I need YOU ! What do you think about....

[Anaël]

I have to make a talk for school about how people around the world see France and French people. What clichés have you got ? Positive or negative ? Have you ever went in France ? Did you enjoy it ? and all you think about this subject

So I would like your opinion ! Thanks by advance

[Luke]

French toast, French fries, anti-War, John Kerry, Chef Louie, big signature images.

I think I've pretty much covered all the cliches! Hope that helps!

[deathie mouse]

you ask'd for it
deathie stream of conciousness


bad clichés i've heard (not my opinion mind you!)

French are gaga about Jerry Lewis (this is said as meaning Jerry Lewis is not that good so the French are crazy) (or worse )
French don't take a bath (I've heard the same cliché about Spaniards too) (and in rhyme! )
French think their culture is superior to others (when is just their language, right Anaël? ) (i'm eevil )


mmm last time i was on a plane my brother almost got into a fight with a Frenchman after we were trying to accomodate things in the luggage compartments for their benefit


I've been to France travelling by train and stayed a few weeks in Paris. I remember I got a cool James Bond music album there and of course the usual sights: Notre Dame, Eiffel,
Of course I enjoyed it

I scratched my name on da bridge. Yeah i went there to deface the city! must been scratched over by a thousand more now.

I had a cool multicultural converstion with French students my age in the metro. It may be a defining moment.

great things i like about France :
Asterix
Tintin (i know i know, Belgian reporter)
Truffeaut (i love his Hitchcock book, one of my essential readings if youre interested in the slightest about Cinema)
Luc Besson movies
Belle D'Jour
la Belle e la Bête
Jeanne D'Arc (i have three different movie versions already need 2 more! )
My mother's favorite movie is An American in Paris and i love it too
(i wanna marry Leslie Caròn )
My mother used to speak french but she can't anymore
I love the movie Is Paris Burning? and its bea-u-tiful music, I like to hear it with each actor speaking their own language . Makes me happy
Louis De Funes and the Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob
Regina Margot
(mmm yeah French absorption thru movies but everything about me is about movies love and death P)
etc etc

I call french fries, fries but i call plain omelette, french omelette


Did I say I wanna maarry Leslie Caron?

[Mr. Toad]

Nice one Luke.

[TheZue]

Okay...I'm going to post this before I read the other ones so I'm not influenced:)

Things that come to mind are:

Guillotenes (totally spelled wrong lol) and the french revolution & all the style of that era

The snooty french guy stereotype

Funny little cars, but that goes for all of Europe

Your President standing up to the US before Gulf War volume 2

Almost forgot the french castle in monty python and the holy grail..."why do think I have this outrageous accent???"

and finally.....wine

Haven't been there but I want to go at some point along with the rest of Europe

[Cinderelly]

I don't know much about the french but I do know that the ladies' sweaters which are horizontally striped and often have a bot neck style, just have always been called a french style, whether it is in reality or not.

French Poodle (did they really orginate in france?)

French Kiss (Hmmmmm.....I doubt it had a specific orgin)

French Maid

French Vanilla ice cream

I am not sure if any of these helped but that is all I could think of at the moment.

[Melly]

Hi Anaël, I'm from Australia and happy to help out. I've been to France, but only to Paris and DL Paris. I found a lot of people there rude, even though I went in with an open mind and TRIED to like people. The driving in Paris was crazy too You're not even safe on the footpath. I found that the majority of people I met felt like I wasn't worth speaking to since I didn't speak french, even shop assistants. BUT, my fiance was in the South of France for a couple of weeks before we met and he loved it. He said the people there were very friendly and completely opposite to Parisians, so it might just be the city. I also met a LOVELY French couple on my flight from Paris to Sydney I might have been unlucky with most people in Paris, but unfortunately it's an image that's prevalent here in Sydney ie. French people = rude. Most people only go to Paris though.

Stereotypes/French icons:

- French bread/baguettes
- Berets
- Eiffel Tower
- The Louvre
- Wine of course!
- Yummy food
- Anti-american (again just what we see from down here, not necessarily true!)

