Bashing the French, why?

[forever saturday]

Okay, its mostly between America, Britain, and France right now, so:

America hates Britain because they mostly think that Brits are stuck up and unfriendly, which contrasts with the American view that you should be as open and emotive as possible (which comes off as loud, rude, and having no respect for personal space to other countries). The British people are much more reserved, which, while normal to Brits, seems cold and spiteful to Americans.

America hates France because Americans are basically taught that America saved everybody else during World War I and II, and that the French are being ungrateful S-O-Bs. In reality the French are (closer to being) right, since there were several other countries that helped, France was a major ally in WWI, and they weren't completely helpless in WWII (vive la resistance!). Also, America is promoting its agenda across the world bringing GREAT AMERICAN FREEDOM to the rest of the world, and France, being very independent, is resisting. This means that America hates France for being exactly like them. And people wonder why most of the world hates America.

Britain hates France because... well they always have.

Britain hates America because Americans come off as loud, rude, and having no respect for personal space. Also, many Brits thing Americans are uneducated.

France hates America because they are independent and don't want to have to submit to foreign influence, whereas America is more or less reshaping the world in its image. Also, a lot of American tourists think the French have to be extra special nice to them because they saved their collective arse in the World Wars (which, as stated above, is not true).

France hates Britain because they have always hated each other. Maybe neighbouring countries are destined to always take the piss out of each other?

And there you have it. Everybody hates Everybody. Can I go home now?

 

[GonzoGamer]

Yes, I won't pretend to understand all the history between the British and the French but speaking for the US, it's not all Americans.
It's just the suckers who believe every bit of propaganda spouted by right wing info-tainers like Bill O'Reily and Rush Limbaugh. They were all whiny after the French refused to invade Iraq with us and it's kind of dragged on since then. It's actually gotten better; for a while they were trying to get restaurants to change the names of food from "French" fries/toast to "Freedom" fries/toast.
That's not even the worst part: the most pants on head retarded bit they came up with was Buying cases of French wine and pouring it in the gutter.
That's like protesting the practices of Disneyworld from inside the park after buying a ticket.
I like a couple of the traditional conservative values but it's too bad all there spokespeople and figureheads are either complete morons, total pricks, or both.

 

[Sulu]

France didn't join the Iraq war because they were trading with Iraq at the time, and making alot of money doing it!
It is quite simple why the Brits hate the French, its what has always been!
The British Empire owned parts of America and the French owned the rest, the Brits owned Palestine and France had Syria. Britain hates Argentina so France gives them exorcet missiles. We are opposites and are meant to fight each other so being in the EU together or part of the allies of nato is a little strange. For thousands of years we claimed each other's crown for our own monarch and had many wars and throughout that time we controlled different areas. For a long time the area of Brittany was in fact British.

 

[Dr Ampersand]

I think it's partially about WW2, partially about the cheese eating phrase and partially about feeling supperior.

Le snip snip snip

And there you have it. Everybody hates Everybody. Can I go home now?

Not until you finish your homework and eat your God damned vegetables!

 

[Crimsane]

News to me. I don't know of any Americans in my neighborhood who truly hate the British or the French. Sure, we'll tell the occasional joke or two, but that's all they are. Jokes. Like when I'm talking to a Brit mate of mine, I might call him a useless wanker and he might call me a lazy sodding Yank. <3

There might be a few who actually hate the French or British, but eh. They're a fringe element, much like people who believe the Earth is 6,000 years old. Crazy people.

 

[Seekster]

People bash the French for one simple reason: because they are French.

In all seriousness most people who bash the French do not actually have any malice towards them, its just that the French are simply fun to bash for some unknown reason.

 

[space_oddity]

Damn cheese-eating surrender monkeys!

Ahh, beat me to the Dylan-Moran-Quote-Punch.

 

[Cabisco]

To an extent i understand the WW2 surrender as to why some people dislike them, though given the choice of 'Surrender or Die' guess which i would choose for my people. WW1 however, i just don't understand in the slightest. I mean they actually were more Hardcore than any of the other nations. As a quick history lesson the reason the battle of the Somme occurred was to relief pressure from The Battle of Verdun. Verdun was a situation where in the French Preferred to all die than to give up a nation landmark, fort, thing. That in my books in hardcore. Defending Frances actions in WW2, Germany went through a Neutral country (haxin cheatorz) and invaded before the french army could move from the German border to counteract (Blitzkrieg. It's not a sausage).

 

[Gadzooks]

I have met one nice french guy in my life. The rest have been a series of absolute bastards. From about 15 french people met maybe more in fact, one is a small number. I choose to stereotype from here on out, it is easier. As for being cowards, I'm not sure, but disagreeable certainly.

EDIT: And technically my blood line is from France, the norman invasion, I still think they are annoying as hell.

 

[Pipotchi]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6197921.stm
"An encounter with a rude taxi driver, or a Parisian waiter who shouts at customers who cannot speak fluent French"

its things like this

I love that article pariculary the last line "However, the only permanent cure is to go back to Japan - never to return to Paris"

 

[GirlGamer]

I'm French, but that's because my English ancestor was adopted by a Frenchman. I don't understand, my own step brother told me to get out of the car when he found out we were French.
That's not to say the French are tolerant of the English. I went to Quebec for the first time a while ago. I held the door for people walking in to the museum I went to. They walked past me saying, "Merci, merci merci" I knew the French word for you're welcome so I said, "De rien". One guy stopped and looked shocked and started a high speed flurry of francais. I think he was saying you are a very polite child, but he was speaking too fast for me to catch anything but the ending word "enfant" (Child) Finally I told him I don't speak enough French to understand him. Other people heard this, and then none of them would even look at me, much less thank me for holding the door.
I'm also Irish, and British... And those cultures are also victims to stereotypes. Not all Irish are drunkards, and not all British have bad teeth and eat crumpets. The media tells us what other cultures are like, and then BOOM, suddenly you make fun of people you don't know, or of a country you've never been to just because your favourite TV show says that that's the way those people/countries are.
I'd also like to point out that as a Canadian, I am not a lumberjack, or a fur trader, I don't live in an igloo, I don't drive a dog sled, our money was not based off Monopoly money, I say about not aboot, a toque is a hat, and it's pronounced ZED, not ZEE.

