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Printer-Friendly ModeAnti-French sentimism unfair
August 25, 2005 —
Anti-French sentiment is rampant in the United States. Lampooned as Frogs, and portrayed as cosmopolitan dilettantes, the "cheese-eating surrender monkeys" have been vilified by the American media, and especially by politicians. When John Kerry was criticized in the 2004 Election for of all things, speaking French, it was a telltale sign of the distrust Americans have of their Gallic counterparts across the Atlantic. Somehow, Francophobia has penetrated itself to the very core of the American fabric. In the aftermath of France's refusal to support the Iraq War, the U.S. Congress stopped serving french fries, and renamed them 'freedom' fries (as if French and freedom cannot coexist).
Over the summer, I had the opportunity to visit Paris with several SVSU students, most of whom had as little experience traveling overseas as myself. And while I never did muster the temerity to order a basket of freedom fries with my bottle of Bordeaux, I did begin to understand the disconnect between America and France. It is not that our nations are really that different - never once did I experience "culture shock." It simply revolves around fundamental character differences - most of the Parisians I encountered seemed happier with smaller portions - from cars that would fit inside of a soccer mom's SUV, to going to the market frequently, rather than simply loading up on twenty pounds of cereal at the local Wal-Mart.
In the United States, the goal of eating at a restaurant is to gorge as much food down your gullet in the shortest amount of time possible. In France, meals were more about enjoying the food and company of others, and the length of meals could easily be measured in hours rather than minutes.
The overly condescending demeanor and attitudes I expected from being American did not materialize. While I could detect occasional disdain for our propensity to engage in animated (read: loud) conversations, this simply clashed with their traditional mores, which is to be much more reserved than us boisterous Americans.
I did see a couple of Bush-bashing shirts and signs, which rather than causing me to react angrily, made me wish I had my anti-Bush shirt on. If France hated America as much as I have been fed by the media, then it must be a part of a secret conspiracy I was not privy to.
While nearly all of my preexisting French stereotypes were off the mark, several were dead accurate. Parisians truly do eat inordinate amounts of cheese and bread, all the while saturating themselves with copious amounts of wine, not to mention coffee strong enough to alleviate a most dreadful hangover from the aforementioned wine.
You would think that the French - who for desserts indulged in rich sorbets and a pack of Camel Blues - would be models of gluttony and overindulgence. Rather, the oenophiles were models of healthiness, causing me to question both the efficacy of our anti-smoking campaign, as well as our entire nation's collective well being. When a pregnant Frenchwoman looks more radiant and robust than most of America, you begin to realize just how slothful our nation is.
How did studying abroad - even for only a few weeks - truly make a life-altering impact on me? On a personal level, it convinced me of a desire to have a job where I could see the world and constantly be traveling to a new, exotic locale. On a much greater level, it made me aware of how Americans regard foreign cultures as definitively inferior to our own. Disparaging other nations simply because we live in the depths of McWorld shows Americans as the ignorant society we so often are.
I love the United States, warts and all. Does this love for my home country preclude me from loving another nation, one that I am not a citizen of, and one that I hope to visit again in life? I loved France, the efficiency of its society, its cuisine, and almost everything about it appealed to me.
Yet many would stigmatize me for this by saying I am simply as decadent as the rest of the French. How is it any different for Americans to have an irrational dislike of nations they have never visited, versus the white racist who has never met a black person, but knows he hates them all the same? Prejudice is prejudice, no matter what form it is in. You cannot criticize what you do not know - take that to heart throughout your academic careers.