# Enough with the Francophobia! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 1, 2003, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-francophobia/158341 "2003-03-01T05:40:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![red\_dragon60](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@red\_dragon60](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/red_dragon60)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-francophobia/158341/1 "2003-03-01T05:40:52Z")
Look, I harbor no real love for the French. Hell, I even chuckle when Groundskeeper Willie calls them “Cheese-eating surrender monkeys.” But this jingoistic random French hate in the name of patriotism has got to stop. Okay, the French don’t back our war with Iraq. Why single them out? The Germans even more radically oppose it, but we don’t call Heineken “Victory Beer”. Oh yeah, the Germans did that killing thing a long time ago, and the French did that surrender thing a long time ago. Yes, the French did get beaten in two world wars. They did not give up without a fight though. Resistance fighters got thousands of our fliers back to safe shores, and the French Foreign Legion is a storied and courageous group that NEVER surrendered. In fact, we owe a lot of our freedoms as a country to France. They were the first to recognize us as a country and gave us vital aid in the Revolutionary War, as well as trading with us when Britain blocked us after the war. Yes, the same Frenchies you make fun of are the ones who saved your asses from having to drink tea today. These stories about store owners pouring out their French wines and renaming french fries as Freedom Fries is over the top. It seems that the quickest way to get a laugh these days is to make fun of the French. Guess what kiddos! I heard those jokes four years ago and they weren’t funny THEN! Yes, the French have some weird laws and policies, but making fun of them for being arrogant and elitist makes your country look the same. Non-Americans, please don’t think that we’re all like this. ---
**Author:** ![CuriousCanuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@CuriousCanuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CuriousCanuck)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-francophobia/158341/2 "2003-03-01T05:56:27Z")
Hear hear!!! I love France, the French, and people in general. And FTR if no one wants French wine in their cellars anymore, please send it here… Email me and I’ll take it all off your hands. ---
**Author:** ![Eternal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@Eternal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eternal)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-francophobia/158341/3 "2003-03-01T06:02:13Z")
I mostly don’t like French people, but it’s hard not to admire France as a state. It’s easy to forget that at one time they WERE the chief military power in Europe. Louis XIV never surrendered, even in the face of having no reason to go to war, he still chose to fought. But that’s why I think France and Germany are so resistant to military force now, their histories are littered with wars that cose their nations greatly. Americans should at least try to identify with them with this in mind. ---
**Author:** ![Eternal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ecb155/32.png) [@Eternal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eternal)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-francophobia/158341/4 "2003-03-01T06:03:22Z")
cose = cost ---
**Author:** ![New\_Improved\_Scott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f17d59/32.png) [@New\_Improved\_Scott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/New_Improved_Scott)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-francophobia/158341/5 "2003-03-01T08:15:16Z")
The French played a key role in the Amercan war of independance. Without the countless financial and military support of the french, the U.S. would never have won it’s independance, and would be no better off than Canada… Wait… Now I get all the French bashing. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-francophobia/158341/6 "2003-03-01T08:43:28Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by red\_dragon60 \* > \*\*Okay, the French don’t back our war with Iraq. Why single them out? The Germans even more radically oppose it, but we don’t call Heineken “Victory Beer”. > > * * * > > They were the first to recognize us as a country and gave us vital aid in the Revolutionary War, as well as trading with us when Britain blocked us after the war. \*\* I’ll save **Coldfire** the trouble and point out that Heineken is brewed in the Netherlands, which also was the first nation to recognize the U.S. as an independent nation. ---
**Author:** ![Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Random)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-francophobia/158341/7 "2003-03-01T08:45:08Z")
On reflection, I’m not sure **Coldfire** would want to take credit for Heineken. If so, my apologies. ---
**Author:** ![Truth\_Seeker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5fc32e/32.png) [@Truth\_Seeker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Truth_Seeker)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-francophobia/158341/8 "2003-03-01T08:54:53Z")
All this French bashing isn’t really the Americans’ fault, they have no choice. America needs British support and Tony Blair drives a hard bargain. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-francophobia/158341/9 "2003-03-01T09:11:46Z")
