Salut à tous! Ça fait longtemps que je n’ai pas écrit sur ce blog, mais je suis revenue!
Hi everyone! It’s been a long time since I last wrote on this blog, but I’m back!
J’espère que tout le monde va bien. Aujourd’hui, je veux parler des stéréotypes des françaises et partager mes expériences avec eux. D’avoir les meilleurs résultats, j’ai demandé à mes amis américains quels sont les plus grands stéréotypes dans leurs opinions.
I hope everyone is doing well. Today, I want to talk about some stereotypes of French people, and share my experiences with them. To have the best results, I asked some of my American friends what they think are the biggest stereotypes of the French.
À cause d’avoir un public principalement américain, j’écrirai en anglais pour le reste de ça (et de ne pas faire de fautes). Merci à Jacob, Tyra, Jade, Sara, Amanda, Audrey, Kaelyn, Will, Joe, Stephanie, Alicia, Alanna pour les réponses. C’est parti:)
Because of my primarily American audience, I will write the rest of this in English. Thanks to my friends for the responses. Let’s begin:)
- The French are rude.
As mentioned in some of my other posts, the French are definitely straight-up people; they like to tell it how it is. For Americans who are super bubbly and personable, often French people seem rude because they don’t sugarcoat as much. They also have really bad customer service, any American expat article or video can tell you that. However, at least in my own personal experience (as most of this post will be speaking from), I do not consider them to be rude, instead I think it’s just a cultural difference. Therefore, I would say this stereotype is false.
- The French all smoke.
This stereotype is somewhat true. Certainly, a lot of people smoke in France. According to the CDC, about 14% of American adults smoke, whereas this number is about 50% in France. It is looked upon less negatively than in the U.S., and you can typically smoke outside at cafés (je pense que c’est plutôt normal). However, none of my three closest French friends smoke, which leads me to say that this stereotype is only somewhat true (c’est pas obligatoire pour tous les français mdr).
- The French are skinny.
This is another that I would say is somewhat true. I think what this stereotype is really getting at is the idea that French portion sizes are smaller, which is definitely true. In general Americans tend to overeat and we love to have an abundance of everything. This was shown to me the first time I ever walked into a French grocery store, where you will not find 50 different cereals and types of pasta as you do in the U.S. The tendency to eat smaller portions is what leads Americans to think all French people are skinny, however I do think you see all different body types in France, too. But, the stereotype is true in that obesity is much less of an issue.
- The French are fashionable.
While I am not super familiar with the entirety of France, I can agree it is true that Parisians are fashionable. I love the black chic color scheme which can be seen here. It’s a more formal and stylish look that could probably be described as posh. Yet, stereotypes are stereotypes and usually don’t apply to absolutely everyone, and I would add that the rest of France is not Paris, so it’s likely not the same.
- The French are romantic.
This one is hard for me to fully comment on. If you follow Anna Kloots (who was talked about in my expat blog post) you would know she is currently dating a French man (son voisin!). She makes him out to be the most romantic man in the world, giving her gifts every day and taking her on weekend trips. However, in general I think it depends on the person just as it does in the U.S. Perhaps the fact that Paris is known as “the city of love” contributes to this stereotype. Feel free to read more about French romance in my previous post, and share your opinions below. As for now, I think I would say I am unsure, or as comedian Paul Taylor loves to say, ça dépend!
- The French smell bad.
This stereotype is absolutely false. I was told by one of my favorite French teachers that this stereotype came to be from the early days of Louis XIV, who, spectated by hundreds of nobles daily, was only ever seen showering a few times. I’ve also read that this comes from the knowledge that French people use less air conditioning (and therefore maybe sweat more), or because their diets consist of strong cheeses that have distinct smells. Yet, even while some of these points may be true I have never met a French person who smells bad.
- The French eat baguettes every day.
I know… a dream. If you knew me when I was an early teenager, you would know I would eat full baguettes on the daily. Since then my ways have changed (somewhat), but studying abroad in Paris last spring tempted the old habits. Les boulangeries were always full of Parisians waiting to get their various baguettes. While unlike young me, I am sure most French people don’t eat full baguettes on the regular, but bread is definitely integral to their meals and daily living, and therefore I would say this is somewhat true. Their baguettes are really good, but also on a separate note of bread I would recommend buying a loaf of brioche from the grocery store (aux pepites de chocolat). This type of bread is amazing!! (And worth a trip to France on its own).
- The French think they are the best.
As most of these have been, this one is probably also somewhat true. I think they can definitely acknowledge when other countries do things better or more efficiently, but from what I’ve read, watched and experienced, they do have a bit of chauvinism. Yet in their defense, is that really a bad thing? Ideally, Americans would have that pride, too. I do have to say that one thing they are absolutely the best at is debating, and don’t even try to debate that with a French person… you’ll lose.
- The French like techno music.
This is another stereotype that I have mixed feelings on, but overall I’d yet again use somewhat true. While everyone has different music preferences, I certainly found from my time abroad that going out in France (notamment aux boîtes de nuit), techno music is always played, which is not so common here in the U.S. I had that same experience in Germany, too, so I would guess it is a European cultural thing as opposed to the often pop American music played here.
- The French are intellectuals.
I would lean more towards true for this stereotype, especially considering philosophy is a curriculum requirement for students before college. I also think the culture contributes to their deeper knowledge. At least out of my own experience, the French people I know are deep thinkers and very intelligent, which is why I’d confirm that they are intellectuals.
As I mentioned earlier, these are just my reactions to the French stereotypes that my friends shared!
Are there any other stereotypes of French people you know of or believe? Feel free to share or let me know if you agree/disagree with any of the ones above:) À bientot!
For more reading, check out this article on French stereotypes:
https://www.expatica.com/fr/moving/about/french-stereotypes-740737/
Julia's Journey in Paris 