 

[historyfend13]

It is mostly a combination of left over hatred and feeling of 65 years when other countries felt that France didn't do it's part for the war effort. The United States and Great Britain especially like to use the French as cannon fodder when it comes to wars and them refusing to fight/participate.

It also seems the French have a superior attitude when it comes to there country and language, which is far off from the United States somedays...hhmm. Anyhow, they seem to hurl insults at people being cultural less for not possessing their superior fashion and culinary skills. And if you try to learn their language and fail, may god punish you for it.

 

[Keldon888]

Because.

I'm very serious here just because we can. Why does France act so superior other people? Why does the rest of the world make fun of the fat stupid Americans? Because they can, and it's easy to.

Hell one of the stereotypes is, no one likes french people and french people don't like anyone.

 

[GruntOwner]

1) Because they'd rather we had simply left them to rot in WW2 lest we damage their precious arcitecture, and they're still bitter about the damage wrought on Normandy.
2) Because the afore mentioned arcitecture is hideous.
3) Because their wine is even worse than the arcitecture.
4) Because their meat is even worse than the wine.
5) Because there seem to be a small army of rumours concerning their prowess in romantic/carnal arts, all of which are completely unfounded.
6) Because no matter how many floozies tell you otherwise, the french language sounds more like a dog lapping up water than a genuine means of communication, let alone a romantic one.
7) Because they're one of the foremost authorities when it comes to making decisions in the EU.
8) Why has it only come up within the past few years? Because the internet has become more and more accessible and commplace within the past few years, so the unwashed masses may come and spread their opinion as well. As if the middle class weren't bad enough, the working class opinion of the french? Let's not go there.
9) Because, being from the mainland, their beer is shit. American beer is also shit, but at least they make up for it with meat.
10) Because for all the praise lavished upon them, baggettes are inferior to a good grannerly roll.
11) Because they eat cheese and surrender.

 

[sx890410]

maybe the americans hate the french because some canadians speak french and they associate the canadians with the french? ah well, that is if them americans are smart enough to make the connection anyways

 

[Hellenion]

I live in Manchester, in the north of England, and have a similar situation to the user living west of Jersey. In Lancashire, Manchester and Liverpool are rivals. In the North, Lancashire and Yorkshire are rivals. In England, the North and the South are rivals. England is rivals with nearly every country in western Europe.

Hellenion.

(The last invasion of an independant England was by the Normans, from France, and usually we tend not to admit that these were in fact the French. Nevertheless, they had a huge influence on our language and culture and most of us are decended from them. At heart we are all French.)

 

[Pandalisk]

Its a combination of history and media, The french failed Epicly in the war in the eyes of many despite the great impact the resistance had on german command structures, drive by bar shootings at german officer hangouts were common.

most of europe still hold a grudge against france for a stupid reason what with them almost taking over europe, far ago as it may be.

and for last french presisdent, i forget his name, not the current one, he along with Kofi Annan first spoke out against the war in Iraq, thus america pimp slapped Annan for thinking he actually had any sway over what America can or cant do, and started a Media campaign attack on the french presisdent in order to ruin his reputation.

 

[Loggymonster]

I would like to direct your attention here:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2cg96_bill-maher-aime-les-francais_fun

and here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcz_NHAFGS0

I believe here in the US we hate the French because we bailed their sorry asses out in WWII and NEVER got any thanks for it. They gave us the statue of liberty, yes, but that was a long time ago and that was only so we would continue to allow them to flood into America.

They are also better than us in almost every way and Americans are raised to believe that WE are the best country on earth. When you are told you are the best, you have to believe everyone else sucks. Especially when it's France because lets face it, they have their heads up their asses most of the time. They are only nice to another country if they want something. In America, we just invade when we want something.

 

[Aesir23]

For the U.S, I remember that it started because the French wouldn't join the war in Iraq. Canadians were bashed temporarily by Americans as well for the same reason.

I don't think I've heard any Canadians bash the French from FRANCE. Quebec though, is an entirely different story. I'm not particularly fond of them myself.

Yeah, of course the Quebec french are hated. They're assholes to every other french speaking person who isn't from there or France! I was born in Ontario, my first language is french, and speak better french than most people. However, my aptitude in french, according to certain Quebec assholes, will never be very good since I come from another province! The answer I always get from them when I tell them I'm from Ontario is something like "Oh I'm sorry." or "Oh you're a squarehead." or they treat me like I'm anglophone and poke fun at me.

Wow, they're more arrogant than I thought.

Personally every time I read about something idiotic they've done it makes me want to bash my head against a wall. Especially so when they wanted to stop the re-enactment of the Plains of Abraham battle for one simple reason: The French lost.

 

[shufflemonkey16]

Actually it's not just the Americans and the British. I went to Spain last winter, and they hate the French too. I think pretty much any countries adjacent to France or associated with a country adjacent to France hate the French.

During my time in Spain I went to France for an afternoon, and they were kinda jerks, but that's probably because I'm American.

Maybe everyone hates the French because they hate everyone else?