By Katie Kieffer
Art by Ben David.
Americans want relief from depression, recession and inflation. Poseur Americans are increasingly gravitating towards French culture in an attempt to escape economic doldrums. Touché, even Tiger Woods may consider an escapist move to France in the wake of his admitted affairs.
I first noticed this trend when one of my besties wore a rhinestone-studded Eiffel Tower necklace from popular Forever21. Her bling was cute – but annoying – simultaneously. Why couldn’t it be a bejeweled Chicago Spire or Empire State Building?
A few weeks later, I went to babyGap to buy a baby shower gift. I found an adorable shirt – and upon close inspection – noticed the French translation, “le chat,” embroidered beneath the kitty cat on the shirt. Again, tres cute, but how many American babies need to say “cat” in French before they can say “Mommy” in English?
Eiffel Tower Necklace – Macy's
French culture is permeating American culture. I toss on the radio in my car and I’m greeted by Jesse McCartney singing: “Parlez-vous français? Konichiwa, Come and move in my way!” The beat is catchy, although not exactly hard-core. (I realize McCartney isn’t after a tough-guy image – he wants to be cutesy-romantical and appeal to swooning teenage girls.) Switching the station, I hear Lady GaGa crooning, “Je veux ton amour et je veux ton revenge. Je veux ton amour.” in her hit single, Bad Romance.
I pop into my local bookstore and I’m faced with the option of buying Debra Ollivier’s new book, “What French Women Know: About Love, Sex, and Other Matters of the Heart and Mind.” I think American women are sufficiently sexy on our own, thank you very much, Ms. Ollivier. Maybe Tiger Woods has had enough of them, but I am one American woman who doesn’t regret her birth certificate.
At the box office, I encounter the trend again: I can choose between watching Meryl Streep‘s French-trained chef character in It’s Complicated, or watch Michael Cera fall in love with a girl who has “a love for everything French,” in Youth in Revolt and try to win her over by creating “an alter ego for himself, a smooth-talking and smooth-smoking French bad-boy nihilist, named Francois Dillinger.”
I studied French in high school (by choice) and I appreciate the beauty and romance of the language. I also enjoy many French foods and the charm of French traditions. But, first and foremost, I’m an American. I’ve read a history book or two: If it weren’t for the help of the American allies during World War II, French culture would be history – literally.
France is failing at its own MO: If Al Gore invented the internet, then France invented romance, but it seems the French government has lost trust in its citizens to properly love each other. A new French law – expected to be implemented within six months – will outlaw arguments or rude remarks between spouses and partners. France is not the country America should look to as its cultural trend-setter.
We don’t need to get a “New America” that is more like Europe. France, for instance, is a quaint place to visit, but “quaint” is not the type of society we want to downgrade to. European arts are beautiful and romantic, but European health care is costly and inefficient. Many Europeans come to America for high quality and quick procedures.
The current U.S. Administration and its jet-setting peeps from Copenhagen have other ideas – they think America is in the Stone-Age compared to the man-made global warming enthusiasts overseas, as Rush Limbaugh pointed out.
I think we should leave this French obsession in 2009 and adopt a better trend that will benefit, not ignore, our economy in 2010: Los Angeles interior designer, Peter Dunham forecasts: “We want comforting things. More American pie, less flash in the pan.” What does this “American pie” look like? “In 2010 and beyond, a “made in the U.S.” label will resonate strongly with buyers because people want to strengthen the economy. Buying more local items is also better for the environment,” reports Stacy Downs of McClatchy Newspapers.
Here’s more history on how France became how it is today:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_1968_in_France
In terms of rights, France is dead-wrong. They define each and every right as flowing from the state.
Now, I believe that we are the government because our votes and actions have direct influence upon it. That’s a view probably not shared by many of you guys, and even if it’s not true in fact sometimes, it ought to be true in principle and is worth working towards.
But, that’s far different than saying that rights are given by the government and its laws. That’s just scary; but that’s the way France does it. Apart from its inherent wrongness, by stating each and every thing it can and cannot do (ie no headscarves), it probably does more harm than good in terms of alienating minority groups (which would include Christians, Muslims, etc) ….
I think you give fair credit to French Culture, and it is well due. The French have produced some of the most beautiful art, the best cuisine, and the loveliest cities known to Man. But they also have earned a reputation for elitism and snobbishness.
I think the problem is that many French, feeling they have reached the pinnacle of culture, feel no need to change and seek to preserve their culture through legislation and government control. They control what people wear, what they can say, where it can be said, etc. etc. all in the notion of preserving what it means to be French. The lesson we may want to take away from this is that it is better to build our culture, art and values independently and not look to the government to preserve the status quo of culture. While we see much of Europe seeking to resist change or tamp down on activities the government disapproves of, I think Americans should be creating new art, building our own towers, and bettering ourselves outside of government intrusion.
Then again, perhaps the French are just building up to another revolution. There was a time when they had one every twenty years or so. They haven’t always been the “cheese eating surrender monkeys” I occasionally label them as.