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Europe's opinions of the French...


Mikey7
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Article in Expat Telegraph 17/5/05.

I quote (link at bottom) --

Typically, the French refuse to accept what arrogant, overbearing monsters they are.

But now after the publication of a survey of their neighbours' opinions of them at least they no longer have any excuse for not knowing how unpopular they are.

Why the French are the worst company on the planet, a wry take on France by two of its citizens, dredges up all the usual evidence against them. They are crazy drivers, strangers to customer service, obsessed by sex and food and devoid of a sense of humour.

But it doesn't stop there, boasting a breakdown, nation by nation, of what in the French irritates them.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Britons described them as "chauvinists, stubborn, nannied and humourless". However, the French may be more shocked by the views of other nations.

For the Germans, the French are "pretentious, offhand and frivolous". The Dutch describe them as "agitated, talkative and shallow." The Spanish see them as "cold, distant, vain and impolite" and the Portuguese as "preaching". In Italy they comes across as "snobs, arrogant, flesh-loving, righteous and self-obsessed" and the Greeks find them "not very with it, egocentric bons vivants".

Interestingly, the Swedes consider them "disobedient, immoral, disorganised, neo-colonialist and dirty".

But the knockout punch to French pride came in the way the poll was conducted. People were not asked what they hated in the French, just what they thought of them.

"Interviewees were simply asked an open question - what five adjectives sum up the French," said Olivier Clodong, one of the study's two authors and a professor of social and political communication at the Ecole Superieur de Commerce, in Paris. "The answers were overwhelmingly negative."

According to Mr Clodong, the old adage that France is wonderful, it's just the French who are the problem, is shared across Europe.

(wrong link -- removed. Sorry can't find the right one now!)

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Mikey, either you entered the wrong URL for the Expat Telegraph link into the TinyURL tool for redirection, or you are deliberately redirecting readers to a (your???) Property Letting Business website!
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If many of our UK neighbours had been as kind and considerate to us as our French neighbours are we may have stayed there.

Articles are written to sell papers - it would have been valid if the questions asked were about the French people these people knew.

It is always easy to make crass comments about those you do not know. Generalisations are things that start wars.

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Saw that one, and the Guardian's slightly less biaised reporting of it. Apparently the French almost the same adjectives to describe the British as we did to describe them, the exception being "insular". None of the Europeans interviewed had much good to say about the French as a nation apparently. 

This article, in today's online Guardian, about the French and their upcoming referendum on the Constitution, is interesting if a little caustic.

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I think some of the "negative" labels are why we love the idea of living in France. Their refusal to toe the line with either the EEC or their own government, ignore rules and regulations. Live in a manner lost elsewhere years ago, arent they what we love really.

Dont tell us we cant have a bank holiday... dont tell us we cant have bent bananas....dont tell us we cant make our own jam and sell it on the market....

Vive la France

Bob
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Crikey, Mikey, who cares about "Europe's" opinions of the French.  Are you living here and still quoting such rubbish?  Surely the British in France could show more savoir faire and savoir vivre and be above such small mindedness.

I have lived in France for over 37 years, have never been treated as a "foreigner" and have always felt at home here.  Tolerance is the word over here, tolerance.  Imagine the present invasion the other way round, would the welcome in Britain be so warm and tolerant as it is here to you?

I think I had better stop before I lose my tolerance, hoping and knowing that the majority of expats over here appreciate the wonderful life they are living, thanks to the French...

I am also able to see the other side of it and hear how much you are appreciated here, without  criticism, how much the French would like to able to talk with you more and how they are always so glad that you participate in their different gatherings where everything can be shared without caring about "nationalities".  We are new in our area, Poitou-Charentes, and, knowing we are bilingual, the locals insist that we go to the festivities as they love the English to be there, but can't communicate enough.

Please don't spoil the pleasures of life here by trivialities, such as who thinks what of who. The French are certainly not obliging you to be here with them. 

Christine

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>>Crikey, Mikey, who cares about "Europe's" opinions of the French. Are you living here and still quoting such rubbish? Surely the British in France could show more savoir faire and savoir vivre and be above such small mindedness.<<<

Oh come on - this piece of research/news didn't even originate in the Uk but was reported (mostly in a fairly light hearted way) by the UK press.

>>>I have lived in France for over 37 years, have never been treated as a "foreigner" and have always felt at home here. Tolerance is the word over here, tolerance. Imagine the present invasion the other way round, would the welcome in Britain be so warm and tolerant as it is here to you?<<<<

There are more French in the UK than Brits in France apparently, so I guess some of them like it here.(no 'immagination' required) Remember immigrants have been settling in the UK since the 15th century, if not before - so I guess the Brits must have something to offer in the warmth and tolerance stakes too.

