NationStates Jolt Archive

The Paris region's tourism committee (or some such) has launched a tourism campaign, targetted mainly at the British and playing in part on our apparently legendary arrogance and, erm, lack of friendliness.

Report here (http://www.france24.com/france24Public/en/news/france.html) (select "Campaign launched to change mentalities about the French" if if doesn't come up automatically, and play video).

I've found the ad campaign's website here (http://www.cestsoparis.com). It includes an explanation of the "Parisian attitude", with a few words on French gestures (http://www.cestsoparis.com/attitude-game.php) (including unfriendly ones).

I'd be curious to know what all you foreigners think of it. :p

You French were once the greatest power in Europe under Louis XIV and you still were greatly powerful under the less then able kings. I still loved you guys during the Reign of Terror because a few heads a rolling is good, but then came Napoleon who I just liked as a military genius, but it all had to end when you guys waged another of your countless revoulions.:p

I'm not sure how seriously Parisians will take the campaign, considering how long they've been seen as rude and they're still the number one tourist destination.
Though I haven't traveled to Europe, my father did extensively. He found the French outside of Paris very friendly and accomodating.

but it all had to end when you guys waged another of your countless revoulions.:p

We do like to keep ourselves entertained. :D


I'm not sure how seriously Parisians will take the campaign

It's only being seen in Britain, I think. Which is why I was wondering what effect it might have on foreigners. "Come to Paris and we will be rude to you"?

It's only being seen in Britain, I think. Which is why I was wondering what effect it might have on foreigners. "Come to Paris and we will be rude to you"?

Works for me! I can now make the balls gesture at people and know what it means (The guide tells me to act as if i'm grabbing tennis balls...that wasn't what I was thinking, but okay) and pout just like a Parisian. :)

It's only being seen in Britain, I think. Which is why I was wondering what effect it might have on foreigners. "Come to Paris and we will be rude to you"?It hasn't hurt New York much. Is it possible people just like to travel to places to be insulted? Come to think of it, when I lived in Florida we weren't terribly polite to the tourists either. And always charged them twice as much as everyone else.

Interesting. In my experience, the stories of rude arrogant Frenchmen are vastly overexaggerated; when I was living in Paris I didn't encounter any more rude people than I would expect to find in any other large city.

I understand that they want to help tourism, but I'm not sure they'll do it by showing potential tourists the rude gestures they might encounter. How are the Parisians reacting to the ad?

You French were once the greatest power in Europe under Louis XIV and you still were greatly powerful under the less then able kings. I still loved you guys during the Reign of Terror because a few heads a rolling is good, but then came Napoleon who I just liked as a military genius, but it all had to end when you guys waged another of your countless revoulions.:p

The French are always trying to get ahead.

Does Parisian rudeness actually affect tourism to Paris?

We do like to keep ourselves entertained. :DThat is why I started the American Revolution, who do you think persuaded the French to join it.:p

Thinking of it, if people knew who I really was I might be ruined.

List of Revolutions and Attacks Started:
Roman Civil War
Inioan Revolt Against the Persians
Third Servile War
Barbarain Attacks on Rome
Vikings Raids
Mongol Empire
Mughal Invansions
Defeated the Spanish Aramda
Japanese Civil War before the Rise of the Edo Shogunate
American Revolution
First French Revolution
It just goes on and on:p

Works for me! I can now make the balls gesture at people and know what it means (The guide tells me to act as if i'm grabbing tennis balls...that wasn't what I was thinking, but okay)

The guide was just being polite. Everyone knows what it really means. ;)

Is it possible people just like to travel to places to be insulted?

That seems to be the logical conclusion, yes.


I understand that they want to help tourism, but I'm not sure they'll do it by showing potential tourists the rude gestures they might encounter. How are the Parisians reacting to the ad?

Well since it's aimed at foreign audiences, it's not being shown in Paris itself. I don't really know; I live just outside Paris myself (although I was born there).


Does Parisian rudeness actually affect tourism to Paris?

