Why the World hates France?

Question

Europe unites in hatred of French
By Henry Samuel in Paris
Last Updated: 12:44am BST 17/05/2005



Language, history, cooking and support for rival football teams still divide Europe. But when everything else fails, one glue binds the continent together: hatred of the French.

Typically, the French refuse to accept what arrogant, overbearing monsters they are.

But now after the publication of a survey of their neighbours' opinions of them at least they no longer have any excuse for not knowing how unpopular they are.

advertisement
Why the French are the worst company on the planet, a wry take on France by two of its citizens, dredges up all the usual evidence against them. They are crazy drivers, strangers to customer service, obsessed by sex and food and devoid of a sense of humour.

But it doesn't stop there, boasting a breakdown, nation by nation, of what in the French irritates them.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Britons described them as "chauvinists, stubborn, nannied and humourless". However, the French may be more shocked by the views of other nations.

For the Germans, the French are "pretentious, offhand and frivolous". The Dutch describe them as "agitated, talkative and shallow." The Spanish see them as "cold, distant, vain and impolite" and the Portuguese as "preaching". In Italy they comes across as "snobs, arrogant, flesh-loving, righteous and self-obsessed" and the Greeks find them "not very with it, egocentric bons vivants".

Interestingly, the Swedes consider them "disobedient, immoral, disorganised, neo-colonialist and dirty".

But the knockout punch to French pride came in the way the poll was conducted. People were not asked what they hated in the French, just what they thought of them.

"Interviewees were simply asked an open question - what five adjectives sum up the French," said Olivier Clodong, one of the study's two authors and a professor of social and political communication at the Ecole Superieur de Commerce, in Paris. "The answers were overwhelmingly negative."

According to Mr Clodong, the old adage that France is wonderful, it's just the French who are the problem, is shared across Europe.

"We are admired for our trains, the Airbus and Michelin tyres. But the buck stops there," he said.

Another section of the study deals with how the French see the rest of Europe.

"Believe it or not, the English and the French use almost exactly the same adjectives to describe each other - bar the word 'insular'," Mr Coldong said. "So the feelings are mutual."






Post this story to: del.icio.us | Digg | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit

Answer 1

Maaaan, you crack me UP!
I just had a look on your profile. You have an obsession for turkish kebabs, don't you? You have answered three questions abou them. Funnystuff.
As another person said, I agree, you are probably bitter for not being granted an easy entry into EU.
You can get all upset if you want. But the fact is your country doesn't have what it takes to join. I have been to Turkey and it is a bit of a mess. You have to keep your guards up, because everyone tries to rip you off. From the hotel receptionists to taxi drivers to the guys on the street trying to talk you into going into bars.
Joining EU wil do nothing for your country if you guys aren't willing to improve your country and bring it up to scratch. Just my .02$
I'm just curious to see who gets the vote for the best answer. Cause pretty much everyone disagrees with you.

Answer 2

You are rediculous. You are a French hater posting something to sound your opinion and trying to legitimize it by posting a survey. I'm sure a French lover can come up with something quite the opposite.
I visit France often. Besides the country being lovely, people are ok too, not great, not bad either. They are just normal people.
In Paris, just like every other big city people are busy. But at least you can still talk to people if you want. In London you can forget about it. It's just not accepted to have a conversation with a stranger.
I have also met a lot French travelers. I do like them better than travelers from a lot of other nations. They are absoloutly laid back and they are not there to make an impression.
Also askthe same question about the Briton, the Greek or the Germans. See how many positive answers you'll get. I bet you none!

Answer 3

I didn't know the French were all exactly alike. I thought they were individuals capable of both good and evil like everyone else. It's easy to disapprove of a group if you're an outsider. Many non-Americans don't like us and clump us all together. I really have nothing in common with say George W. Bush. People act as if he's Amercia; the collective free-thinking people are America.

Answer 4

You mean "why Turkish people hate France?"
May be because the new French president think that your country doesn't belong to Europe and you feel upset to be rejected by the euro community.
Your reaction makes me think he was right to do so. Hope your fellow countrymen have not so much hatred in their hearts. It's no good for their health.

Answer 5

The world does not hate France.
France is a beutiful country, I just came back from there and I saw the Eiffel Tower!
I did not eat frogs legs but I was tempted, may be next time.
French people overall are VERY nice. There are exceptions but is the same for ALL countries.
VIVE LE FRANCE!!!
VIVA LES GRANUILLES!!!!

Answer 6

If you want to ask a question, this is all it takes:
"Why DOES the world hate France?"
I am not one of those who have found a reason to hate France, and despite all the negative comments from the people above, it is still the top choice for tourists from all over the world.
Perhaps you have found a contradiction here, mon ami.

Answer 7

As somebody who has been going to France for over forty years, I can only disagree with all those stereotypes.
They are not perfect (who is) but I have usually found them helpful, polite and friendly.
The clue is to try to speak the language and not shout at them in English.
Millions of British people are now leaving their own country and going to live in France, this must indicate some level of approval.

Answer 8

Most foreigners probably arrive at their opinions about the French by touring France, or by encountering French traveling in their own countries.

As a rule, tourism tends to expose the dark underbelly of every nationality, including the French, without offering up anything to offset it.

Answer 9

It's interesting but I have heard every term used by the other European countries to describe the French used to describe the people of that country. Cultural and racial prejudices are such a stupid thing. Fact is we wouldn't know how to cope without the wonderfully French French. Viva la France!!

Answer 10

Try this:
Which nation you hate the most? France or USA??
In FACT! I will post this in Yahoo!Answers.

Look for "Which nation you hate the most? France or USA??"
Copy and paste in the search box.
Aahhh , this should be a good one!
SEEYA!