French Rudeness

Call this a case of a stereotype coming true, well sort of. France's foreign minister, Laurent Fabius, hears about that French are rude thing often, about "acting French". In a tongue in cheek answer to the famous French rudeness to foreigners, he has just announced a new tourism goal and a new tourism investment fund for France that will come with a humorous ad campaign and with the simple suggestion that maybe French citizens could start being a little less, well, French to tourists.

Hmmmm Many who have visited France have experienced a rudeness, particularly in Paris. But I suspect it isn't really rudeness. It's more smugness with self or just a feeling that "We French are superior" to outsiders.  Nothing bad there. Every culture has a personality. Americans can be condescending, for example. But Rude Minister...err..I mean Minister Fabius understands that France is as legendary for its rudeness as it is for its wines and cheeses, and he’d like everyone to do their part to downplay that stereotype.

In his announcement Fabrius said, Tourism is a treasure that needs to be protected, nurtured and developed. We have room for improvement here. When we come up against a foreign tourist, we are all ambassadors for France."  Further he added, "And if those stinking foreigners don't like it they can ---- off!" No, no, that last line I added just to see if you were paying attention. He didn't say that. (But he was probably thinking it)

Under this initiative France will start doing what almost every other nation does for tourists.  Money will be spent to improve some of the French “tourist hot spots,” like the Gare du Nord station in central Paris, and to tell those surly border guards to say “Hello” and “Good bye” when they're stamping visitors’ passports. Oh my, that might cause a few heart attacks in the guard troops.  Money will also be spent to increase the amount of sign age in popular locations, and to translate those signs into languages other than French. Since most French actually believe their language is better than others (French delusionment), that one is going to be a painful change.

The goal is to increase an already huge tourist trade in France. But I wonder if France will be worth visiting if it loses that rude approach. We tourists expect the French to be obnoxious and too ignore us in time of need.  We Americans already tried to kill their culture by exporting Jerry Lewis, who the French singularly believe is an artist the parallel of Shakespeare. Viva Le France!