# Are there lots of mimes in France? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 26, 2014, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-lots-of-mimes-in-france/699594 "2014-09-26T04:28:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-lots-of-mimes-in-france/699594/1 "2014-09-26T04:28:24Z")
In pop culture, any depiction of a stereotypical French scene is sure to feature a mime dressed in black pants and red-and-white striped shirt. How accurate is this? Is France really infested with mimes? ---
**Author:** ![ricksummon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ricksummon/32/3333_2.png) [@ricksummon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricksummon)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-lots-of-mimes-in-france/699594/2 "2014-09-26T04:44:54Z")
I believe it’s just a reference to the famous French mime [Marcel Marceau.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcel_Marceau) ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-lots-of-mimes-in-france/699594/3 "2014-09-26T04:51:36Z")
not the way i hear it. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-lots-of-mimes-in-france/699594/4 "2014-09-26T04:54:28Z")
I’ve been to France twice. The first time in the 80’s, the second time this past May. Neither time did I see any. We spent 8 days in Paris alone this last time, and while there were street performers I didn’t see a single mime. Perhaps they knew I was coming and hid? 'Cause I hate me some [fucking lame ass mimes!!!](http://www.thebestpageintheuniverse.net/images/mimes1.jpg):mad: ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-lots-of-mimes-in-france/699594/5 "2014-09-26T06:22:00Z")
Nope. No berets, no striped shirts, no onion necklaces nor Jerry Lewis fans either. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-lots-of-mimes-in-france/699594/6 "2014-09-26T06:36:56Z")
That’s kind of disappointing, like going to Canada and not seeing any polar bears. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-lots-of-mimes-in-france/699594/7 "2014-09-26T06:46:14Z")
I’m in France right now. We didn’t see any mimes, but there sure are plenty of scam artists! (Google “dropped ring”) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-lots-of-mimes-in-france/699594/8 "2014-09-26T07:01:00Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Nope. No berets, no striped shirts, no onion necklaces nor Jerry Lewis fans either. [Onion Johnnies](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onion_Johnny) are a Breton thing, not the whole of France - and they still exist, although largely as a preserved tradition now. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-lots-of-mimes-in-france/699594/9 "2014-09-26T14:32:09Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > [Onion Johnnies](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Onion_Johnny) are a Breton thing, not the whole of France - and they still exist, although largely as a preserved tradition now. I didn’t know some were still around ! That’s actually kinda cool. But yes, they _were_ a thing, like berets, Edith Piaf or extra-thin cigarettes, that were common or popular in the mid-40s when Yanks came as a big wave of tourists all up northern France to enjoy our sunny, mined beaches. So they naturally brought those stories with them back to the US, building a stereotype that endures to this day even though France has obviously changed a lot since then - y’all just didn’t get the developer’s patches :D. One stereotype that still is somewhat true however : accordions might just be played at you in Paris, in the subways and around Montmartre especially. But there again it’s mostly a dying generation of dudes surviving from the 50s-60s-70s when _la java_ and _les bals populaires_ were still a thing. Younger buskers mostly play the violin or guitar these days. Easier to learn, doesn’t sound like a _casus belli_. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-lots-of-mimes-in-france/699594/10 "2014-09-26T15:05:15Z")
In Belgium, a few years ago, there did seem to be an excessive number of living statues - that is people made up to look like statues and trying to extract money from tourists for having their photo’s taken. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-lots-of-mimes-in-france/699594/11 "2014-09-26T16:03:21Z")
> [@ricksummon](#): > > I believe it’s just a reference to the famous French mime [Marcel Marceau.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marcel_Marceau) Yes, this. Marcel Marceau was by far the most famous mime that there has ever been. Very possibly he was the only person ever to be significantly famous as a mime. Many other mimes imitate him. He happened to be French. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-lots-of-mimes-in-france/699594/12 "2014-09-26T16:36:29Z")
> [@johnpost](#): > > not the way i hear it. For the win 😉 ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-lots-of-mimes-in-france/699594/13 "2014-09-26T17:05:45Z")
Well other posters have made the point, but my answer to the question would be, “No, there [was] one mime in France, and his name was Marcel Marceau.” Although Marceau was certainly the most famous, I would argue that [Shields and Yarnell](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shields_and_Yarnell) also qualify as famous mimes. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-lots-of-mimes-in-france/699594/14 "2014-09-26T17:13:53Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Very possibly he was the only person ever to be significantly famous as a mime. Indeed. Mimes had always struggled getting their grievances heard by the public at large. Marceau was their voice and acted as their loudspeaker all over the world. He did a lot to further the mimes’ freedom of speech. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-lots-of-mimes-in-france/699594/15 "2014-09-26T17:34:43Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > Indeed. Mimes had always struggled getting their grievances heard by the public at large. Marceau was their voice and acted as their loudspeaker all over the world. He did a lot to further the mimes’ freedom of speech. The mimes were always at odds with The Oral Majority. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2014, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-lots-of-mimes-in-france/699594/16 "2014-09-26T23:38:25Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Yes, this. Marcel Marceau was by far the most famous mime that there has ever been. Very possibly he was the only person ever to be significantly famous as a mime. Many other mimes imitate him. He happened to be French. Marceau is the most famous modern mime, but he drew on a French tradition of mime going back a long way. The classic French film _Children of Paradise_ in large part revolves around a character based on the famous mime [Jean-Gaspard Deburau](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Gaspard_Deburau), known as Baptiste, of the 1820s-1840s. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-lots-of-mimes-in-france/699594/17 "2014-09-27T00:31:51Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > In Belgium, a few years ago, there did seem to be an excessive number of living statues - that is people made up to look like statues and trying to extract money from tourists for having their photo’s taken. They plague Chicago, as well. I’m guessing they’re Cybermen, and that they have infiltrated every large city. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-lots-of-mimes-in-france/699594/18 "2014-09-27T00:36:30Z")
> [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](#): > > They plague Chicago, as well. I’m guessing they’re Cybermen, and that they have infiltrated every large city. Where are you seeing all these? I’ve never seen one. ---
**Author:** ![JWT\_Kottekoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@JWT\_Kottekoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JWT_Kottekoe)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-lots-of-mimes-in-france/699594/19 "2014-09-27T01:41:53Z")
[Obligatory mime scene](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2o0mcPhKSU) from Tootsie. ---
**Author:** ![Ranger\_Jeff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranger_jeff/32/2065_2.png) [@Ranger\_Jeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranger_Jeff)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2014, 12:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-lots-of-mimes-in-france/699594/20 "2014-09-27T12:02:04Z")
Did you look for them in french scorpion pits? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-there-lots-of-mimes-in-france/699594.md?page=2)