[mattyb]

I've been here 7 years. Love the country, the people, the holidays. For those who have visited france, and I don't just mean a couple of days in Paris, what is wrong with the French?

And if your only experience of France is having seen the maps of the riots a couple of years ago, don't bother posting. We get the same treatment here regarding US news, stupidity, weirdness etc and the media try and make it seem as if its the norm.

[osiris]

This should be good.

otoh my experiences have been nothing but positive with French citizens.
Maybe it's the outrageous French accent that some people fear?

[Atheist]

I've had two extended vacations in France, one in Paris, the other we toured all over. My most recent experience with the French is where I now live (Sint Maarten). As a matter of fact, my landlord is French (from France). My biggest issue with the French has been that they seem a bit more xenophobic than the norm. It's not as much a dislike of all things not French... just a complete indifference.

[Dakar the Fourth]

Originally Posted by mattyb 

what is wrong with the French?

Nothing, but years of popular culture and regional bias will give you cat-like reflexes to mock them with. If it makes you feel any better, New Jersey gets the same end of the stick.

[osiris]

Good call on New Jersey. It's perhaps on old dig.

[vmarks]

Sarkozy, good.
Charles Enderlin and France2, bad.
Phillipe Karsenty, good.

[Dakar the Fourth]

Political Lounge --->

[Kerrigan]

Just about everything the French make or do is lumpen, ugly, or odd.

[mattyb]

Keep 'em coming.

[Jawbone54]

Nothing's wrong with the French. It's those Canadians that are the problem!
Poke, poke, poke, poke...

[mattyb]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan 

Just about everything the French make or do is lumpen, ugly, or odd.

Looks good to me.

Lumpy in all the right places.

I'd say functional, but yeah, I can accept odd.

[Kerrigan]

Is that Laetitia Casta?

[Randman]

France is a wonderful country that many people have a misconception about. But it works both ways since I've known a number of non-Americans who are pleasantly surprised when they finally visit the US because Americans abroad and the US are often looked at in a harsh light.

[mattyb]

Originally Posted by Randman 

France is a wonderful country that many people have a misconception about. But it works both ways since I've known a number of non-Americans who are pleasantly surprised when they finally visit the US because Americans abroad and the US are often looked at in a harsh light.

I got this from English friends who had never visited France as well.

Yes it is. Even with the gap in her teeth, Ms. Casta could make me commit murder with the wink of an eye.

[Dakar the Fourth]

She has teeth?

[nonhuman]

I have no issues with the French as people, and, in fact, all the Frenchmen I've known have been very nice people (and all the Frenchwomen I've known very attractive!). I do think there are some fundamental issues with some of the basic assumptions made by French culture and society, and that they have an ingrained and stultifying sense of cultural superiority most obviously and, in my opinion, moronically exemplified in l'académie française.

[Kerrigan]

I like France well enough to speak French and to visit Francophone countries whenever I have the extra change. Paris is OK but I am more partial to the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur area and French speaking Switzerland.

[dcmacdaddy]

Originally Posted by Randman 

France is a wonderful country that many people have a misconception about. But it works both ways since I've known a number of non-Americans who are pleasantly surprised when they finally visit the US because Americans abroad and the US are often looked at in a harsh light.

I echo this sentiment. And though my two trips to Paris confirmed the stereotype of the haughty indifferent Frenchmen I chalk up that more to urbanity than being French per se. You can get that same experience of superior disdain from the locals in NYC as well. I found the people in the French countryside to be quite pleasant and agréable, even with me speaking in my horrible French accent.

I would like to go back and spend more time on the Atlantic coast of France, say in Britanny and Normandy.

[goMac]

Originally Posted by Kerrigan 

Just about everything the French make or do is lumpen, ugly, or odd.

Like French Canadians?

<ducks>

[mattyb]

I've spent a fair amount of time in the South West, Pays Basque (on the Spanish border) and Les Landes (the department above Pays Basque). The food is wonderful, the festivals have to be seen to be believed (smaller versions of Pamplona - The Fête de Bayonne used to be really good, but now there's an influx of twats that go overboard and spoil it), on the Atlantic coast for surf fans and near the Pyrenees for skiing. I used to live in Lyon, which is a really beautiful city, near the Alpes (90mins from my house and I was on decent slopes) and Lake Geneva.

I don't like Paris much, nor Marseilles. Lille isn't bad except for the weather. I'm in Toulouse now and its also a nice city. The fly-bys of A380s are starting to get on my nerves a bit though.

[Timo]

Lived in Paris for a spell.

The French societal emphasis on unity, and the centralized nature of the country (as compared to Anglo ones) is probably the main cultural difference that causes friction or misunderstanding with (Anglo) outsiders. They believe in a different, more comprehensive social contract, with all the good and bad that that implies.

As for the original question, I would say "what's wrong with the French" is that when their swimmers trash-talk it appears to backfire!

[OreoCookie]

I am quite francophile, I've been in Marseille again on a conference, beautiful, great food and all. So I've been to Strasbourg, Paris, Lyon, Marseille and Luminy next to Marseille (I don't count the times my parents have been there, I was too young to remember). Plus I've made quite a few French friends (mostly during my time in Japan).

So to answer the OP's question: there are two things that bug me: (1) French are very nationalistic. This is probably the reason why they don't seem to get along with Americans, because they are equally nationalistic. They are very touchy when you make jokes about the Grand Nation. (2) Connected to the first point is the thing they have about their language: (from my personal experience) if there is a French in the room talking to -- say -- a German (that'd be me), a Japanese and two Taiwanese. Another French enters the room. They switch to French.
Similarly, some (unfortunately good) French researchers still publish in French (and they can get away with it). Why?

