Mythbusters: Why the French Don't Suck

            I am going to just come out and say it: I stole the second part of the title from the very first episode of Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations”. I couldn’t help myself, it’s just too perfect of a title.

            Lately, the French have been getting a bad rap in the U.S. It seems as if we have forgotten that France is our nation’s oldest ally, and have given us such wonderful things as the Statue of Liberty and French-kissing. Somewhere along the way, the American mindset has changed. When and why, nobody knows.

            In the minds of most Americans, “French” is synonymous with “sissy”. Sure, we still think of France when we think of haute cuisine, but most of the things that we consider very “French” are also very feminine. For example, the French are renoun for women’s fashion, perfume, wine/champagne, and kissing people on the cheek (and mimes too, but that didn’t seem to fit with what I was trying to say).  I don’t know if it’s because of the way they dress, or because of the way they sucked up to the Germans in World War II, but whatever it is we just think of them as feminine. In reality, France is actually a pretty manly and testosterone-driven place. We just tend to ignore the things like bullfighting, rugged mountains for skiing, topless women at beaches, and a heated passion for soccer. Manly enough for ya?

            Everybody loves to make fun of the French. Sometimes it can’t be helped, as they kinda set themselves up to be the butt of many jokes. The French take it all in stride. Although they are a very proud people, I have yet to meet a Frenchman who is unable to laugh at their own culture. This is a skill that many Americans lack.

            I have also come to find out that most of the American stereotypes of the French are far from true. For example, there is the stereotype that French people are rude. This couldn’t be any more false. I have been welcomed into many French homes with open arms, and I find them to be very curious and interested in all things foreign. They also take great pride in their heritage and are extremely eager to explain or show certain facets of their culture to foreigners, specifically when it comes to food and wine. I think that this stereotype came about because most Americans who go to France only go to Paris. I’m not saying that Parisians are rude, but Paris is a huge city. Big cities tend to be fast paced and crowded, and usually contain a lot of tourists. Sometimes those aspects don’t come together well. If people judged Americans based on the temperment of New Yorkers, we would have the reputation of being rude too. I also think part of it is just a cultural difference. Whereas in the U.S. it is polite to smile or nod your head upon making eye contact with a stranger, or even your neighbor, that is not the case in France. Smiling at someone can be thought of as flirting, and so the French tend to avoid smiling when there is no reason to (pretty logical in my mind). So, the fact that nobody is smiling at you might make the French seem rude in an American’s mind.

            Another common stereotype of the French is that the French hate Americans. This is partially true, but not in the way that you would think. Everybody hates tourists, and a huge majority of tourists tend to be American or Chinese. So that is one aspect of it. Everybody also hates the American government, and for good reason. However, the French do a much better job than most cultures (American included) at separating the American government from the American people. They don’t understand many of our laws, or how we let politicians get away with what they do, but they don’t hold that against us. In anything, since France opposed the war in Iraq, one could argue that Americans hate the French. Also, the typical young French person watches many American shows/movies and listens to plenty of American music, so they are usually excited to meet Americans of the same age.

            Finally, there is the stereotype that French people stink and French women don’t shave. I have no idea where this generalization came from. Like in the states, some people stink, some people don’t. Most people have perfectly acceptable hygiene. I have yet to see a hairy French woman, and I find French girls to be not only incredibly sexy but well-groomed and well-dressed as well. I think it’s the dirty Italians who are hairy.

            Then there is the stereotype that all French people smoke. That one is true.

            So, I guess what I’m trying to say is that the French are poorly portrayed in the American media. This is the danger of stereotypes and generalizations. If all stereotypes were true, than every American would be obese and stupid, and we would all carry around shotguns. If French people really were like how they are portrayed in the U.S., they would all look like this:

            To wrap it up, I will finish with a list of the best things France has given us: the statue of liberty, brands like Louis Vuitton and Chanel, the guillotine, French-kising, our indepence, Zidane’s awesome head-butt in the World Cup final, part of the English language, cinema, impressionism, champagne and cognac, the bayonette, mayonnaise, the parachute, Tin-Tin, and most importantly the bikini.