Are The French Rude, Cowards, who Hate Americans?
There are many stereotypes that bug me. People naturally think in generalizations and stereotypes so it isn’t easy to identify them 100% of the time. The obvious ones are racist, sexist or just plain ridiculous: Mexicans are lazy, and Asians are good in math, women are bad drivers, Pollock’s are stupid, blacks can’t swim and the French are rude. Let’s stop and take a good look at that last one, “The French are Rude.” Who are these people that like to say French people are rude? Why do they say that and what do they all have in common?
Now that we have gotten that out of the way, I would be delighted to entertain my compatriots with the truth about French-American cultural differences by discussing three major stereotypes about the French. Stereotype One: French People are Rude. Stereotype Two: French men are cowards. Stereotype Three: The French Hate Americans. Perhaps I am qualified to answer this question because I have travelled internationally and currently live in France. But rather, I would like to think that it is my Bachelors Degree from George Mason University, The Department of Modern and Classical Languages in French Studies that gives my opinion some sort of credibility.
According to the State Department less that seven percent of Americans have used their passport and 75% of Americans have never owned a passport. I venture to say that a vast majority of Americans who complain about how rude and cowardly the French are have never even been here. They heard someone else say French people are rude, that person sounded cool so like sheep they mindlessly follow the group and complain about the cheese-eating frogs like a broken record.
Question: Why do Americans think the French are Rude, Cowardly and Hate Americans?
Answer: Because it is cool to hate the French. If we believe French hate us then it is okay for us to hate them and not feel bad about it.
Stereotype #1 “The French Are Rude”
The Fact is that the French don’t smile as often or readily as Americans, this does not mean that they are unfriendly, this is a cultural difference. If you smile and it’s not for a specific reason you don’t look serious.
In France, even if you are not the president, it is important to appear serious. Some instances in which one can smile without appearing to be an idiot are: responding to a joke or humorous situation; responding to a joyous event, i.e. France winning the World Cup; and flirting.
A French person will not smile at you unless they find you humorous or are flirting with you. Similarly, if you smile for no apparent reason, you may be perceived as insincere, naive, patronizing, or foolish.
Dealing with this cultural difference requires one to get over their expectation of receiving a smile; this part is not so hard. If you expect the French to be rude, then you will see rudeness everywhere you look. Pay attention to your own behaviour when you are a visitor in another country. Do you expect them to speak English? Do you talk louder than everyone else in the room?
Stereotype #2 “The French are Cowards”
They are not cowards, and to call them cowards because in 1939 some anti-Semitic jerks collaborated with the Nazis is not fair. Just because one’s government takes a certain political action does not mean that it is okay to say that nations citizens must be the same way. I don’t know how I would feel if someone thought that I was X Y or Z because of the stupid decisions made by George W Bush. It seems interesting to me that Americans ridicule the French for WWII more than Germany, Italy, or Japan.
America did liberate France from Nazis occupation. France appreciates it; they even named a metro stop after President Roosevelt for his action in the 1940’s. They commemorate what we did for them and they will never forget it. However, this does not mean that France has to continually kiss America’s derriere and go along with our foreign policy when they disagree with it. They are our peers - not our children.
And to the American men who like to call French men cowards - I think that they have just as much testosterone and sperm count as you do….so don’t worry about it.
Stereotype #3 “The French Hate Americans”
Au contraire, that is the biggest falsehood so far. You will always find people who disagree with our politics, but when it comes to American culture the French are the biggest consumers. The watch American movies listen to American Music, mimic our style and dress. When I tell people I am American, women and men, their eyes light up with interest.
As far as the French hating Anglophones out there…think before you speak. At least visit the country before passing judgement. French hating Americans have no clue what they are talking about, they do not travel internationally and have no interest in learning a second language or about foreign cultures. They mindlessly repeat anti-French stereotypes because it gives the appearance that they are cool, cultured and know something about the world.
Final Thought:
How foolish, petty, and bigoted to rename French fries to Freedom Fries by an
act of Congress . That is a great use of tax dollars…yes….money well spent.
Related posts:
So true! Disclosure… I am an American in LA who has never been to France. However… I have the pleasure of having several “very French” French friends - who, I may add, are living here in the USA, but not at all less French due to that. Rude? Well - I am told by my friend Hubert that when he returns to France, he is struck by how often he sees Americans acting rude - a sort of sense of entitlement that since they are from the US, they should be treated with some sort of special privelege. Acting that way would certainly invite a negative reaction - thus, the “rude American” would not see how his action caused a rude response… thus, the French are rude. Cowards??? Ever hear of the French Foreign Legion? That organization certainly is not thought of as cowardly - and personally, I found de Villepin’s stand against the Bushies in their headlong race to war in Iraq very noble and courageous… and relatively few outside the Beltway now would disagree that France (and de Villepin) was right. Yes, we all have our quirky cultural ways, and France is far from a model society - but at least in my experiences with French people, they have generally been well informed, outspoken and very willing to listen as well as opine. Now about that language of yours… why so many silent letters all the time…?…! (Of course… we wouldn’t understand). Viva le France… one of the world’s truly indispensible societies - even if they do make a big deal out of stinky cheese and World Cup flame-outs.
I am tired of the constant Franco-American comparisons.
Nobody makes that big a deal of tourist conceptions, stereotypes between the U.S. and Germany or Spain or Russia.
It’s a weird love-hate relationship going back to both of the revolutions.
De Tocqueville anyone? My favorite observation from Democracy in America: “The first time I heard in the United States that a hundred thousand men had bound themselves publicly to abstain from spirituous liquors, it appeared to me more like a joke than a serious engagement, and I did not at once perceive why these temperate citizens could not content themselves with drinking water by their own firesides.”
that’s a great post!
As an American that has just come back from visiting Paris and northern France, I must whole-heartedly agree with this post.
Of course, my boyfriend is French and I find things about the French culture mesmerizing. As compared to other places that I have travelled to, the French are exceedingly polite and I did not once feel awkward at being an American in France.
I found your State Department statistics quite interesting, because although I had never seen them, I felt that they must be true. I began my love affair with France and the French with my first visit in 1999. Since then, I have been to France (mostly Paris, but Lyon and Toulouse also) every year. I, too, have found that the most rude people in France are American tourists!
Thanks for a great post.