French and proud to be a frog

To conclude this wonderful and crazy semester in America, it was my duty to write an article in English. I hope I won’t make too many mistakes or write nonsense sentences (because it would prevent my friends from thinking I actually made progress in this language, and that would be a shame), but I think it’s worth the risk.

After four entire months in the States, I would like to talk about the perception of France and the French in America. How do Americans see us? What do people think about us on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean?

The truth is, even if some of them pretend not to care at all about us, they do have a real interest in what’s going on in France. Contrary to what one might think, most of the people I’ve met are not only able to situate the country and the capital in a world map, but they also have heard about French policy, know the name of our former and current president, and are not unfamiliar with the whole Carla Bruni-Sarkozy story…

Yes, French people are still stereotyped. The Frenchman is often seen as a guy riding a bicycle with a baguette under his arm, wearing a striped sweater, a red scarf, and a beret on his head. It seems that, in the mind of the Americans, France didn’t change at all during the pasts 50 years… well… let’s just think about it for a while… are they totally wrong ? Just take a look at Paris, the city we are so proud of, its old narrow streets, its old tiny buildings, its old pretty stores, and its old smelly metro… Look at the French “brasseries” and “cafés”, so typical, so French, you can’t find such a thing in any other place in the world…. Yes, France is an old but charming country. And that’s what attracts the American tourists.

There are also plenty of negative stereotypes about the French people: The French are often perceived as smelly, heavy smokers, rude, impolite and arrogant…. Not really flattering, is it?

Question. What's the quickest way to make a profit?

Answer. Buy a Frenchman for what he's worth and sell him for what he thinks he's worth

It’s not rare to hear people complaining about our weak sense of welcoming, and it’s not a lie to say that we have to make progress in this way. But in fact, despite all those negative stereotypes concerning our behavior, American people admire the French culture for at least three things: our gastronomy, our fashion, and our romanticism.

· Gastronomy: Happily, French people don’t only eat frog legs (yep, they still believe that we are found of this type food, and that’s why the “frog” nickname still stays! But from my perspective, I think they just want to believe that because it’s easy to make fun of it :p). Anyway, we could write a book about what Americans think about the “French cuisine”. We are known all over the globe as expert in the field of gastronomy. It’s true that we love good bread, smelly cheese and red wine (at least I do!). But the French food is so famous that French words are used in the day-to-day vocabulary to give a tasty aspect to some American food. For example, soup du jour is nothing more than an elegant-sounding version of "soup of the day”. In French, au gratin refers to anything that is grated and put on top of a dish, like breadcrumbs or cheese. In English, au gratin means “with cheese”. And not to mention all the staples which include the word “French” at the beginning of their name for no real reason, such as the famous French fry (which is actually from Belgium!), the French bean (or green bean, = “haricot vert”), the French toast (= “pain perdu”), or even the French dressing (in the US, French dressing refers to a sweet, tomato-based salad dressing that does not, as far as I know, exist in France…). Funny, isn’t it? Anyway, all that stuffs seem very appealing, I’m hungry now… Bon appétit!

· Fashion: It’s not a surprise if an important part of the book and movie “The Devil Wears Prada” takes place in Paris. Paris is the capital of fashion. I didn’t realize how fashionable French people were before I came back to France. Of course American girls are fashionable too, but not in the same way. Mostly, they try to be trendy by wearing famous and fashionable brands. In France, you can be fashionable without wearing any fancy brand. But you have to pay excessive attention to your looks. Every little detail is important; every accessory brings something to the whole appearance. In the US I was perceived as a fashionable girl because I often wear necklaces or colorful scarves, but in France I’m not really following the trend. French girls are elegant and sophisticated. They are chic, which means stylish, but chic sounds more chic than stylish… Surprising?

· Romanticism and gallantry: Even if I think Frenchmen are less romantic than some of our neighbors such as the Spanish or the Italians, all the French girls, despite what they say, still believe a little in prince charming. To seduce a French girl, the guy has to adopt the behavior of a perfect gentleman. It’s not unusual for a guy in France to open and hold the door for a girl, or to give his coat if his girl feels cold, and it’s his duty to pay the bill on the first date / rendez-vous, even if she insists on sharing the costs. Paris is also perceived worldwide as one of the most romantic place in the world: isn’t it romantic to hang around in the streets, eat in a cute little restaurant and finish the night in a barge on the Seine?

Yes, Americans like the French culture, the French way of life, even if they maintain it’s not the case. And it’s the same for us: a lot of French people keep saying that Americans are dumb but we are forced to recognize that they are way better than we are in business, have a strong temperament, and are also really friendlier and more welcoming than we are.

The relationship between the French and the Americans has always been complex. We are at attracted by the others and the other culture and rejecting it at the same time. Love and hate. We both admire the other country (and we often try to copy its ideas), but refuse to admit it because we are too proud of ourselves. Well… long and fascinating stories wouldn’t be so exciting if they weren’t so complex. All the passionate stories of love are complicated, and that’s part of the beauty of it. The relationship between the French and Americans will continue to evolve, and there will be a lot of twists and turns… but that’s what makes it so interesting and funny!