Why are Americans so anti- French?

[Akka]

Originally posted by rah
It's simple.
The women don't shave.

Mmh...
Rah...
These ones were MEN...

(well, we are pink, are we not ?)

[rah]

Hairy armpits and legs on a woman are kind of a turn off.

RAH
Another reason I couldn't see being gay.

[Adam Smith]

I suspect it has to do with the arrogance combined with substantial disregard for non-French, even Quebecois, who are not "really" French. France making every manner of excuse for Saddam while having long-term oil-supply contracts with Iraq is the latest irritating example.

A couple of personal vignettes:

While backpacking in Europe in 1985 I needed to make travel arrangements to get back to England for the flight home. I went to the British Rail counter at Gare du Nord in Paris. Because I wanted to be certain of the track and departure time, I asked the attendant politely, in French, whether she spoke English. (Rule #1 for travel in a foreign country: At least try to speak the language. Rule #2: Be excessively polite.) She insisted she spoke no English, even though she was dressed in a BR uniform at a BR ticket counter.

While traveling in France in 1994, my wife and I stayed at a farmhouse in Normandy. We had a wonderful dinner, followed by 30 year old calvados. Our hosts asked what I did for a living, and I indicated that I was an economist. We then received a 20 minute lecture about how French agricultural tariffs were necessary to maintain the farms which were vital to French culture, and how Americans were Philistines for wanting to sell wheat (or other products) to the French. I have not bought any French wine since.

I know these are but a couple of examples, and there are cases of boorish Americans bellowing for their morning toast when perfectly wonderful croissants are available. These are, however, the bricks and mortar of which attitudes are made.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by rah
Hairy armpits and legs on a woman are kind of a turn off.

RAH
Another reason I couldn't see being gay.

I wouldn't want a woman with hairy armpits or legs either... eew.

[Pandemoniak]

Its not even funny to see how stubborn french and americans are stubborn...

M de Brillat-Savarin is a french philosopher who wrote a not famous essay : "La Physiologie du Gout", which is about "gourmandise". He also invented a cheese. He was a pleasant man.

[Ned]

Certainly the French were not anti-American when they gave us the Statue of Liberty. Nor were they anti-American during WWII. Nor was America anti-French during that war.

All of this antipathy, I believe, is related to post WWII politics, not culture, otherwise the phenomenon would have been there prior to the war.

[Akka]

All of this antipathy, I believe, is related to post WWII politics, not culture, otherwise the phenomenon would have been there prior to the war.

It WAS here prior to the war.

Having rivality and some scorn over another country/culture does not mean you can't see an ally where he is.

[Main_Brain]

I American-French Conflict must have been created by the French Present the famous Statue of Liberty..
by sending this Monument the French indirectly said 'hey look We can create Great Things' (implying the US cant.

but thats just my 2Hours after Midnight impression.

[Adalbertus]

'hey look We can create Great Things'

That's not quite accurate. French can create Big things. Paris is Big. The Americans also have learned to create Big things. Even Bigger ones. If you want to see Great things, go to Italy. Venice is Great. The Dutch and Germans also created Great things. Even the English. (The Romans created only Big things).

Sorry, couldn't resist

[Akka]

I KNEW that, somehow, all that was related to a size complex.

[JohnT]

I'm sure this has been mentioned earlier,

but I've been on vacation and haven't read the entire thread, so....

It's because, of the 4 major wars the US has been in this century, the blame for all of them can be laid at the feet of the French for

a. Not defending their homeland properly in WW1 and WW2.

b. Not being able to properly decolonize, leaving the US holding the bag (Korea, Vietnam).

The freakin' pansies can't fight worth a damn and their most famous ruler wore wigs and stockings. How can you not scorn them?

[TheStinger]

Re: I'm sure this has been mentioned earlier,

Originally posted by JohnT
but I've been on vacation and haven't read the entire thread, so....

It's because, of the 4 major wars the US has been in this century, the blame for all of them can be laid at the feet of the French for

a. Not defending their homeland properly in WW1 and WW2.

b. Not being able to properly decolonize, leaving the US holding the bag (Korea, Vietnam).

The freakin' pansies can't fight worth a damn and their most famous ruler wore wigs and stockings. How can you not scorn them?

I don't normally defend the french but in WW1 at Verdun the French lost more casualties in a few months than the US did in WW1 and WW2 combined. Have a go at them for later on but not WW1

[JohnT]

But isn't Verdun on French soil?

[TheStinger]

Originally posted by JohnT
But isn't Verdun on French soil?

your point being

[JohnT]

Had they defended properly, then they wouldn't have been fighting at Verdun.