I feel this is preservation of their beautiful French culture. Globalization sucks IMO and France (and just about everywhere else) is littered with McDonalds, KFC, Nike, etc. I have read accounts of how many Parisian bouchons (over 10,000 IIRC) have closed since 1900. The first McDonalds opened in France in 1979 and it spread like aggresive cancer. It sickens me when I see glorious Wenceslas Square in Prague desecrated with Burger Kings and Pizza Hut. It is the homogenization of cultures. It blows my mind when I see someone foregoing the exquisite cuisine of France for a McDonalds, just as it blows my mind when I see someone pass up a Vienna coffeshop for a Starbucks. Corporate America is desecrating the world, destroying cultures, and exporting obesity and diabetes. I support France in their attempt to preserve their culture

 

It's not just Corporate America; look at the impact of recent immigration in European countries (and the US). Are those line at the Paris McD's really full of 20th generation Frenchmen?

[Pete]

It's not just Corporate America; look at the impact of recent immigration in European countries (and the US). Are those line at the Paris McD's really full of 20th generation Frenchmen?

Mostly, but there is lots of tourists and immigrants too. There is a big influx of immigrants, but many are relegated to slums and treated as second class citizens from what I have seen. But French kids do love McDs for some reason. There is some great literature documenting French cuisine pre corporate homogenization. The Food Of France by Waverly comes to mind immediately. And it great to read A Moveable Feast by Hemmingway and not have any McD's references. Paris must of been amazing back in the 20's. I wish I could remember where I read about all the Bouchons that have closed so I could share. It seemed like there were great restaurants every block and Paris was a moveable feast. Too bad Olivier doesn't come round much too much these days. I would love to hear his informed take.

 

I like to think there is more to American culture then fast food, greed, Lady Gaga, pro wrestling and NASCAR. That seems so foreign to me

[Pete]

And it seems like Americans love to bash the French gratuitously. Well take a good hard look in the mirror before you cast that stone

[erynthered]

Many Countries in Europe are losing a bit of their culture. Didnt Francee ban burqas?

[DrDawkinstein]

And it seems like Americans love to bash the French gratuitously. Well take a good hard look in the mirror before you cast that stone

 

Great avatar change in honor of this thread

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

Corporate America is desecrating the world, destroying cultures, and exporting obesity and diabetes.

 

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

 

and the "beautiful french culture?" are we talking the one that enslaved africa, burned hugenots, fought innumerable wars with england, spain and germany and then dumped their mess in SE Asia in our laps?

 

F the french and their "beautiful culture." !@#$ man, they even like Jerry !@#$ing Lewis!

 

EDIT: I've got about a dozen friends in the UK and to a man they despise the French. Why? They're elitist to the point of being bigoted. Put plainly, if Americans act like Frenchmen, they're called racists and fired from employment. I have NO love or pity for the French. I'd rather spend time around Englishmen, Germans, Italians or Spaniards than I would the French.

 

And if you hate corporate America so much, why not find somehwere where it's not around? Like, say, Botswana.

Edited June 6, 2011 by joesixpack

[/dev/null]

And if you hate corporate America so much, why not find somehwere where it's not around? Like, say, Botswana.

 

If he moved to a country like Botswana without American corporations, he wouldn't have access to Internet, TV, cars, cheap Chinese crap from Walmart®, and all the other things we Americans take for granted and love to hate on

 

Come to think of it, it's a rather French concept: Having your cake and eating it too

[Pine Barrens Mafia]

If he moved to a country like Botswana without American corporations, he wouldn't have access to Internet, TV, cars, cheap Chinese crap from Walmart®, and all the other things we Americans take for granted and love to hate on

 

Come to think of it, it's a rather French concept: Having your cake and eating it too

 

ahaha I bet he drives a Puegot, too

 

all 3 cylinders

[DC Tom]

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

 

and the "beautiful french culture?" are we talking the one that enslaved africa, burned hugenots, fought innumerable wars with england, spain and germany and then dumped their mess in SE Asia in our laps?

 

F the french and their "beautiful culture." !@#$ man, they even like Jerry !@#$ing Lewis!

 

EDIT: I've got about a dozen friends in the UK and to a man they despise the French. Why? They're elitist to the point of being bigoted. Put plainly, if Americans act like Frenchmen, they're called racists and fired from employment. I have NO love or pity for the French. I'd rather spend time around Englishmen, Germans, Italians or Spaniards than I would the French.

 

And if you hate corporate America so much, why not find somehwere where it's not around? Like, say, Botswana.

 

Little known fact: the reputation that Germany had for a century of being militaristic, aggressive, and destabilizing? For about 600 or so years, until 1870, it was the French that were considered such.

 

And given that in our memories they went to war with Greenpeace, one wonders why they aren't still.

[Just Jack]

EDIT: I've got about a dozen friends in the UK and to a man they despise the French. Why? They're elitist to the point of being bigoted.

My parents took a trip to Germany and Paris back in the late 70's, I think 1979. Germany they loved, everyone was nice and helpful. Paris, they hated, even though they were trying to speak some french to ask questions or get help, you'd think they were rats in the sewer from the looks people would give them, they said.

[Pete]

If he moved to a country like Botswana without American corporations, he wouldn't have access to Internet, TV, cars, cheap Chinese crap from Walmart®, and all the other things we Americans take for granted and love to hate on

 

Come to think of it, it's a rather French concept: Having your cake and eating it too

I don't watch TV, I chose to bike instead of drive for the past 10 years(I just put car on road because job is 30 miles away), I don't shop at Walmart- so you must have me confused with someone else

 

hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

 

and the "beautiful french culture?" are we talking the one that enslaved africa, burned hugenots, fought innumerable wars with england, spain and germany and then dumped their mess in SE Asia in our laps?

 

F the french and their "beautiful culture." !@#$ man, they even like Jerry !@#$ing Lewis!

 

EDIT: I've got about a dozen friends in the UK and to a man they despise the French. Why? They're elitist to the point of being bigoted. Put plainly, if Americans act like Frenchmen, they're called racists and fired from employment. I have NO love or pity for the French. I'd rather spend time around Englishmen, Germans, Italians or Spaniards than I would the French.

 

And if you hate corporate America so much, why not find somehwere where it's not around? Like, say, Botswana.

I think you are confusing foreign policy with culture. By your nonsequitor logic- American culture would be East Timor, Cambodia, Panama, Iraq (just a few examples in my lifetime- notice I didn't bring up slavery, the indians, the suffrage movement, etc).

French culture has style, a beautiful language, art, literature, intellectuals, philosophy, cuisine,and they savor life.

 

I typed this in 2 minutes and I am out the door- I would be happy to go into more detail later. But I get it- you are a flag waving America !@#$ yeah guy, and you like to bash France. To each their own

[Andrew in CA]

My parents took a trip to Germany and Paris back in the late 70's, I think 1979. Germany they loved, everyone was nice and helpful. Paris, they hated, even though they were trying to speak some french to ask questions or get help, you'd think they were rats in the sewer from the looks people would give them, they said.

When I went to Paris in 2006, the people there could not have been nicer to my friends and me-- asking if we needed directions, helping us on the subway, etc. And they were a lot of fun to drink with, too.