# Sure, freedom fries were kind of lame. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 21, 2003, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-freedom-fries-were-kind-of-lame/162970 "2003-03-21T02:27:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Fang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/96bed5/32.png) [@Fang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fang)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 5:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-freedom-fries-were-kind-of-lame/162970/21 "2003-03-21T05:50:07Z")
See, the truth is, you have to understand the _root causes_ behind the vandalism. Now I don’t mean to condone it, but these things don’t just happen in a vacuum. The French have clearly felt so oppressed and marginalized by our imperialistic renaming of their food that they had no other choice but to attack the McDonald’s. I mean, imagine if they called American cheese “social welfare cheese” - how would you feel? In the future, if we want to prevent this sort of attack, we should enact policies which are not so culturally insensitive. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-freedom-fries-were-kind-of-lame/162970/22 "2003-03-21T05:57:46Z")
Oddly enough, I’ve heard American cheese referred to as just plain “welfare cheese” more than once. ---
**Author:** ![Medea\_s\_Child](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8baadc/32.png) [@Medea\_s\_Child](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Medea_s_Child)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-freedom-fries-were-kind-of-lame/162970/23 "2003-03-21T12:19:52Z")
My chior gave out welfare cheese as an underachiever award. Yea, my chior had its not so PC moments. And the fredom fries thing is really dumb, I could understand if France were actualy our enemy in this. (no, even then it’d be silly, just more logical) But they aren’t, they’re just bystanders who have expressed an opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Muffin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muffin/32/4341_2.png) [@Muffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Muffin)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-freedom-fries-were-kind-of-lame/162970/24 "2003-03-21T12:49:13Z")
> **[MSNBC News - Breaking News and News Today | Latest News](https://www.msnbc.com/)** > > MSNBC breaking news and the latest news for today. Get daily news from local news reporters and world news updates with live audio & video from our team. ---
**Author:** ![Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 21, 2003, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-freedom-fries-were-kind-of-lame/162970/25 "2003-03-21T12:59:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by andygirl \* > \*\*I saw our local MacDonald’s sign advertise a “quarter pounder with freedom fries.” I have to admit that I find this to be ridiculous and distasteful. I mean, what the fuck, is it considered more patriotic if you supersize? \*\* Could you alter the sign to take the “dom” off? Hell, I’d go get some if they’re giving them away. Except my cholesterol is already too high. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Mudd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f14d63/32.png) [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2003, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-freedom-fries-were-kind-of-lame/162970/26 "2003-03-23T22:22:44Z")
> [@](#): > > …but at least we didn’t attack French based businesses. As far as isolated idiots are concerned, I think the French would have to put theirs on double-duty to catch up: \*\* [Vandals target French Cleaners](http://www.modbee.com/local/story/6411239p-7356678c.html)\*\* > [@](#): > > Fire destroyed the French Cleaners in Modesto early Wednesday, and later that morning the owners discovered obscene graffiti at their Turlock store and pellet holes in a window of the Ceres store.The destruction and damage came on the eve of the U.S.-led attack on Iraq, for which the United States tried and failed to get French support at the United Nations. > > […] > > “The media were all over the French, with the french fries and the ‘freedom’ bread,” said Pierre Frik, who owns and operates French Cleaners with his wife, Samira. > Frik, who became a U.S. citizen after immigrating from Lebanon in 1977, is Assyrian, not French. He and his wife opened their trio of French Cleaners stores in January 2002, and chose an Eiffel Tower logo to go with the name. Sucks to be an middle-eastern with a “French” sounding business-name-- Good for double-points from xenophobic thugs. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-freedom-fries-were-kind-of-lame/162970/27 "2003-03-24T06:55:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Neurotik \* > \*\*More importantly, what’s the French word? \*\* Okay, one of us was just whooshed. Was it you or me? ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-freedom-fries-were-kind-of-lame/162970/28 "2003-03-24T08:03:40Z")
French fries will always be French fries, as with French roast coffee, French letters and French toast. This does not prevent the French government from being craven, sniveling, retarded, protectionist, disloyal and cowardly morons, it merely means that fine California wine will now sell like hotcakes. Any questions? ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-freedom-fries-were-kind-of-lame/162970/29 "2003-03-24T08:06:36Z")
