French to boycott American products ?

[Sprayber]

Originally posted by Spiffor

As I said, I'm boycotting products I deem to carry cultural imperialism. Edit : and I fail to boycott completely hollywood crap, sad

You know in a round about way, you are still being influienced by America in that you are deliberately changing your habits in response to this cultural imperialism.

BTW. America didn't invent Halloween. We simply put our own little spin on the day. That's all we have really done with most of our so called American Culture. (except maybe music)

[Spiffor]

Richelieu :
True. Given my limited skill in English, I tried not to repeat the same syntax errors, for fear of being even less clear thant the troll.
The mail is understandable in French, I wanted to make it understandable in English too

[Japher]

The Dutch invented Reality TV with "Big Brother". Who else could invent something that perverted ?

First I ever saw of reality TV was "The Real World" on MTV, on for more than a decade before Big Brother was in the US. So, IMO, MTV is more perverted than the dutch... try and argue that.

Cultural Imperialismism? The US is definitly winning on this one. It is kind of like my theory of the Japanese; they couldn't take Hawaii so they just bought it all and built golf courses on them... hehe

In-and-Out is good. I like seeing people with the doctored bumper stickers "In-N-Out Burger+ --> "In-N-Out urge". Makes me laugh.

As for Jack in the Box, I love it. Where else can you get a rice bowl, taco, hamburger, jalopeno poppers, and a root beer float?

I think that Carl's Jr. has gone down hill, at least since they tried that Green Burrito crap.

McD's is awful, but I will still hit it up for breakfast every now and then.

As for the French Boycotting us; oh well.

As for me Boycotting the French: I think I have already unintentionally been doing it, except for CIV of course.

[Harovan]

Originally posted by Spiffor
The latest example is the lame attempt to adapt Halloween in France, which resulted in the degenaration of this fun party (in the US) into a pathetic consumerist rage by us.

Well, in the last 2 years here, where I live, were also attempts to bring the idea of Halloween closer to the people. With poor success, btw, but anyway. The reason is not some suddenly raised pro-americanism, but the simple fact, that our peasants are great at growing pumpkins and wanted to increase their local sales. Damn commerce!

[GePap]

Spiff:

Will any amount of American movies make people in france less French?

That's the issue I have with cultural imperialism. I come from Panama (a place the French have many saying about..), and a more bastardized, mongrel place does not exist on earth, as far as I know. "Gringo" culture is everwhere..hell, we use Dollars as our money (even if we stubbornly call it something else) and yet, Panama is Panama: I know it is a different, quirky place with its own feel and culture, no matter how much US goods they use, or how many of the children of the upper class go to US universities. Movies don't make you loose your identity, as long as you think that identity is worth keeping alive. So Swabians use lots of French words..are they more "french" and less swabian for it?

[Sprayber]

Spiffor: Is this exclusively an anti-american boycott or do you choose not to purchase or indulge in Brittish or other foreign items as well. Just curious.

[Spiffor]

Sprayber :
I only feel overwhelmed by the mass-consuming part of the American culture. I don't boycott any other products (except the Mars company for other reasons).
Also, I'm pretty much open to foreign culture, even if you might think the opposite reading this thread I live in Germany, enjoy all kinds of music including Jazz, watch anime, eat about as much in foreign restaurants as French ones. I also often ask questions to Americans here on specific American cultural references.
I only boycott cultural products that I feel overwhelming / threatening. Currently, only American mass-consuption products apply, but should Japan become as successful as the US is, I would boycott Japanes products that I feel overwhelming/threathening. This applies for any country.

[Harovan]

Originally posted by GePap
Will any amount of American movies make people in france less French?

Definitely. My wife forced me to watch a whole series of old French movies. She loves Louis de Funes, Gerard Depardieu, Pierre Richard and alike. Since then, my surrender rate in games was drastically increased.

So Swabians use lots of French words..are they more "french" and less swabian for it?

The German language is full of French words, not only the Swabian. A wallet is everywhere called Portemonnaie. Except in Frankonia, where I live. Here it's called Geldbeutel (money bag).

[Spiffor]

Ge :
Those are good questions. I will think about it and answer them later.

[HershOstropoler]

I'm waiting for the Americans to boycott all those french words in the english language, like entrepreneur...

[Harovan]

Wasn't it Bush, who said, that the French have no word for "entrepreneur"? Or is that just a legend?

[HershOstropoler]

Heard that too, but that Bushism has to be a legend. Simply has to.

[Adam Smith]

Spiffor:

What you term "cultural imperialism" sounds more like high-powereed marketing to me. Most of us here in America just try to ignore that nonsense.

As for "maintaining an agricultural heritage", that's the same argument made in the US by many less productive rural areas. We try to ignore that, and teh subsidies that go with it.

[Sprayber]

Originally posted by Spiffor
Sprayber :
I only feel overwhelmed by the mass-consuming part of the American culture. I don't boycott any other products (except the Mars company for other reasons).
Also, I'm pretty much open to foreign culture, even if you might think the opposite reading this thread I live in Germany, enjoy all kinds of music including Jazz, watch anime, eat about as much in foreign restaurants as French ones. I also often ask questions to Americans here on specific American cultural references.
I only boycott cultural products that I feel overwhelming / threatening. Currently, only American mass-consuption products apply, but should Japan become as successful as the US is, I would boycott Japanes products that I feel overwhelming/threathening. This applies for any country.

I guess you gotta do what you gotta do. Just don't give up on the Jazz And try the Blues. It's one of our best exports.

[Richelieu]

Originally posted by Sir Ralph
Wasn't it Bush, who said, that the French have no word for "entrepreneur"? Or is that just a legend?