Are you actually living in FRANCE? - Reader comments at The New York Sun

Reader comment on:
McDonald's Takes Paris
in response to reader comment: Europe's political elite is pro-US

Submitted by Valerie, Jul 15, 2007 13:02

Wow. I don't know how you've come to interpret things the way you have, but what you describe is not the France I'm living in. On the contrary, ANTI-Americanism is pervasive at school, in the media and in the home. Even the exams that high-schoolers here are given at the end of high school are full of essay questions that are decidedly NOT pro-American. And blatantly so. Subtlety, thy name is not French.

Btw, the English language is not an American monopoly. And using an occasional word of English in today's world is far from 'promoting' America. The British happen to be right next door, you know... Americans use French words all the time. As do the British. Get over it.

And as for French TV/media preferring to 'propagate mass ignorance'... Do you mean that they do so by showing American-made programs? How do 'Friends' and 'CSI' cause people to be idiots? I'm not a big fan of either but they certainly are better than 'Sous le soleil' and 'Cordier et fils'.

If anything, without the American programs, there wouldn't be a lot to watch. French-made series are, let's be frank, very often low quality in both writing and acting. Look at the recent summer soap opera 'Mystère'... What a load of hogwash it is! X-Files on a bad day was about 1000 times better. Be honest.

French TV has a lot of debate shows. All Left-leaning and all pro-Socialist. Not a lot of real debate, in fact. What does THAT propagate? People who, until Sarkozy, were no longer willing to think past their own gallic nose.

And people who seek in whatever way they can to blame someone for anything they are unhappy about. Odd how that 'someone' very often turns out to be...American.

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Other reader comments on this article

Comment	By	Date
I love McDonalds it is the best fast food restuarnt in the world!!!!!!!!!!!! [MORE]	Ashley	Dec 12, 2007 13:46
Because I live here, and because I was raised in New York, I find myself forraging about for traces of... [MORE]	MATTHEW ROSE	Jul 12, 2007 04:57
i want the characteristics of mcdonalds company [MORE]	ell	Jul 10, 2007 00:49
This line about a Munich, Germany, McDonald's pretty much indicates what is happening to Germany as well as to Western... [MORE]	Bob J.	Jul 6, 2007 20:25
Editor: If you think the French "love" McDonald's you obviously have spent very little time in France. [MORE]	Daniel Guenzel	Jul 6, 2007 10:06
This is not surprising since pro-Americanism is forced upon Europeans nowadays from about kindergarten years, or even before. The situation... [MORE]	Alphysicist	Jul 6, 2007 05:31
Wow. I don't know how you've come to interpret things the way you have, but what you describe is not...	Valerie	Jul 15, 2007 13:02
Easy to understand. They are providing food that appeals to local people rather than the same old plan developed in... [MORE]	Frank	Jul 4, 2007 01:23
I am really surprised at the increase in sales. The local Mickey D's has gotten my order wrong 11 out... [MORE]	bikerbob	Sep 26, 2007 18:42
On-target about the food, which has done well in many parts of France (and there are local French restaurant chains,... [MORE]	Michael	Jul 3, 2007 14:11
On the article in general, I did find it very interesting if not a little worrisome that France, a stalwart... [MORE]	Matt	Jul 4, 2007 02:55
Consumerization. Capitalization. Market saturation. Fast-food nation. Not much romantic about lines of sweaty Americans herded in like cattle at the... [MORE]	Kyle	Jul 6, 2007 08:10
You honestly want to try to make other people believe that you've never been on the receiving end of French... [MORE]	Valerie	Jul 15, 2007 12:48
...but then, 35+ years would be a long time for pure luck alone to hold up. I don't expect to... [MORE]	Michael	Jul 15, 2007 17:23
Well, thanks for that answer. You've been living a charmed life. And, no, my personal experience won't be changing until I... [MORE]	Valerie	Jul 16, 2007 13:11
Will McDonald's Inc. please makeover the restaurants in the United States. The garish red and yellow monstrosities that pollute the... [MORE]	Don Elote	Jul 3, 2007 10:08
Which is it? [MORE]	Machida1	Jul 4, 2007 13:32