Why not just call them “chips” you mad overseas lot? :):)🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kitfox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f6c823/32.png) [@Kitfox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kitfox)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-freedom-fries-were-kind-of-lame/162970/30 "2003-03-24T08:47:17Z")
'Cause then we’d have to call chips “crisps” and offer them in flavors like “prawn cocktail” and “liver and onions”, and I just don’t see that happening… And so what if the French burn a McDonald’s, they’ll never get rid of them. Damn things are worse then cockroaches… ---
**Author:** ![ctr22](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7bcc69/32.png) [@ctr22](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ctr22)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 10:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-freedom-fries-were-kind-of-lame/162970/31 "2003-03-24T10:38:21Z")
Hey muffin, what does your link have to do with french fries or McDonalds? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-freedom-fries-were-kind-of-lame/162970/32 "2003-03-24T10:53:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Larry Mudd \* > \*\*[Tens of thousands in French anti-war demo outside Paris US embassy](http://www.spacewar.com/2003/030320212617.hn7pepkr.html)It only takes a coupla yahoos to spoil things. > > What’s newspeak for ‘provocateur?’ \*\* This happened in Dublin, Ireland, too. A thousand people protested on Thursday evening, and rocks were thrown at the embassy windows. Haven’t seen the US media jumping on that, though. ---
**Author:** ![Mnementh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mnementh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mnementh)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-freedom-fries-were-kind-of-lame/162970/33 "2003-03-24T13:14:58Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\*This happened in Dublin, Ireland, too. A thousand people protested on Thursday evening, and rocks were thrown at the embassy windows. Haven’t seen the US media jumping on that, though. \*\* Isn’t that a bit different, though? I mean, if you’re hurling rocks at an embassy representing a certain country, you’re expressing your displeasure with the agency that officially represents that country. Not just a highly recognisable brand name which happens to come from that country. Not that I like either, really, but it makes a lot more sense to me to be going after a government office than a restaurant. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-freedom-fries-were-kind-of-lame/162970/34 "2003-03-24T13:31:14Z")
**Mnementh** - I was referring to **Larry Mudd’s** link about the Embassy protest - see my post and Larry’s link. ---
**Author:** ![curly\_chick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@curly\_chick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/curly_chick)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-freedom-fries-were-kind-of-lame/162970/35 "2003-03-24T14:16:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\*This happened in Dublin, Ireland, too. A thousand people protested on Thursday evening, and rocks were thrown at the embassy windows. Haven’t seen the US media jumping on that, though. \*\* Which embassy were the rocks thrown at jjimm? The French or the American? ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-freedom-fries-were-kind-of-lame/162970/36 "2003-03-24T14:54:21Z")
The American embassy, according to Newstalk 106, live on the scene. ---
**Author:** ![Short](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Short](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Short)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-freedom-fries-were-kind-of-lame/162970/37 "2003-03-24T18:57:50Z")
French’s Mustard is still [a-okay](http://www.bhgpr.com/release.cfm?prelease=398), thank god. The sudden patriotic rage against the French and Germans rivals Duct Tape mania as the most surreal aspect of the war. ---
**Author:** ![Demise](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/34f0e0/32.png) [@Demise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demise)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-freedom-fries-were-kind-of-lame/162970/38 "2003-03-24T19:27:20Z")
It’s obviously becoming a [French tradition](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/812995.stm) to [assault McDonald’s](http://edition.cnn.com/2000/WORLD/europe/04/19/france.explosion.02/). ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-freedom-fries-were-kind-of-lame/162970/39 "2003-03-24T19:56:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zenster \* > \*\*it merely means that fine California wine will now sell like hotcakes. > \*\* [Mmmmm, California wines](http://www.winespectator.com/Wine/Main/Feature_Basic_Template/0,1197,1586,00.html) ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2003, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-freedom-fries-were-kind-of-lame/162970/40 "2003-03-24T19:58:22Z")
From your second cite, **Demise** … > [@](#): > > No one claimed responsibility, but police were said to be looking at the Breton Revolutionary Army, a small, separatist group that favors independence for the Brittany region. In other words, the BRA wants independance for Brittany. Undergarments and pop culture aside, France has got some issues. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-freedom-fries-were-kind-of-lame/162970.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sure-freedom-fries-were-kind-of-lame/162970.md?page=3)