Obama did the right thing by focusing on Republican strategy and their heavy responsibility in Official French Bashing. With that simple comment, he encapsulates the entire Freedom Fry episode.
BTW – I just got back from another swing through OH, KY, WV, PA and NY, even went to the GOP office in Washington PA to get tickets to a McCain event, unfortunately I couldn’t stay until next saturday for the event.
I would have loved to ask Senator McCain a number of questions on French Bashing and Anti-French attitudes in his party. Might still mail them in.
What would you ask John McCain ?
PS: Do you know the GOP doesn’t even live up to the rules of the Waffle House? That fine restaurant chain has on its wall a number of rules, including one that says no client or associate will be discriminated based on national origin…
I still am not sure this is a great idea. By self appropriating anti-French stereotypes for commercial success, has J-C Mas legitimized French Bashing?
Here’s an article that you may find interesting. Although it doesn’t mention french-bashing, it certainly sheds a light on the use of smear in politics:
“They remind me of an aging movie actress in the 1940s who is still trying to dine out on her looks but doesn’t have the face for it.”
“Perhaps Churchill and Roosevelt made a very serious mistake when they decided to give France a veto in the Security Council when the United Nations was organized.”
“We now have a pro-American president in France, which shows if you live long enough, anything can happen in this world.”
The Simon Rendez Vous Saturdays 1pm-3pm on WTAM 1100.
N’oubliez pas le Podcast !
J’adore : His early shows brought calls from French-bashing listeners.
“They said ‘F’ the French. I told them I would play two minutes of France’s national anthem every time that happened, ” Badinter said.
For as long as I can remember, the Republican Party has had their whipping boys that they use to shift responsibility for their foibles and blunders. This year it is illegal immigration, which, ironically, a lot of businesses that are owned by Republicans use for cheap labor. France is another, because they have fomented Franco-hatred ever since France refused to play along with George W. Bush’s war on Iraq. It’s cheap, it’s easy and it makes them look like they are the good guys, at least to their target audience.
That in mind, John McCain is just one of a long line of many Republicans who deal ignorance, xenophobia, blame-shifting and war-mongering as so-called American values.
From Slate.com: The French Are Coming!: Romney was widely mocked last fall when he warned that France posed a clear and present danger to the American way of life. But after watching French President Nicolas Sarkozy embrace Barack Obama in Paris last week, conservatives may finally warm to Mitt’s “First, Not France” slogan after all. Romney has impeccable credentials as a Francophobe; Sarkozy would never dream of saying of him, “If he is chosen, then France will be delighted.” In a few short hours in Paris, Obama claimed the president as a convert. Romney spent two whole years in France and converted no one whatsoever.
I found this article totally wonderful, I’m definitely waiting to reading more from you!
[unspammed comment with spam components removed – having the last laugh]
Je me demande si ce monsieur et nous vivons sur la même planète… Mais enfin les candidats à la présidence multiplient les références presque (notez les “presque”) positives à notre pays…
Obama se moquant ouvertement de la francophobie officielle de nos amis du GOP ou McCain citant Sarkozy en exemple (même s’il ne peut pas s’empêcher de balancer une pique, plutôt gentillette par rapport à ce que nous avons pu lire par le passé)… ça reste quelque chose.
Et, puis même si la francophobie persiste dans culture pop, elle reste un peu moins voyante, et, il faut espérer qu’avec le temps elle se ringardise (politique et culture pop s’influencent l’une l’autre : si le french bashing commence à être mis en veilleuse voire moqué par une bonne partie de l’establishment, on peut espérer la même chose au niveau de la culture populaire).
Je ne me fait pas trop d’illusions, mais ça n’empêche pas un optimisme modéré sur ce point.
French-bashing is indeed painful to the expats. Its degree and extent are what make it painful.
Explaining it is challenging, but the explanation Damour offers is just implausibe. Immoderate and extensive French-bashing pre-existed Chirac’s presidency. Therefore it is not solely (if at all) caused by it.
I don’t mind at all about American French bashing, past or present, but I confess I am no expat, and in fact no real fan of America. Those who care about it are franco-americans or disappointed America lover. I think most Americans are parochial, and ignorant of the rest of the world. Thay are what they are and It is not that worrying.
I don’t think Barney’s remark <i>”French-bashing and “hating the French” are now an integral part of American pop culture.</i> is way off.
Miquelon is right that it will take a long while before they disappear from the American pop culture scene. It would be wise <b>not</b> to keep our guard down!
Looking forward to discovering the winners of the Fry award.
Aren’t you the guy a few years ago on Superfrenchie.com who went ballistic when someone spoke about surrendering their French bulldog? Which in fact was the term used for any type of canine. Even when the person explained that on that site your remark was something like ” I don’t care I’m fed up”
Ah, my friend rocket.
