Swiss newspaper accuses French people of being lazy, arrogant and always complaining

I'm glad that my friends and I are the only people who've ever experienced rudeness from the cheerful, friendly, industrious French. Perhaps our experiences weren't typical, but it's odd that there seems to be a general stereotype that French waiters and retail staff are rude. I wonder how that idea ever got started?

Goodness, is everyone in a bad mood? Is this sarcasm directed at me?

Yes, indeed there seems to be a stereotype that French waiters and retail staff are rude. It is particularly prevalent in English speaking countries, which is suggestive in and of itself. Perhaps your experiences and those of your friends reinforce that stereotype in your mind...fair enough.

Does that mean that those of us who have not experienced anything other than the occasional rudeness, which can happen anywhere, are not entitled to relate our own experiences and feelings about the matter? Why does that necessitate a snide, passive aggressive response? Unless you prefer to discuss things only in an echo chamber?

I thought, mistakenly, it seems, that one could have a rational discussion of why certain people have better experiences than others...why, perhaps, people from certain countries might be treated differently, which could partly be due to the fact that the French think stereotypically themselves, and have negative stereotypes about people from Britain or the other English speaking countries, for example. Or negative stereotypes about neighbors like the Belgians, for example, who they notoriously ridicule as being country bumpkins who speak a decidedly sub-par French.

I also thought it might be interesting to speculate that people from similar cultures, who behave and speak in similar ways and have similar values, might have a more pleasant experience. Without ever being rude or boorish, a tourist who thinks that finding airplane food highly objectionable makes one a "food snob", might be apt to transmit that rather condescending, dismissive attitude, which would hardly be likely to endear him or her to the natives.

Also, although I couldn't be further from a New Age type, I do think you get back a lot of what you put out. If you project openness and friendliness, you're much more likely to get it back, in my experience.

As for cheerfulness, I don't believe I ever said that I find the French to be a particularly cheerful bunch. In fact, without giving offense I hope, I posted somewhere a famous quote to the effect that the French could be seen as Italians who are in a perpetual bad mood. I personally find their affect bracing and stimulating, but to each their own.

Finally, I am more than *tired* of this *tired* stereotype of how little the French work compared to the Germans, for example. People should look up the statistics instead of relying on the same old ideas. Last time I checked, the whole continent is on a thirty five hour work week, and takes incredibly long vacations. When I have had occasion to call the French or the Germans or the Italians on business during what I consider normal working hours, (five thirty or six o'clock their time, say on a week-night), they are ALL long gone, and I'm not talking about union employees, or government workers...I'm talking about attorneys, marketing people etc. You wouldn't go far here if you scooted out the door at 5PM. North America is an entirely different universe in this regard. The British were usually around when you needed them too, and people from the far east as well.
 
No, Angela, no need to be defensive because the remark wasn't directed at you. I think someone needs a hug. LOL.
 
I'm glad that my friends and I are the only people who've ever experienced rudeness from the cheerful, friendly, industrious French. Perhaps our experiences weren't typical, but it's odd that there seems to be a general stereotype that French waiters and retail staff are rude. I wonder how that idea ever got started?

My trip to France had its limits so I still could have missed a lot of course.
My experiences are meant to be subjective, which were mildly positive and I thought it can be explained by certain 'tricks' I used to encourage friendlyness. I also didn't say that the french were especially friendly, mostly that I had no negative experiences. I was in the south-west. My german friends with whom I spoke about journeys to France most of them judged their personal experiences also very neutrally, but also nobody was particularly excited. But there were one or two who were very negative and it is possible that a few additional others just had no chance to say anything negative. It was very helpful that several people advised me to be careful when talking in english, and I think they were right, it worked for me when I showed my concern. I speculate that there might be a certain grudge against english-speaking peoples because it was not long ago when the language of the 'Grande Nation' was on par with english in the world but now it has lost it's status.
 
My trip to France had its limits so I still could have missed a lot of course.
My experiences are meant to be subjective, which were mildly positive and I thought it can be explained by certain 'tricks' I used to encourage friendlyness. I also didn't say that the french were especially friendly, mostly that I had no negative experiences. I was in the south-west. My german friends with whom I spoke about journeys to France most of them judged their personal experiences also very neutrally, but also nobody was particularly excited. But there were one or two who were very negative and it is possible that a few additional others just had no chance to say anything negative. It was very helpful that several people advised me to be careful when talking in english, and I think they were right, it worked for me when I showed my concern. I speculate that there might be a certain grudge against english-speaking peoples because it was not long ago when the language of the 'Grande Nation' was on par with english in the world but now it has lost it's status.

Now that I think of it, most of the bad experiences my friends and I have had were in Paris. People in other parts of France were more polite, although not always friendly. But I think you're right - English is not as well received in France as some other languages are. And Parisian French seem to react even worse to Canadian French accents than to English, which wasn't the case in other parts of France.
 
In my experience, French people have been very kind, friendly, and nice. I have never met an arrogant, nasty, or rude French person yet.

For example, a couple of months ago, I was shopping at a grocery store (Whole Foods, it's one of those natural and organic stores), and I was in the cheese section, and I was looking at some Brie, and I asked this dude, "Have you ever tried this?", and he said "Oh yes, it is very good cheese." Then he proceeded to ask me if I ate the wax on the Brie, and I told him no. And he said "The rind is like the skin of the cheese, like apple has skin, cheese has skin." Then he said, "Do you throw out the rind of Parmigiano-Reggiano or Gruyére?" I said that I usually did. And he told me "If you put the rind in the microwave for, like a few seconds it will become like a puff, and it is a very delicious puff." I never knew this, and I was very happy to find this out. I said thank you, and goodbye, and I went on with my shopping.

I have recently bought a microwave, and I have some of both of those cheeses, so I think I will try it.

Anyway, I have only had good experiences with French people far, and I have found them to be very nice. (Though the Frenchman I met at the store's breath smelled like smelly cheese and coffee, horrible breath) But other than that, nice guy, and only good experiences so far.

I don't know where all these people find or meet these nasty French people, but I have not yet.
 
Now that I think of it, most of the bad experiences my friends and I have had were in Paris. People in other parts of France were more polite, although not always friendly. But I think you're right - English is not as well received in France as some other languages are. And Parisian French seem to react even worse to Canadian French accents than to English, which wasn't the case in other parts of France.

this is strange !
I think that it is your feeling and not that of all the German; but what you wait; that people who do not know you embrace you? you thought be waited impatiently?
If you want so, you will have to take the hotel luxury hotel and it will be in all countries and even your there so.
 
No, Angela, no need to be defensive because the remark wasn't directed at you. I think someone needs a hug. LOL.

My feathers were definitely ruffled...you just happened to be in my sights...sorry.

I could have used a hug, but a visit to the gym, followed by the purchase of a new pair of shoes, has put everything to rights!:grin:
 

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