Not in the slightest. France is still the n°1 tourist destination in the world. Hence my pondering...

Maybe they want to market rudeness as a typically quaint local attribute, something foreigners can look forward to when they encounter the natives? Perhaps soon we'll have adverts with images of an angry Parisian in a béret shouting at foreigners and waving a baguette around threateningly. :D


That is why I started the American Revolution, who do you think persuaded the French to join it.

I don't think we needed any incentive other than pissing off the Brits. :p

Not in the slightest. France is still the n°1 tourist destination in the world. Hence my pondering...

Maybe they want to market rudeness as a typically quaint local attribute, something foreigners can look forward to when they encounter the natives? Perhaps soon we'll have adverts with images of an angry Parisian in a béret shouting at foreigners and waving a baguette around threateningly. :D

I didn't think so.

BTW, about the website with the Parisian gestures, the "Gallic Shrug" is pretty much the standard shrug for most of the world...

The guide was just being polite.

How very unbefitting. ;)

How very unbefitting. ;)

I know. Really spoils our image. :p

I didn't think so.

BTW, about the website with the Parisian gestures, the "Gallic Shrug" is pretty much the standard shrug for most of the world...

Aren't practically all those gestures (except the "get out" one) known and used in at least the western culture?

Whats the point?

I always find it funny watching non Franco-phones makes arses out of themselves in Paris....:)

Almost all of the hand signals on that link are pretty standart. Galic shrug? Everyone does that.

Anyway, the french I´ve met were quite weird. They are more theatrical than other people.

But nothing can beat a cute french girl speaking english with that cute acent.

Whats the point?

I always find it funny watching non Franco-phones makes arses out of themselves in Paris....:)
I once saw a British couple try to order mashed potato in a fancy Parisian restaurant. The best French they had was Pomme de Terre 'Boom Boom'!

Hilarious.:D

I once saw a British couple try to order mashed potato in a fancy Parisian restaurant. The best French they had was Pomme de Terre 'Boom Boom'!

Hilarious.:D

:D

I can't quite beat that, but I did see an American family ask for "les chips de freedom" in Mont St. Michel. Priceless....:D

I love Paris, and always feel like home there.

People who find Parisians rude are sissies who don't know how the city works and also deserve being met with rudeness.

I once saw a British couple try to order mashed potato in a fancy Parisian restaurant. The best French they had was Pomme de Terre 'Boom Boom'!



I can't quite beat that, but I did see an American family ask for "les chips de freedom" in Mont St. Michel.

Brilliant! I'd have liked to see that.

:D

I can't quite beat that, but I did see an American family ask for "les chips de freedom" in Mont St. Michel. Priceless....:D
:D Indeed!

I love Paris, and always feel like home there.

People who find Parisians rude are sissies who don't know how the city works and also deserve being met with rudeness.

Everybody in France hate Parisians, except in Paris. They are arrogant, ignorant about everything that doesn't concern themselves, and looks like they're gay. They give the French a bad name, and I can't forgive them.

... but as I often hear on French TV (which is located in Paris), northern France should not be considered as French ... that's probably why I can't understand how marvellous they are :sniper:

Everybody in France hate Parisians, except in Paris. They are arrogant, ignorant about everything that doesn't concern themselves, and looks like they're gay. They give the French a bad name, and I can't forgive them.

... but as I often hear on French TV (which is located in Paris), northern France should not be considered as French ... that's probably why I can't understand how marvellous they are :sniper:

Tu es français? C'est toi qui donnes une mauvaise image de ton pays avec tes stéréotypes et généralisations, ton ignorance, ton smilie (qui ici est perçu comme un signe d'absence de maturité) et tes conneries en tous genres.

Tu es français? C'est toi qui donnes une mauvaise image de ton pays avec tes stéréotypes et généralisations, ton ignorance, ton smilie (qui ici est perçu comme un signe d'absence de maturité) et tes conneries en tous genres.

Don't bother with homophobes and provincials.

Don't bother with homophobes and provincials.

