Where did the common belief of French People being rude come from? What about other stereotypes?

Question

I'm not French but I do know a lot of French people who are really kind. Sure most of them love their country a lot and don't try to hide it, but come on. Who doesn't?

So I would just like to know where did this generalization come from?

I got these stereotypes in an email and I was really disappointed at our society:

I'm SKINNY, so I MUST be anorexic.

I'm EMO, so I MUST cut my wrists.

I'm BLACK, so I MUST carry a gun.

I'm HISPANIC, so I MUST be dirty.

I'm ASIAN, so I MUST be smart.

I'm NOT LIKE EVERYONE ELSE, so I MUST be a loser.

I'm JEWISH, so I MUST be greedy.

I'm GAY, so I MUST have AIDS.

I'm a LESBIAN, so I MUST have a sex-tape.

I'm ARAB, so I MUST be a terrorist.

I SPEAK MY MIND, so I MUST be a *****.

I'm NOT A VIRGIN, so I MUST be easy.


I'm RELIGIOUS, so I MUST shove my beliefs down your throat.

I'm an ATHEIST, so I MUST hate the world.

I DON'T HAVE A RELIGION, so I MUST not have morals.

I'm REPUBLICAN, so I MUST not care about poor people.

I'm DEMOCRAT, so I MUST not believe in being responsible.

I'm JAMAICAN so I MUST smoke weed.

I am LIBERAL, so I MUST be gay.

I'm SOUTHERN, so I MUST be white trash.

I TAKE ANTI-DEPRESSANTS, so I MUST be crazy.

I'm a GUY, so I MUST only want to get into your pants.

I'm IRISH, so I MUST have a bad drinking problem.

I'm INDIAN, so I MUST own a convenient store.

I'm NATIVE AMERICAN, so I MUST dance around a fire screaming like a savage.

I'm PREPPY, so I MUST shun those who don't wear Abercrombie & Hollister.

I'm a CHEERLEADER, so I MUST be a whore.

I'm ON A DANCE TEAM, so I MUST be stupid, stuck up, and a whore.

I WEAR SKIRTS A LOT, so I MUST be a slut.

I'm a PUNK, so I MUST do drugs.

I'm YOUNG, so I MUST be naive.

I'm RICH, so I MUST be a conceited snob.

I WEAR BLACK, so I MUST be a goth.

I'm BLONDE, so I MUST be a stupid ditz.

I'm WHITE GIRL, so I MUST be a nagging, steal-your-money kind of girlfriend.

I'm CUBAN, so I MUST spend my spare time rolling cigars.

I'm MEXICAN, so I MUST have hopped the border.

I'm NOT A VIRGIN, so I MUST be easy.

I FELL IN LOVE WITH A MARRIED MAN, so I MUST be a home-wrecking whore.

I'm a TEENAGE MOM, so I MUST be an irresponsible slut.

I'm POLISH, so I MUST wear my socks with my sandals.

I'm ITALIAN, so I MUST have a small cock.

I GOT A CAR FOR MY BIRTHDAY, so I MUST be a spoiled brat.

I'm PRETTY, so I MUST not be a virgin.

I HAVE STRAIGHT A'S, so I MUST have no social life.

I DYE MY HAIR CRAZY COLORS, so I MUST be looking for attention.

I DRESS IN UNUSUAL WAYS, so I MUST be looking for attention.

I'm INTO THEATRE & ART, so I MUST be a homosexual.

I'm a VEGETARIAN, so I MUST be a crazy political activist.

I HAVE A BUNCH OF GUY FRIENDS, so I MUST be ******* them all.

I HAVE A BUNCH OF GIRLS WHO ARE FRIENDS, so I MUST be gay.

I HAVE BIG BOOBS, so I MUST be a hoe.

I'm COLOMBIAN, so I MUST be a drug dealer.

I WEAR WHAT I WANT, so I MUST be a poser.

I'm RUSSIAN, so I MUST be cool and thats how Russians roll.

I'm GERMAN, so I MUST be a Nazi.

I HANG OUT WITH GAYS, so I MUST be GAY TOO.

I'm BRAZILIAN, so I MUST have a BIG BUTT.

I'm PUERTO RICAN, so I MUST look good and be conceited.

I'm SALVADORIAN, so I MUST be in MS 13.

I'm POLISH, so I MUST be stupid.

I'm HAWAIIAN, so I MUST be lazy.

I'm a STONER, so I MUST be going in the wrong direction.

Im a VIRGIN, so I MUST be prude.

I'm a FEMALE GAMER, so I MUST be ugly or crazy.

I'm BLACK, so I MUST love fried chicken.

I'm BI, so I MUST think every girl I see is hot.

I'm BI, so I MUST think every boy I see is hot.

I'm ASIAN so I MUST have a small penis.

I'm Spanish, so I MUST be stupid.

I'm DEATHMETAL, so i must eat dead fetus'.

Answer 1

Stereotypes are born of ignorance and the ignorant person's need to feel superior to others. It's pretty sad.

Answer 2

Alot of them come from the French trying to force their cultural will upon the world. They just haven't gotten past the fact that the cultural center of the world is no longer in France. And they have been trying to insist that it still is for the last couple hundred years.

This has extended to rediculous things. For instance, when the international community was trying to get consistant television standards among as many countries as they could for ease of broadcast, the french wouldn't go along with it.

As a result the countries that were based on 60hz electric grids ended up with the NTSC which plays 30 frames a second.(US, Canada, most of America, britain I think) Countries that have an electric grid of 50hz ended up with PAL which plays at 25 frames a second.(most of Europe)

Then of course the French couldn't go along with PAL so they have their OWN standard.

Anyway, its things like that that ensures people look at the French as being rude.

Answer 3

I do not know where it comes from, but I think it's rubbish, just like all the other stereotypes you listed. Someone once thought it all up, and the others take it over.
Stupid, really... Look at the one about the people who are blonde: lots of blonde people have a better set of brains than other people!
It's not your hair, but the parents... Some say that you get your 'smartness' from your mother. So if your mother is not too smart, you're not either.
Don't react to angrily to people with such prejudice, just ignore them, ;)

Answer 4

I hear ya. And I have to say KUDOS to you for speaking your mind. Now onto answering your question. I don't know any French people, but I believe that anyone, and I mean anyone (including me) can be rude at any given point in their daily life. It is part of the human condition. Try to give people the benefit of the doubt....and if that doesn't work. Avoid them.

Answer 5

I was in Paris 6 years ago. I found that even with my limited French that even when I tried to speak the language the people were kind to me.

Answer 6

I don't think french are rude. It's a stupid stereotype only ignorance believe.

Answer 7

It's sort of like scientific proof.

You see a pattern for so long, you see that it's a natural recurring phenomenon...

Eventually you say "well, that's how it works".

Now... that's not how I feel, but that's an explination from another point of view.

Answer 8

wow...you came up with quite a few

help the world to stop spreading racism and stereotypes

Answer 9

just this generalizations make for stereotyping and some stereotypes are so....

Answer 10

I'm american and I'm fat and that ain't no streotype, america needs to loose weight.