No mention of the Yanks ... but

[Enoch Root]

Why do people make fun of France as regards cowardice?

[smc]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Why do people make fun of France as regards cowardice?

You should pose this question to the writers of "The Simpsons," who famously coined the term "cheese-eating surrender monkeys" in 1995.

But seriously, this is a U.S.-centered stereotype that is not widely shared in the rest of the world. France had hegemony in Europe for 150 years. France was a colonial power. Sure, there was a war where Germany invaded and France surrendered pretty quickly, but there were internal collaborators at the highest levels that facilitated that demise.

If you want to know how non-surrendering (sorry to coin that word, but I couldn't think of another one) the French really are, just consider that despite everything the other official language of the United Nations remains French.

[Enoch Root]

I'd heard surrender monkey before. I had no fucking idea The Simpsons were behind it.

[randolph]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Why do people make fun of France as regards cowardice?

It's obvious, they eat frogs and snails and drink lots of wine. They also invented "French kissing" and Napoleon liked to eat Josephine's pussey.

[smc]

Originally Posted by randolph

It's obvious, they eat frogs and snails and drink lots of wine. They also invented "French kissing" and Napoleon liked to eat Josephine's pussey.

Why in the world would any of these things be associated with "cowardice"?

I read somewhere that Josephine's pussy was like a Venus flytrap. It seems to me that eating it would take tremendous bravery, especially for a bite-size guy like Napoleon.

[Enoch Root]

What's this Josephine thing?

[smc]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

What's this Josephine thing?

And to think I once considered you a repository of knowledge regarding French history.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by smc

And to think I once considered you a repository of knowledge regarding French history.

I have disgraced my daimyo. I must make amends.

You will receive my death poem on the morrow.

[smc]

Let's change the subject. Jodie posted so many other nationalities and the stereotypes about them; why concentrate only on the French?

[randolph]

Originally Posted by smc

Why in the world would any of these things be associated with "cowardice"?

I read somewhere that Josephine's pussy was like a Venus flytrap. It seems to me that eating it would take tremendous bravery, especially for a bite-size guy like Napoleon.

Yeah, maybe that why he was always away from home.

[TracyCoxx]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

Why do people make fun of France as regards cowardice?

To find out, google 'French military victories'. The first entry will pull up 'French military defeats'.

[randolph]

Originally Posted by TracyCoxx

To find out, google 'French military victories'. The first entry will pull up 'French military defeats'.

Well, Napoleon beat the shit out of every European army for years. The French army was unbeatable under his direction. He probably would have won at Waterloo if he was feeling better. The French duked it out in WWI with the Germans. Also the French Foreign legion was known for being a tough outfit. The French underground performed admirably during WWII.
Oh by the way, the Normans beat the English and took over the country.

[smc]

All the discussion of the French and surrenders above reminded me today of a joke a friend of mine in Munich told me years ago:

Why are there so many tree-lined streets and leafy lanes in France?

Germans like to march in the shade.