The ‘francophile’ who refuses contre vents et marées to tell us what he loves about France and the French after living in France for 30 years.
One of the great francophiles banned from SF for calling a female forumer the c word and let’s face it, a lot of French bashing. An activity he carries on another great francophile’s blog, Charles Bremner.
Just a reminder – DemocracyArsenal.org: “John McCain engaged in the anti-French bashing of the far right because they opposed the invasion of the war. “The Lord said the poor will always be with us, and the French will be with us, too,” said McCain, a member of the Armed Services Committee. “This is part of a continuing French practice of throwing sand in the gears of the Atlantic alliance. But now they’re playing a dangerous game, and coming close to rendering themselves irrelevant.” A few days later he even said that, “Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) likened France to an aging ’40s starlet “still trying to dine out on her looks but doesn’t have the face for it.” [NY Times, 2/14/03. NY Daily News, 2/17/03]”
I wasn’t banned from Superfrenchie for using the “c” word for a female blogger. I was banned because she she directed a comment at me which was…. “shaking her head” …as if in a state of despair because I disagreed with the status quo on that blog and made it vigorously known
To which I responded
“After you finish shaking the head don’t forget to wipe your mouth.”
Also please read back that I was not banned for French bashing ( The Superfrenchie (AKA Denis) own words.
Now as to which blogs I contribute to you seem to be some sort of gossip but I really don’t care.
PS – Time in France is now 31 years 4 months 14 days and 2 hours. As we say. Time flies when you’re having fun- Please get your facts straight.
Sure, no problem.
Just wanted to know what rocket liked about France and the French. I’m curious. I don’t get to meet long time american residents in France often.
So rocket, care to answer the question ?
The jokes are still going strong about the French being saved during the second war. I was watching on youtube, Robin Williams ” The French”, go to you tube & watch it.
The US was doing big business with Nazi Germany and did not move its finger until Europe was half destroyed.
Leaders of the world play chess & whatever country is in the way will go down. Europe had been leading the world for centuries & it was a big opportunity for the US to lead the world. Hitler was nevertheless a mad man & Petain was an idiot. I did read somewhere that the US liked the Vichy government’s guts, i am not surprised, so convenient. I wanted to share this after watching Robin Williams doing his sketch on the French.
More power to him!. I love it!!!!
France must be doing something right to get the American media so obsessed with that country.
Their ego got badly bruised when president Chirac of France told him that his country would not invade Iraq.
Off topic a little. Well, it’s still about the US elctions…
I’d like to point your attention toward this thread on Charles Bremner’s blog.
http://timescorrespondents.typepad.com/charles_bremner/2008/09/barack-obama-th.html?cid=130011450#comments
It’s become as bad as anything you can read on fuckfrance.com.
I think you should consider writing an entry on Bremner whose silence at the vile anti-French comments is quite telling.
I think it’s especially important to go after Bremner and his blog because Bremner is often invited on French TV.
Off topic a little. Well, it’s still about the US elctions…
I’d like to point your attention toward this thread on Charles Bremner’s blog.
http://timescorrespondents.typepad.com/charles_bremner/2008/09/barack-obama-th.html?cid=130011450#comments
It’s become as bad as anything you can read on ffcom
I think you should consider writing an entry on Bremner whose silence at the vile anti-French comments is quite telling.
I think it’s especially important to go after Bremner and his blog because Bremner is often invited on French TV.
A nearly identical reaction from commentors on a post regarding the British view of Obama/McCain. As for McCain, I hope that Miquelon.org will send hiom this letter. As for bremmer, he must be exposed as the two-faced, anti-French bigot he really is.
“La guerre? Non, monsieur!” is a childish piece of French Bashing that reads like a rehash of that infamous “military history of France” email that mysteriously appeared on the web in 2003. Arthur Black, cultural laggard?
Barney, your previous message got caught in the spam filter, sorry about that – I just liberated it. T’is true N. Sarkozy is a very strange kind of americanophile as he is absolutely incapable of speaking the language. His supposedly pro-American stance is really a form of political grand standing with little or no understanding of the country and culture.
About the 9/11 revisionism, it’s a blemish on our country as well. We seem to have fostered an environment in France that lets people like Bigeard and scumbags like Thierry Meyssan flourish. We cannot fight Anti-French attitudes if we act like there is no Anti-Americanism.
We cannot however let Anti-French prejudice be justified as a tit for tat response to Anti-Americanism, they are seperate entities. At the same time, deying Anti-Americanism will only make our position weaker. One battle a at a time will always be my response.
#7
Funny he forgot to mention how Napoleon’s French army conquered most of Europe and those 1.4 million French soldiers who died in WWI.
Just a footnote for that ‘humorist”, I’m sure.
Look, america.
You can’t complain about anti-americanism in France while you’re still, even though most of you know better, portraying us as arrogant berert-wearing snobs (let alone your other favorites: smelly and cowardly).
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