Huh? Not our fault? How so? I’m glad to see someone else tired on bashing the French. ---
**Author:** ![Daerlyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Daerlyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daerlyn)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-francophobia/158341/10 "2003-03-01T09:14:19Z")
IMHO, the French (and the Germans, for that matter), are just people like any other people, including, I believe, a fair number of Americans who believe that there are better ways to wage war on terrorism than bombing the shit out of Iraq. _shouts down States-wise_ Chill, guys. Just chill. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 9:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-francophobia/158341/11 "2003-03-01T09:29:51Z")
I like their fries and their toast. ---
**Author:** ![Xploder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/a183cd/32.png) [@Xploder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xploder)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 10:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-francophobia/158341/12 "2003-03-01T10:16:04Z")
Loved the fries. Hated the toast. ---
**Author:** ![Fox\_in\_the\_Snow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/82dd89/32.png) [@Fox\_in\_the\_Snow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fox_in_the_Snow)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-francophobia/158341/13 "2003-03-01T12:04:35Z")
[nitpick] > [@](#): > > Yes, the French did get beaten in two world wars. Actually they were only beaten in the second encounter. Though I suppose 1918 was pretty damn close to being a Pyrrhic victory. [/nitpick] Apart from that your pretty much spot on. ---
**Author:** ![Shade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2bfe46/32.png) [@Shade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shade)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-francophobia/158341/14 "2003-03-01T12:29:53Z")
Francophobia? How can you be afraid of someone who surrenders more often than a bodice-ripper heroine? Seriously, I take the piss out of all countries, (including my own, England) but france just gets noticed almost as much as America 😛 ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-francophobia/158341/15 "2003-03-01T12:47:53Z")
Good OP. I’ve noticed the France bashing and it’s left a sour taste in my mouth in regard to the whole board. It seems that many members are willing to reject prejudice until a bandwagon comes along that is safe to jump upon. This is the board where i’ve seen so many people post that it was here that they realised that anti-americanism is bunk - not every American is a big fat Springer watching idiot who doesn’t understand irony, and thinks that as long as he has his gun the rest of the world can go to hell. Then I see post after pointless post denigrating the French with stereotypes of the exact same idiocy that characterises these anti-amaricanist rants. It’s not funny; it’s just ugly, and I wish that you’d all get over it\*. \*Obviously, my post is directed at only those who engage in and continue the France-bashing. It was just bewildering to me that I could find such shite on the same board where members are quick to jump on those peddling hatred of other forms, whether it is of gay people, black people, the religious, Americans or even - gasp - Republicans. ---
**Author:** ![Slip\_Mahoney](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@Slip\_Mahoney](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slip_Mahoney)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-francophobia/158341/16 "2003-03-01T14:17:50Z")
Fuck the French. This thread is closed. ---
**Author:** ![CuriousCanuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@CuriousCanuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CuriousCanuck)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-francophobia/158341/17 "2003-03-01T14:29:40Z")
Fuck you Slip Mahoney. Waste of good water you are. ---
**Author:** ![Slip\_Mahoney](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47774/32.png) [@Slip\_Mahoney](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slip_Mahoney)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-francophobia/158341/18 "2003-03-01T14:35:40Z")
Heh. ---
**Author:** ![UncleBill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d26b3c/32.png) [@UncleBill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBill)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-francophobia/158341/19 "2003-03-01T17:31:12Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by red\_dragon60 \* > **Enough with the Francophobia!** I’m not afraid of them at all. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2003, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-francophobia/158341/20 "2003-03-01T18:32:43Z")
Yes, Heineken is Dutch, and if you wanna call it Victory Beer, that’s fine with me. I avoid it if possible anyway. 🙂 Other than that, good OP. I’m not sure Francophobia is the right word, but the French-bashing certainly has been a tad rich as of late. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/enough-with-the-francophobia/158341.md?page=2)