Why The French Are Bad??

Question

I am confused............ i read a lot on the internet and what some people say on here about the French people being rude and arrogant etc......... but i have to say i go to France every year, and i make a very good effort to speak their language out of respect (i am from England) yet i just cant figure where people get this view of the French from as ive found them to be nicer and more friendly that English people!!!

Even the Parisians were nice :-) i dont speak great French but they help me and tell me how to say things when i was there lol!! Lovely country, and great people so why all the negativity??

Answer 1

I think that is a cliché !

Answer 2

French people don't "refuse" to speak English or "pretend" they don't understand, I'm fed up to hear this stupid thing! my parents don't know a word of English though they learn it (and they're not so old), and my brother doesn't understand spoken English, although he studied it from 11 to 20. If the French could speak foreign languages it would be known.

Answer 3

I agree 100%! I think that a lot of the problem is the bad attitude of many people who go to France on holiday. Paris is a major capital city, not a dedicated tourist resort like the Costa del Sol for example, so you can't expect Parisians to be constantly bending over backwards to accommodate the demands of tourists. Its also possible that a lot of people feel intimidated by the reputation that the French have e.g. that they are more cultured, chic etc.

I'm sick of people complaining about the French being rude or refusing to speak English. Why should they speak English in their own country?! I have been to Paris numerous times and have always found Parisians to be polite, friendly and helpful, both in shops/restaurants and even people on the street. And I come from Dublin, Ireland one of the friendliest cities on earth!!!

Answer 4

wait, wait, wait....

"Paddington" here is French?  

I rest my case!

P.S. I was more thinking Paddington, London    :-)

You must be talking about the "Paddington Bear" cartoon which is a children's classic, like Herbs, Postman Pat, etc.  Anyway, it is a British name.

Answer 5

I totally agree with you!  The French are very kind and courteous people if you treat them with respect. I'm an American who has also visited France several times.  What I have personally witnessed are many impolite, rude, and demanding Americans who seem to feel that the french owe them something.  These are the ones who return home telling how rude the french are when in reality they were the ones who are disrespectful.  I think it's so important for anyone who plans to visit France to learn at the very least a few phrases.  The French people will be so helpful if you do.  Another thing to keep in mind is that they aren't loud or always smiling at strangers as the Americans do but by no means does this mean they are rude.

Answer 6

You've already gotten some good, thoughtful answers. I'd just like to add that when people visit places with expectations based on caricatures and stereotypes, one can always find "evidence" to support them, if one is predisposed to do so. Here is my answer to a similar question: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 7

It's a stereotype that we (especially Americans) like to perpetuate.  I have heard from others that it really isn't true anymore, but it makes for such good jokes and sitcom situations, that people still believe it.  Even thirty years ago, when I was there, I didn't find it so much.  Although I speak pretty good French, at least good enough to ask clearly for a cup of coffee and get what I ask for, though I found invariably, that when I asked for a "petite tasse de café", they gave me the big one, which cost three to four times as much, and I didn't have the guts to tell them to take it back and give me the small one.  I just paid for it.  

Everyone has to pick on someone...lots of people like to pick on the French.

Answer 8

I think its even a bit deeper than the response above suggests.

Americans inherit their anti-French bias from the English who have been insulting the French (and vice versa) for centuries.

The British stereotype of the French as over-sexed, rude, hedonists who don't bath often enough and live on snails and stinky cheese has been around since the time of the Hundred Years War.

Nor should one ignore the fact that French are quick to stereotype others with same broad and generally silly brush.

The French stereotype of Britons as humorless louts (or limp wristed nancy boys) who subsist entirely on overcooked beef or baked beans on toast with marmite and beer doesn't make much more sense. Nor is  the stereotype of Americans as tasteless, loud illiterates, with god complexes and fixed goofy smiles entirely fair.

Answer 9

ppl are stuk up dude!!!!!  they think there contry is the best they nevr ben there and also ppl  make up stuf to get attention. what do they know? ppl whop say that probaly dont even know where the eifel tower is

Answer 10

First I want to say that I'm French and I have neither inferiority complex nor superiority complex. I love my country and that's all.

All criticisms I can read about french people are often stereotypes. But it's the same for all nationalities : French is rude, British is inhibited, American is uneducated... Sometimes it's funny, sometimes it's agressive. In any case, it's stupid. Particularly because persons who convey these clichés have never leave their countries !

Some clichés are historically established. But sometimes there are cultural incomprehensions.

An example : I have a french friend who lives in US. She said me that when she has a serious discussion with some american friends, they say that she is agressive. For her, it's just a discussion and I know that she's not agressive.

So, nice discussion or agression, that's just a cultural point of view.

And there are many examples.

I stop here, my english vocabulary is too limited.

Sorry for my poor english.

Answer 11

Rillifane, you mean that the big goofy smile is not true? I'm crushed. Really. One of my best stereotypes gone...

But to tell the truth that's the thing that I noticed most during my first visit in the States, the smiles. Not goofy of course, but smiles nonetheless.

As to Parisians being arrogant, we are accused of that by the other French. The truth is, they are all jealous. So there.

:D

Answer 12

Jealousy !!! - they'll never be french - that's their problem - not ours -

They unconsciously express, through their sourness, all their frustrations in their countries - Mainly english -

I personally feel very happy and lucky to be french -

Simple isn't ?

@ Paddington is a lovely teddy-bear for super-children -

     just like Plantagenêt was typically english - ha ha

     I'm sure you cannot conceive that french write english

     as well as you - eh eh eh - 500.000 french in Londonstan

Answer 13

Actually, whenever we visit Paris, the people pretend that they don't understand German or English. You see it in their eyes that they do. Of course, it is France. So, if I want to visit their country, I should learn French!

I think it is a matter of misinformation and partially a jealousy of the success of the French for being able to keep their language pure. Many people see this as intolerance, but I keep telling the Germans over here that they need to clean their language AGAIN. It is over-due for it. You have to clean your language at least every 50 years or you get a bunch of foreign words creeping in.

The French exchange student we had was the sweetest thing, as was her family. They were from the country-side.