[Monique]

There is nothing wrong with the French; they are as wonderful as any other nation.

Some leaders can be questionable so can be some people.

It always depend who you meet and it what circumstances.

[nonhuman]

Originally Posted by Monique 

There is nothing wrong with the French; they are as wonderful as any other nation.

Exactly. And every nation has its problems.

[calverson]

The question should be is:

What is right with the French?

Then this forum would have no answers.

[nonhuman]

Originally Posted by calverson 

The question should be is:

What is right with the French?

Then this forum would have no answers.

An intelligent cultural, social, and legal approach towards food, alcohol, eating, and drinking, to name just one thing.

[calverson]

Originally Posted by nonhuman 

An intelligent cultural, social, and legal approach towards food, alcohol, eating, and drinking, to name just one thing.

Intelligent legal approach towards food?

[nonhuman]

Originally Posted by calverson 

Intelligent legal approach towards food?

Yes. The mandates for preparation and processing or lack thereof of foodstuffs (most notably cheese and wine).

[mattyb]

You're baiting me calverson aren't you? First its the 'nothing good to come out of England' shite, and now the French.

calverson > /dev/null

OreoCookie, that language switching also happens with Brits and Germans, well in my experience anyway.

[OreoCookie]

Not that strongly in my experience. The Chinese (not Taiwanese) are similarly attached to their language. (Just from my personal experience.)

[calverson]

Originally Posted by mattyb 

You're baiting me calverson aren't you? First its the 'nothing good to come out of England' shite, and now the French.

I am just generally critical of any nationality, despite the Irish.

I am not serious though, do not take it personally.

Unless of course you are English, French, German, Australian, American, Scottish...

[vmarks]

Originally Posted by calverson 

The question should be is:

What is right with the French?

Then this forum would have no answers.

Champagne and Bordeaux wines are named with French place-names for a reason. They must have done something right.

And actually, I'm quite fond of the French for taking the risks that the French took, assisting the Colonies in fighting the American Revolution against the British.

[zombie punk]

Originally Posted by vmarks 

Champagne and Bordeaux wines are named with French place-names for a reason. They must have done something right.

You are aware of the War on Terroir?

[Doofy]

Originally Posted by mattyb 

I've been here 7 years. Love the country, the people, the holidays. For those who have visited france, and I don't just mean a couple of days in Paris, what is wrong with the French?

1) L'impôt de solidarité sur la fortune.
2) Taxe Foncière.
3) Taxe d'Habitation.
4) Suppositories.

Otherwise I'd be there like a shot.

[Cipher13]

The French are okay, in my experience.

Like most people, once they figure out I'm Australian, not American, they stop being assholes.

[climber]

Originally Posted by Cipher13 

The French are okay, in my experience.

Like most people, once they figure out I'm Australian, not American, they stop being assholes.

Yep, that sounds French alright. Treat everyone like sh*t until they discover their assumptions were wrong.

[mattyb]

Originally Posted by Cipher13 

The French are okay, in my experience. Like most people, once they figure out I'm Australian, not American, they stop being assholes.

Nah, they just feel sorry for you mate.

[Thorzdad]

Yeah, the French can sometimes be way full of themselves. Like Texas, but better dressed.

[hwojtek]

Originally Posted by Randman 

France is a wonderful country

Yeah, if only the Frenchmen would not ruin all the pleasure of living there.

[TheWOAT]

Never been to France, but of the dozen of so French folks that I have met, they seem to be proud of their heritage, and well dressed... and thats it for positives... but Id still like to go visit over there.

[Monique]

Originally Posted by hwojtek 

Yeah, if only the Frenchmen would not ruin all the pleasure of living there.

When it comes to the people it is how you approach them. And it is the same everywhere.

If you are pleasant and learn how to approach them, you will have a very pleasant stay.

[TheWOAT]

The French >>>> Southern Californians.

[hwojtek]

Originally Posted by Monique 

When it comes to the people it is how you approach them. And it is the same everywhere.

If you are pleasant and learn how to approach them, you will have a very pleasant stay.

Well, it wasn't me, actually, it's Jeremy Clarkson.
Anyway, more and more waiters in Cannes speak better Russian or even Polish than French, so I don't have any problems with French people.

OK, except for CDG airport, it's a mess. And it's fugly.

[Powerbook]

We must hate the French because they are a bad people, they are Socialist and say Surrender. I know so because George Bush jr. said so.

[Monique]

Originally Posted by Powerbook 

We must hate the French because they are a bad people, they are Socialist and say Surrender. I know so because George Bush jr. said so.

You are German right.

I am not surprised Georgie Bush would say something that stupid.

It is a very dangerous thing to generalize; for example all my life people in Québec would tell me that the French were snub and lousy people; in fact it is quite the opposite; they would say that Americans were horrible and violent and full of themselves, quite the opposite; and just 3 weeks ago my new newphew in law and my niece and my sister told me that German people were rude, ill mannered... and I found it was quite the opposite by meeting some German people. German people might be more direct but they are not impolite. Some people in my country love to put people down to build themselves up.

[icydanger]

Mer..ci! France, eager to save US'$ & lifes were against war in Iraq and labelled Euroweenies. Sarko=USweenie,

[Shaddim]

Aside from Parisian snobbery, and the country's strong leanings towards socialism, France is fine.

[zombie punk]

The country is fine partly because of the strong leanings towards socialism.

[Shaddim]

Originally Posted by zombie punk 

The country is fine partly because of the strong leanings towards socialism.

Suit yourself, but I wouldn't want their tax rate.

[zombie punk]

You most likely have it already once you factor in the cost of health insurance and other benefits.