>>>I think I had better stop before I lose my tolerance, hoping and knowing that the majority of expats over here appreciate the wonderful life they are living, thanks to the French...

I am also able to see the other side of it and hear how much you are appreciated here, without criticism, how much the French would like to able to talk with you more and how they are always so glad that you participate in their different gatherings where everything can be shared without caring about "nationalities". We are new in our area, Poitou-Charentes, and, knowing we are bilingual, the locals insist that we go to the festivities as they love the English to be there, but can't communicate enough.

Please don't spoil the pleasures of life here by trivialities, such as who thinks what of who. The French are certainly not obliging you to be here with them.

Christine<<<

Well, the French people I have seen interviewed about this have enjoyed the joke and humour of the piece -

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[quote]Then that perhaps confirms what I have been trying to say about them. Christine[/quote]

Nope, it all just means that people have been moving about the world since humanity began, and France is just another country with a flow of immigrants and emigrants.

People have also stereotyped each other since humanity began, and the French are as good at it as anyone else, because they're just as human as anyone else.

Just be happy, everyone! 

 

 

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I used the article with my French students at my English lessons today, they thought it was really funny and actually agreed with most of it, especially the arrogance related adjectives. As one of them said, the rest of Europe is just jealous! Their only surprise and (mild) annoyance was that more nationalities didn't recognize their legendary prowess in the bedroom!

Sue

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Clearly the article wasn't based on many of the French friends I have!

"the French refuse to accept what arrogant, overbearing monsters they are." I can think of other nations this would describe better and I can think of many British people this would also describe.

"Why the French are the worst company on the planet, "

Really? that must be what sends so many of us there -to be in their company. We must be a miserable lot ourselves ;-)

"They are crazy drivers", and so was the British driver I encountered today which tempted me to the Jasper Carrott gesticulation!

"strangers to customer service" Well, yes I do agree with that one, actually, having had a bit of a run in with a supermarket who charged us for something that didn't exist!

"obsessed by sex" now which is that country which has a town full of sex shops on the border - The Netherlands, I think - surely the Dutch wouldn't make that comment?

"food" That must make me French then! Ah but then many more people than live in France must be French too, as so many are obsessed with food.

"devoid of a sense of humour." Some of my French friends are like living a Comedy!

"Perhaps unsurprisingly, Britons described them as "chauvinists, stubborn, nannied and humourless"." Well there's plenty of that in other countries.

I could make comments about the other descriptions of the French and how I would use them to describe other nations, but I won't. But what 5 adjectives would you use?

I would go for:

HOSPITABLE, GENEROUS, FUN-LOVING, GOURMANDS, REBELLIOUS (when it comes to laws which they love to break for the fun of it).
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Tolerance is the word over here, tolerance.

It must depend upon where you live for it's not a characteristic I readily associate with many of the French I know or lived amongst. 

"chauvinists, stubborn, nannied and humourless".

With the possible exception of humourless, and I can see to an extent how that opinion was formed, I would agree with all the above, adding "neurotic", "opinionated" and possibly "narcissistic"???...

M

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Of course, so it was the fault of the Belgians.  Now why did they have to go and interfere with our beautiful "entente"?

En tout cas, merci and bravo to those who have had some nice things to say about our friends.

I am returning to the "Smelly Dog" section.  It's amazing the interest and enthusiasm inspired by such subjects as smelly dogs and ticks! So, as I said, "who care's about Europe's opinions of the French?"

Love to all, Christine

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It's amazing the interest and enthusiasm inspired by such subjects as smelly dogs and ticks!

But that's what's so enjoyable about this Forum, so many diverse topics to discuss or just follow.  My particular perennial favourites are keeping chickens and where to buy firewood...  M

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Hi to all Brits in France and beyond, I'm a lifelong anglophile (long story, came from my childhood love of the Lakes' poets), UK resident of course and new to this forum. I'm a true Titi (Parisian -eastender/Belleville), PSG supporter, hm, what else could I add to make myself even less appealing ?, hum, yes, also striving to represent France abroad in my best French style not to shock or disappoint anyone I come across with (chauvinistic, etc.), give le peuple worldwide what they want, that's what I say, and keep what you know for yrself, what's what I do. Don't you just love those 'surveys', hein ?   I can't get enough of them me ! They seemed to have forgotten 'dirty' and 'smelly' in their attributes and I was also disappointed not to see 'hypocrital'/'crafty' mentioned, can't get the journalistic staff thses days.
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