Some of the media quotes were absolutely priceless. The faulty tanks that only moved backward being repackaged and sold to France, lol. I find humor in all of this, just as I find humor in American stereotypes. Clearly they are exaggerations and generally unrepresentative of the majority, so why not just laugh and enjoy them? People are too serious these days. Life is short, enjoy yourselves.

Poopi

France12904 Posts

January 22 2012 01:00 GMT

#502

It's kinda weird that there isn't a stereotype like : french are terribad at english, because it's the case for the majority of french. Hopefully we will improve on this point in the future

Yggdrazil

France92 Posts

January 22 2012 01:04 GMT

#503

Another one that could apply to stereotypes :

[image loading]

FlayedOne

Poland47 Posts

January 22 2012 01:05 GMT

#504

On January 22 2012 10:00 Poopi wrote:
It's kinda weird that there isn't a stereotype like : french are terribad at english, because it's the case for the majority of french. Hopefully we will improve on this point in the future

Actually there is, but the same goes for greeks, italians, spanish and portuguese, so it's not french specific;)

gosublade

632 Posts

January 22 2012 01:23 GMT

#505

Maybe because one of the most common expressions of french is 'I surrender'

ShatterZer0

United States1843 Posts

January 22 2012 01:24 GMT

#506

It's all in good fun...

Us Americans love the French, admire the French even. You can only really make fun of someone without inciting hatred if you like them and they know you like them.

I LOVE THE FRENCH!

MichaelDonovan

United States1453 Posts

January 22 2012 01:31 GMT

#507

I think it's hilarious that the first few posts in this thread are from people from Sweden and Singapore and Germany etc. talking about how arrogant we are and how we envy the French. The truth is that common American people don't really talk about or even think about the French. Like..ever. Completely off our radars I would say.

Dizmaul

United States831 Posts

January 22 2012 01:50 GMT

#508

On January 22 2012 10:23 gosublade wrote:
Maybe because one of the most common expressions of french is 'I surrender'

I thought it was "I give up"

Kukaracha

France1954 Posts

January 22 2012 02:11 GMT

#509

Guys 26 pages about France, this alone proves that France is awesome.

I just ate some cheese and it was realllly good.

Things I haven't seen mentioned much so far and that I think are true:
1) Parisians are metrosexuals (especially the girls). They will make you look like you've only bought clothes at charity shops.
2) French people dislike parisian people.
3) The character of parisian people comes from the parisian lifestyle: individualism, "free thinking", 10 million people + all the tourists of the world in such a small place, loneliness.
4) French people overall are actually quite nice.
5) French people complain about the USA not liking them, but bash the USA hardcore all the time. This is because they think that the USA are really that bad.

Dbars

United States273 Posts

January 22 2012 02:26 GMT

#510

I am jelly of all the great places they have to eat in Paris and i am stuck here with places like Red lobster -_-

Monsen

Germany2548 Posts

January 22 2012 02:28 GMT

#511

To be fair, the US really seems like two countries sometimes (red/blue or whatever you want to call it) and some stereotypes are not that far fetched in parts.

Monsen

Germany2548 Posts

January 22 2012 02:28 GMT

#512

On January 22 2012 11:26 Dbars wrote:
I am jelly of all the great places they have to eat in Paris and i am stuck here with places like Red lobster -_-

It could be worse- you could be forced to eat in the UK

Deezl

United States355 Posts

January 22 2012 02:29 GMT

#513

I thought this thread was for bashing the French. I got excited.

So in short, this all started with the traditional English bias against the French, dating back to the 30 years war and the like, where the French reportedly got their asses kicked.

Since then, the French have an abyssmal record of defending their own terf, with their greatest success in war being Napoleon's almost complete European conquest. The fact that Nazi Germany literally walked around French defenses in WW2 and America/England had to come bail you out really made it worse.

The other bit is your accent - everywhere else in the western world, ending your sentence with and upward accent makes it sound like a question. That makes you sound extra smug. Which is unbefitting for a country that can't win a war to save their life.

We Americans are truly greatful to you, however, for saving our asses in the American revolution, an often forgotten fact. Also cool statue you sent us.

maliceee

United States634 Posts

January 22 2012 02:45 GMT

#514

how could we bash france for having terribad english when we have terribad every other language on the planet.

Parisians really do suck, but French people don't at all.

KimJongChill

United States6429 Posts

January 22 2012 02:51 GMT

#515

I've never quite understand why, especially considering that they were once pretty powerful under Napoleon.

Jisall

United States2054 Posts

January 22 2012 02:51 GMT

#516

In the states we just bash on the french for surrendering during wars. Thats the only real joke that floats around. As for the reason. I wouldnt take it too personally its all in good fun. After all you helped us gain our independence, we like you for that lol

Cush

United States646 Posts

January 22 2012 02:57 GMT

#517

We saved them in 2 world wars, and yet when American Bombers were sent from England to Bomb Tripoli during the Reagan years, they would not let the bombers fly over the French Airspace, so we had to fly around France to get to our target. The French also have some resentment towards us because at one time French was the language of the world, then it became English because of Great Britain and the U.S. Those are some of the biggest reasons for a lot of bashing...

United States3249 Posts

January 22 2012 03:00 GMT

#518

The French bash Americans much more than Americans bash the French.

dannystarcraft

United States179 Posts

January 22 2012 03:05 GMT

#519

Just wanted to post in this because like a lot of people in this post, I am an American.

I don't know if this applies to everyone in the United States, but here is how I feel about it. I learned in grade school that France was really great. They helped us out in the Revolutionary War, and we fought with them in World War I and II. You know kind of like that friend who has always got your back, and you have always got his.
Somewhere along the line the idea got communicated that a lot of French people (along with a sizable portion of the world) just hated America. It also seemed like it came out of no where, in other words, for no reason. So the obvious and natural reaction (not necessarily the right one) is to say that they are just jealous (and also poke fun at them, etc. etc.).
So basically, in all seriousness I like France, but then again, I may not be the majority.

Also, out of just sheer belligerence...

On January 22 2012 11:29 Deezl wrote:
We Americans are truly greatful to you, however, for saving our asses in the American revolution, an often forgotten fact. Also cool statue you sent us.

They helped us, but we still would have won the Revolutionary war without them...

Bigtony

United States1606 Posts

January 22 2012 03:08 GMT

#520

There was a time in Post WWII France where everything that was American (things like Coke, for example) were very disliked and even the subject of serious political/legal discussion. I think that the French are very proud of their country and their culture, not unlike the USA. The fact that they are so similar in that regard and the fact that aspects of their culture are diametrically opposed creates friction.