Unfortunately there is also that stereotype about French people being rude, but like every place you go you're bound to meet SOME rude people, so I'll continue to think I was just unlucky enough to meet the wrong people Please don't be offended by my comments, I hope they help

[Just Myself]

The cliche of French women not shaving.

[Anaël]

So many French words in English : chic, dépôt, café, élite, début, passé, blasé, encore, fiancé, cuisine, sabotage, camouflage, au jus, faux pas, à la mode, coup de grâce, bon vivant, pas de deux, à la carte, coup d'état, déjà vu, etc...

But I want to say thanks for everybody who replies !

Melly : Parisians drive dangerously, every French thinks it's true ! And don't forget that Paris is a big city ! My American friend found people very rude and impolite in Paris (they push her, etc) but when she was at my home in Reims (300 000 unhabitants) she felt in love of France, she had and she still has a very good memory of her homestay with us.

And so many expressions with French :
French bean
French boxing
French braid
French bread (baguette)
French bulldog
French curve
French dressing
French fries !
French kiss ! hehehehe
French omelette
French manicure
French vanilla (Bourbon vanilla)
etc.

TheZue : Our little cars are funny but they pollute less thant big american cars

deathie mouse : I don't know who Jerry Lewis is ! It's ture we don't take a bath we have showers Less water and less carbon dioxyd !


I havn't seen any thing about French fashion ??? What about Coco Chanel, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton ? lol

What about champagne (Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, Mümm, Cordon-rouge, Pommery, Piper-Heidsieck, etc.) ?

[Swiss]

I really can't think of anything. Although I do love France for the most part. One of the points many make are how rude and unfriendly the French are. I did encounter some rudeness to be excessive while in France. It's a beautiful country.

[Mr. Toad]

Anael - really when I think about fashion i think Italy and New York not France. As far as champagne and wine - well I think it is a cliche at best. Not really a french thing anymore, so many good ones from all over the world now, but historically certainly French.

[ichabod]

Hey Anael,

Here in Britain almost everyone seems to hate French people, but there is no real reason why! If you ask a person they will probably say that they have France, but if you ask them to give you a valid reaon why, they won't. I think it's one of those things where people say they hate something just because evryone else does.

p.s. I don't hate France, you get some of the best dvd releases!

[ThiagoPE]

¡¿

Seems this kind of topics will become like the laguage topics...

I will just ignorate this topic.

[Anaël]

What French trademarks like Gemey or l'Oréal do you know ?

[Celtic]

Well I went to DL Paris this year with a very open mind. My British husband is not a French fan at all (something about kicking their butt in 2 world wars). When I went to France I had visions of a really clean place with stylish people, beautiful airport etc. When I left France I left with a few lasting impressions, mainly that I will never go back. The French people (tourists and those working in Eurodisney at the parks / hotels / restaurants) were the rudest, most obnoxious, unhelpful, surley bunch I've ever met. They people working in the parks didn't so much as crack a smile and by the end of the trip I was wondering why we didn't just pay the extra and go to Florida. They'd never get a job in Disney Orlando I can guarantee you! The tourists behaved like animals.....pushing children out of their way so they could get a picture of a character. Absolutely appalling behaviour!

The hotel was in need of a good scrub (Newport Bay) and considering it wasn't cheap I expected better. The check in staff were just a sour bunch in general. And the restaurants were dirty, smoky and filled with the most rude waiting staff I've ever seen. And as for the airport......disgusting. Dirty, none, or useless directions, atrocious check-in setup and the single worst waiting area I've ever seen (about 50 seats for around 200 people) and not so much as a coffee machine near-by.

I went with high hopes and left with one comment......you'll never see me here again!

[toonaspie]

I dunno why France gets so much crap from us Americans. It's not THAT bad a country. It's good that France has a neutral side and a unique art culture as well a unique styles of food that you introduced to us.

Thanx for The Aristocats and French Toast!!!

[Escapay]

There was an episode of Coupling (UK) about a French bitch. That could be a cliche.

Jane: I am Giselle (makes a whip-crack sound) I am a French bitch!

Escapay