Article

2007-01-04 Europe

To offend the French, fondle a slice of cheese

Archived material is restricted to Rantburg regulars and members. If you need access email fred.pruitt=at=gmail.com with your nick to be added to the members list. There is no charge to join Rantburg as a member.

Posted by mrp 2007-01-04 07:07|| || Front Page|| [2 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 The left out the olfactory component of French nonverbal communication.

Posted by Excalibur 2007-01-04 10:37|| 2007-01-04 10:37|| Front Page Top

#2 Strange...they also left out the universal gesture using the raised middle finger (useful in all manner of ways to offend)

Posted by FOTSGreg">FOTSGreg 2007-01-04 11:31|| www.fire-on-the-suns.com]">[www.fire-on-the-suns.com] 2007-01-04 11:31|| Front Page Top

#3 When in Assholia, do as the Assholions do.

Posted by bigjim-ky 2007-01-04 12:19|| 2007-01-04 12:19|| Front Page Top

#4 The left out the olfactory component of French nonverbal communication.

Right. And all americans are fat, their soldiers can't fight and have to hide behind technology, they're stoopid and uneducated, it's a country without culture, they're owned by the jooooos, etc, etc...

I'm such an idiot. I go to rightwing blogs and all, read the comments (see above, and more), and think "these guys don't know what they talk about", and then I come back here, and I think I'd better use my internet time to look for god interracial porn.

Posted by anonymous5089 2007-01-04 12:50|| 2007-01-04 12:50|| Front Page Top

#5 Moose - I think you meant "good interacial pr0n".

If not, please capitalize "God". :)

Posted by GORT 2007-01-04 13:34|| 2007-01-04 13:34|| Front Page Top

#6 I agree that the knee-jerk bloviation is boring.

What I found interesting about the article was the fact that the Paris tourist board is spending a great deal of money promoting French stereotypes in the hope that, by reminding Brits and Americans of past experiences in the City of Lights, that foreign visitors might cough up more dough for a repeat performance.

I've not been to France, but I am not unaware of the many contributions that the French have given to the world, and I am cognizant of the many examples of French courage and honor earned on battlefields in the not-so-distant past - Dien Bien Phu and Verdun being just a small sample.

But one of the difficulties afflicting US-French relations in the 21st century is the lack of English-language portals hosted by any of the main French dailies. One can surmise the reason(s) for such a deficit, but there can be little doubt that the isolation of French political and cultural discourse from the Anglo-phone world is not to the West's benefit. We are talking past one another, comfortable with our prejudices, because engagement and debate on subjects involving the life of death or Civilization is just too difficult, painful, or expensive to broach and recourse to the NYT's-owned IHT doesn't cut it.

Perhaps non-francophone readers like myself aren't missing much when it comes to the op-ed pages of Figaro or Le Monde , but sooner or later one of those rags will have to make the effort.

Posted by mrp 2007-01-04 14:04|| 2007-01-04 14:04|| Front Page Top

#7 Hanger in there 5089 you got many friends here, altho we tend to be a messy lot.

Posted by Shipman 2007-01-04 18:10|| 2007-01-04 18:10|| Front Page Top

#8 Or if the garcon is rude to you, go outside the restaurant and ignite his Citroen.

Posted by DMFD 2007-01-04 18:52|| 2007-01-04 18:52|| Front Page Top

#9 mrp - LeMonde in English (sort of)

Posted by DMFD 2007-01-04 18:54|| 2007-01-04 18:54|| Front Page Top

#10 "To offend the French, fondle a slice of cheese"

Hell, to offend the Phrench, just be American.

Quite pleasurable, too. ;-p

Posted by Barbara Skolaut">Barbara Skolaut 2007-01-04 19:35|| http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/page/15bk1/Home_Page.html]">[http://ariellestjohndesigns.com/page/15bk1/Home_Page.html] 2007-01-04 19:35|| Front Page Top

#11 Thanks, DMFD. That's better than a "Gallic Shrug", no? :)

An English-language news portal is a necessity if a publication desires to punch above its native online weight. People interested in things Norsky can check Aftenposten. Access to German political news and events can be had via DW or Spiegel Online, and the Danes and Finns have, respectively, timely EL articles posted at J-P and H-S.

Oslo and Helsinki are just a click away. For English-only readers, Paris is not so close.

I strongly believe that the lack of comprehensive EL news portals hosted by the major French dailies is having a noticeable impact on the effectiveness of French foreign and domestic policies. That may be a good thing for US and UK policy makers in the short-run, but if the increasingly influential Anglo-phone blogosphere doesn't have access to French cultural and political discourse, then the only voices heard discussing French concerns will be from US-UK government/media sources. And I think that will lead to long-term trouble.

Posted by mrp 2007-01-04 20:08|| 2007-01-04 20:08|| Front Page Top

#12 Have instructional videos in methods to insult the French been posted on YouTube? Inquiring minds want to know.

Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2007-01-04 20:09|| 2007-01-04 20:09|| Front Page Top

#13 "English-language portal" > myself and other Netters had been saying that for yarns now, but for naught. Americans still get ENGLISH/BRIT-CENTRIC, FRENCH-LANGUAGE Channels + Giant Brit Breasts from BBS America, etal. HHHHHHHMMMMM, HHHMMMMMMMMM, CHEESE vs. BIG BREASTS - "tis a mighty quagmire/quandry to choose from. OBVIOUSLY THE CHEESE HAVE BEEN VICTORIOUS.

Posted by JosephMendiola 2007-01-04 23:01|| 2007-01-04 23:01|| Front Page Top

15:15 wxjames
23:46 Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo)
23:32 Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo)
23:30 Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo)
23:23 SteveS
23:22 Verlaine
23:20 ed
23:16 Mike N.
23:13 USN, ret.
23:11 USN, ret.
23:11 SteveS
23:06 ed
23:02 mrp
23:01 JosephMendiola
23:01 USN, ret.
23:00 Frank G
22:54 USN, ret.
22:52 Killer Rabbit
22:49 Frank G
22:49 USN, ret.
22:47 Frank G
22:46 Frank G
22:45 ed
22:45 Frank G