Okay, confession time...

[JJEH]

When I was young and growing up in Europe, I didn't have much love for the French. Sure, I enjoyed the Louis de Funes movies, especially the Fantomas series. But that was really it. They always appeared to be stuck up, their language sounded arrogant, and they always acted like they were better than anyone else.

Now, after maturing a bit and learning more, I've come to admit that I was wrong.

Actually, my first celebrity crush was a French girl, back when I was just a young boy (she was a teenager at the time of the movie and even moved on to become a Bond girl). She's still cute but she doesn't know I exist...

France has good food. I grew up with all kinds of cheeses and later on tried their wine as well. I never had frog legs though...

They have good music as well, nice cars (the original Bugatti, Alpine, Bonnet and so many more), architecture, fashion, furniture... etc.

France loves their independence. Well, back then they did, I'm sure they are still proud of their heritage. They have so many national heroes... Joan of Arc, Napoleon (even though controversial), all the warriors who fought Nazi Germany!

But there's one particular person I'm very interested in now, and that is Marquis de Lafayette. This guy must have been incredible... so young and so ambitious, always trying to do the right thing.

Without him and his influence back in France I don't think we would have won the war for independence!

This is me making up for my ignorance.

I have to finish a book about General Washington first, but this one will be next, and I can't wait.

I've got to say, I do regret it now that I never did visit France when I had the chance. I was right there and never visited because of my ignorance. I rather went to Austria, Italy... or BeNeLux.

Dear people of France, je m'excuse, pardonne-moi and Vive la France!

 

[Rudi]

I spent some time in France many years ago. I spoke some French but did not find a lot the people very friendly. Even heard them mocking "les Americains stupid" before they knew I could understand them. It was fun and interesting, the sights and museums were amazing. They really do make some fantastic food. We found a wonderful deli in Paris, run by 2 older ladies who remembered young American men fondly. We feasted on their foods. And the wine was incredible. It was a good trip.

 

[ladder13]

Thank God for LaFayette and the French.

 

[bigwheelzip]

You weren't wrong about some generalized bad attitudes towards Americans, when we lived for a while in Paris 40 years ago. Twenty years ago, we interacted with a younger generation of French that were universally fabulous with us, and three years ago, the next generation were still welcoming us beautifully.

The French king's critical support for our revolution is a great subject for study.

A Lafayette named side-note.
The beautiful century-old memorial monument outside Paris, to the Americans of the WWI Lafayette Escadrille, has recently been gifted to America, and is now an American Battle Monuments Commission property.


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[Stevens]

When I was working our company had an office in France. I have been there quite a few times. I have always got along well with the French people I have known in France or visiting the once French colonies in other parts of the world.
Steve W

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

Having worked for a number of French executives and advised them on our taxation system and listened to their responses, I am not sure that you were wrong. There is a good book out there, "French or Foe" that succinctly explains why the French are superior and we colonials simply need to bow and accept that.;-)

 

[DWalt]

Closest I came to visiting France was passing through the DeGaulle Airport on my way to somewhere else. I did once have a Frenchman as a boss, I can’t say much good about him. I think he must have been related to Napoleon, had an imperial attitude.

 

[pantannojack]

I love French Bordeaux wine. I just wish they knew how to SPELL.

 

[JayCeeNC]

Very good book, I read it a few weeks ago.

 

[arjay]

Never made it to France,Geneva was as close as I got. If it wasn’t for France (the riviera,no less)I wouldn’t exist.

 

[Rustyt1953]

[ame]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=j9XzaoHkV-Q[/ame]

 

[NFrameFred]

As with most generalizations, there are some basis and truths . . . though it's hard to characterize them as 'universal'.

My knowledge of France and the French are from academic study only, though my one proximate exposure to a group of French tourists did seem to highlight they did not appear to believe in deodorant and that did jive with what I had been told at that time. This was several years ago and one would hope things like that might have evolved in more of a social direction in the interim.

It's easy to bash on other cultures that clash with ours and certain nations (as well as our own) have reputations for arrogance or feelings of superiority, depending on whose particular ox has been gored in historical context. I've always felt the case could be amply made the world owes the United States a debt of gratitude that much of them are not currently living under the boot of Nazi Germany or Imperial Japan, particularly some of our supposed 'friends'. But it's easy for some to ignore the importance of the collaborative effort that was the Allied forces in WWII.

However, historically, were it not for the French our Revolution might have had a different course and perhaps even a different outcome.

Living in Appalachia, I am well familiar with the propensity of certain outsiders from what some could call the more arrogant parts of the country to look down on our area and it seems to be standard operating procedure for national "journalists" and "news personalities" of note to seek out the most offensive, ill-educated, opinionated, toothless local idiot they can find to interview to give their superior impression of the caliber of the local population in general.

Humans tend to congregate defensively, hold up their own and follow the "hooray for our side" attitude when confronted with such attitudes from "outsiders".

A lot more I could say about different areas of our own country, but the subject was the French. The best I can come up with is that as far as I know, the French haven't done anything to me, personally, lately.

The best French story I know is the difference between Heaven and Hell . . . It is said that in Heaven, the English are the police, the Germans are the engineers, and the French are the cooks . . . conversely, in Hell the English are the cooks, the Germans are the police, and the French are the engineers.


Oh well, c'est la vie . . .

 

[Dave.357]

I think your first impression was
Correct. When I was there it was easy to
see they hated U.S.A.
I left with the same feelings for them.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Ah, the French! They always seem to be there when they need us.

Some have commented on the contributions France made during the American Revolution. Helpful to remember that the French had been at war with England (actively or passively) for many years, so assisting the American colonies was not an entirely charitable decision. More of a geopolitical exercise during a period of intense competition between the major powers of Europe engaged in colonial expansion and empire building. The British, French, Portuguese, Dutch, Germans, and others were looking after their own interests first and foremost, and the Americas (North, Central, and South) were a lucrative target for exploitation.

 

[Narragansett]

I think your first impression was
Correct. When I was there it was easy to
see they hated U.S.A.
I left with the same feelings for them.

A grandson of Winston Churchill once said :

The French have forgiven the Germans for conquering them. They have never forgiven the Americans for liberating them

 

[bigwheelzip]

I've got to say, I do regret it now that I never did visit France when I had the chance.

.

No time like the present.

We've visited 49 states and 26 countries, and the hospitality we experienced there in 2019, throughout the country, was above and beyond exceptional. We truly had numerous examples of the finest hospitality we'd ever experienced, without a single negative event.
Not speaking French, beyond a few simple phrases, was never an issue.




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[SMSgt]

When I was young and growing up in Europe, I didn't have much love for the French. Sure, I enjoyed the Louis de Funes movies, especially the Fantomas series. But that was really it. They always appeared to be stuck up, their language sounded arrogant, and they always acted like they were better than anyone else.

Exactly my impression when I visited France in 1970.

 

[MRB1]

They are friendly to us because they know we'll sacrifice our military's lives to bail them out of the next scrape. We have too many people buried there as it is. I do like French Dressing though.

 

[THE PILGRIM]

During WW The Duece, The Free French were trained at Greenville, MS.
A ritual emerged which was you needed to fly under the Mississippi River Bridge.
That usually went well, but one Frenchman did hit the bridge.

 

[AJ]

Visited France (Toulon) a couple of times the summer of 1986. Found the French to be arrogant and only wanting our money. Hope we do not have to pull them out of another scrape.