I suppose I shouldn't. But there's something irritating about that level of ignorance, intolerance and assertive stupidity.

Of course they're rude, so are the people in London and Berlin. Capital cities are just full of scum.

Works for me! I can now make the balls gesture at people and know what it means (The guide tells me to act as if i'm grabbing tennis balls...that wasn't what I was thinking, but okay) and pout just like a Parisian. :)

The planets are in alignment and Dog's in his heaven... at last I understand your sig!

Yeah, yeah, Kanabia isn't actually here and no one has the faintest idea what I'm talking about and I'm totally maggotted ... so damn rat-arsed I can't even be bothered looking up the past participle of maggot ... but damn that was funny.

Like time went backwards or something. You can't buy that ...

EDIT: First line of Kanabia's sig, has been for some time, for those party-pooping wowsers who ignore sigs: "....And for a while, I thought I was Paris Hilton."

the only unfriendly Parisians i met on my two visits to the city were the gang of Turkish football hooligans who attacked the hostel i was staying in!

The Paris region's tourism committee (or some such) has launched a tourism campaign, targetted mainly at the British and playing in part on our apparently legendary arrogance and, erm, lack of friendliness.

Report here (http://www.france24.com/france24Public/en/news/france.html) (select "Campaign launched to change mentalities about the French" if if doesn't come up automatically, and play video).

I've found the ad campaign's website here (http://www.cestsoparis.com). It includes an explanation of the "Parisian attitude", with a few words on French gestures (http://www.cestsoparis.com/attitude-game.php) (including unfriendly ones).

I'd be curious to know what all you foreigners think of it. :p

You may win the battle for Paris, but you'll lose the war for France.

The Paris region's tourism committee (or some such) has launched a tourism campaign, targetted mainly at the British and playing in part on our apparently legendary arrogance and, erm, lack of friendliness.

Report here (http://www.france24.com/france24Public/en/news/france.html) (select "Campaign launched to change mentalities about the French" if if doesn't come up automatically, and play video).

I've found the ad campaign's website here (http://www.cestsoparis.com). It includes an explanation of the "Parisian attitude", with a few words on French gestures (http://www.cestsoparis.com/attitude-game.php) (including unfriendly ones).

I'd be curious to know what all you foreigners think of it. :p

Somehow launching a "campaign" to change this just seems more or less like reinforcing the stereotype. That'd be like NYC launching one to say that NY'ers are the most friendly, kind, and caring people and that you should talk to everyone around you on the subway.

Ah Paris. I bought a pipe and walked down the Champs de Elysses smoking it and coughing. It was foggy.

I'd practiced that wall-eye thing Sartre did in a photograph. I was doing it. I didn't really understand Sartre, and I doubt he'd have understood me, but for an hour or two it felt pretty special.

I failed to procure an absinthe, couldn't decide what to eat, and then two Algerian guys who deigned to speak English with me gave me a fat white pill to take away. I ate it even before they were out of sight, and it was alright.

Then I got lost on the Metro and it got late. It was about midnight when I made it back to the hotel. My dad was frantic, verging on angry, but I did the Satre-eye thing and tried not to breathe in his direction, since I wasn't supposed to smoke. I was twelve, after all.

They had a pretty good art gallery too, if I remember :p
Hobos in Paris. Pearls before Swine. Please laugh at me!

<falls out door>

Somehow launching a "campaign" to change this just seems more or less like reinforcing the stereotype.

Yes, that's what I was thinking. Unless they're trying to market the stereotype - or, more likely, present Parisians as a friendly bunch who like to make fun of themselves.

I've been to Paris quite a bit, and I've never been upset with the locals. ;)

This page is very rude! Also horribly arrogant! It requires Flash!

I didn't find Parisians to be any more rude than Londoners or Los Angelinos. The only real problem I had with Paris is that it's so ridiculously expensive.

The planets are in alignment and Dog's in his heaven... at last I understand your sig!

Heheh. No, no, it's a random quote by someone unknown to you. There's nothing to understand. ;)