In seriousness, though, why the instant perception of insult? If an expatriate were to say to me, e.g. “the French [or the Italians] are much more civilised than the British”, I’d tend to agree with them, based on personal observation. I wouldn’t instantly interpet the comment as insulting.
I don’t have much of an opinion about her except that I cannot believe Estee Lauder replaced someone as lovely as Elizabeth Hurley with Gwyneth Paltrow for their perfume ads. IMO Paltrow doesn’t hold a candle to Hurley in the looks department. (As a bonus, it’s reported that Hurley could belch with the best of 'em. )
Clearly I’m not a European because I’m shallow as a dinner plate.
Gwyneth is offering an explanation. It seems heartfelt, and, surprisingly, I’m inclined to believe her. Here 'tis.
Thanks S.A. I had a hard time believing she actually said that.
OK, you got me. I don’t know Boston Papers, and I must have been thinking of the more respectable Globe. That said I wonder if even a tabloid would directly quote someone saying something they didn’t say. I’m not a lawyer, but ISTM that would open you up for all sorts of legal trouble.
And I appreciate Ms. Paltrow’s clarification and explanation. She’s back in my good graces. (Something I’m sure is very important to her. 
)
I’m reminded of a 19th century map one might find in a U.S. school. It listed most of the United States and western Europe as civilized, large portions of Asia and the Middle East as near civilized, large portions of Africa and Asia (Siberia/Mongolia) as uncivilized, and there were some portions of the map labelled barbarian. What the difference between barbarian and uncivilized was I don’t know.
Quite frankly, I don’t see how anyone can interpret that comment as anything other than insulting. Why would you agree that France is more “civilized” than England? What does that mean to you?
Marc
It’s disgusting how people used crap (made up crap, at that!) from a gossip rag to show what fucking “patriots” they are and talk trash about a decent fellow human being because they’re so freaking shallow they can’t think for themselves or think in anything but black and white.
I saw the excellent Shut Up and Sing for the 2nd time tonight, and was reminded of this brouhaha. Some people ought to be ashamed of themselves, because their thought processes during this truly trivial matter show a deeper, far more disturbing psychology of zenophobia and over-zealous nationalism.
“Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel” - Samuel Johnson
Standing Ovation!
What has happened the last few years that saying anything negative about America or Americans has become a death-by-hanging offense? And yet Americans seem to have few qualms about slamming anyone from anyplace else on the planet. Cripes.
Oh, I don’t know. Seems to me things actually transpired the way they should in a fair and just world.
She was either lied about or she misspoke herself while attempting to speak Spanish during a press conference. The remarks she allegedly made were insulting and inflamatory (as I’m sure many of her supporters here would agree had they been spoken by an American and aimed at some other country). She set the record straight with a believable and heartfelt explanation, this explanation was publicized, and now she’s off the hook.
I don’t see where anything at all is accomplished by trying to blame people who don’t know her for believing she might have said these things. She does have something of a record for speaking her mind in such a way as to sometimes be offensive (IIRC, she offended the British herself a while back with negative comments about British men and the weather and dirty streets of London), so it wasn’t exactly a shock for most of us to hear she had said these things. Then, when you combine that with the well-known penchant on the part of Hollywood liberals for proselytising that Europe=superior; America=inferior, it becomes even more credible that she would say these things.
But, like I said, she cleared up the misunderstanding in a gracious, credible and heartfelt way…and I, for one, think more highly of her now than I did before this whole brouhaha began.
Now, don’t you all feel ashamed of yourselves.
Here’s the CNN.com story on her clarification. What have we learned, class? Don’t give an interview in a language you’re not completely fluent in.
http://www.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/Movies/12/05/people.paltrow.reut/index.html
I would hope that the lesson would be don’t believe everything that comes out of a gossip rag just because it boosts your (general, to whom it applies) own patriotic ego to believe it. That people do deserve the benefit of the doubt, and that a lot of people know fuck all about Gweneth Paltrow but are more than willing to spew their uninformed opinions all over the place.
Sure, that’s not a bad lesson either.
Have you thought about a new user name, Equipoise?
Maybe this is a bit of a hijack, but I do get tired of going to parties, dinners, etc., and having the conversation dominated by shop talk. It isn’t surprising that groups of people gather because of a common denominator, but it seems that denominator then dominates all conversation, and usually in the form of bitching. I’ve had the experience with college faculty, grad students, journalists and lawyers – all of whom, one would think, would be capable of coversations far more erudite than the Draconian policies being handed down by the dunderheads in charge at work/school/court. If the Brits are better conversationalists than this, then my hat’s off to 'em, and I wish I could join Lady Gwyneth in merrye aulde England. At least for one good dinner party, anyway.
But more civilized? I don’t think so. (Ever read 'Heart of Darkness", Gwyn?)
No.
What, that fictional account of century-old British colonialism by a Polish American loosely based on his travels in the Belgian Congo? 
MGibson, I think on average French and Italian people (and Spanish and Greeks for that matter) have a better work/life balance than us Brits. They have a better appreciation of food. They have a better appreciation of fine arts. They can drink and appreciate fine wines without getting plastered drunk and getting into a fight. Personally I think that more civilized than us. If someone said about us what Gwyn said about you, I’d go “yeah, guess she’s right”.
What I don’t understand is why you think such a comment is an “insult”. That makes no sense, unless you consider the British way of life “less civilized” than the American - the same way I might be “insulted” if someone compared the UK to, say, Somalia. If, as I’m sure you’ll agree, you’re only “insulted” because it’s a negative comparison of equals, then can’t you agree that it’s just a matter of perception?
The above possibly negated by the withdrawal of her comment, but still.
BWAHAHAHA…
And I’ll bet that nearly all of them can properly spell Fiji, as well. Sometimes my fingers have a life of their own. 
It’s always just a matter of perception. I just happen to perceive calling another group “less civilized” to be an insult.
Marc
I disagree about the well known penhant part. I guess it depends on your definition of America=inferior.