WE FART IN THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF YOUR HIGH-TECH MARKETING CAMPAIGN

The French government is trying to repair the country’s reputation for being rude with a high-tech marketing campaign aimed at tourists.

(Thanks to B'game)

Comments

[OC Dolphin]

The French, rude!? How's that even possible?

[Tash]

Hee. Saw this earlier today and knew it would appear on the Blog. Actually, they have been taking smiling lessons for a while now. I found it to be very scary.

[Jeff Meyerson]

Too little, too late, France.

Dave speaks for me.

[nursecindy]

I will not believe this until France personally comes to my house and apologizes. They should also bring flowers.

[Phil]

That picture--huh? The Eiffel Tower as the Colossus of Rhodes? WTF???

[Steve]

I've never been to France but I did spend some time in New Orleans. So I now know all about rude.
Southern hospitality my...fanny.

[Elon]

Non.

[Betsy]

France has more visitors than any country in the world, with 76.8 million tourists in 2010. Tourism revenue, however, is about half of what the U.S. rakes in annually.

So it's not that folks don't want to GO to France; they're fine until they meet their first actual French person, and bolt for the border.

[hogsatemysister]

But if you can overlook the rudeness, there's all that great dog poop on the sidewalks. And oui oui.

[Afkat]

"there's all that great dog poop on the sidewalks. And oui oui."

Oh yes, the pissoirs, where Parisians essentially urinate into the street behind a barricade.

My experience: Man, with wife, and two children. In Paris. Lousy hotel rooms...US $450.00 per night (per room, times two). I had to convince my ten year old son that having a Coke from the mini-bar was not a good idea, since it was US $14.00.

Took my wife to a 4 star restaurant...had the temerity to ask for butter with my roll. Our waiter sneered at me and alluded to the fact that I was a "peasant".

Given that I speak fluent french and had been in Paris on business numerous times previously, I was able to reduce this jerk to a whimpering pile of jelly. But sadly, the average tourist has to take this crap, in Paris.

Outside Paris, the French are wonderful (although they still surrender at the drop of a hat).

My advice...skip Paris...it is a city populated with jerks. Visit places like Lyons, the wine country, etcetcetc.

As much as France tries, they will never eliminate the boorish behaviour of Parisians.

.Read more: http://blogs.herald.com/dave_barrys_blog/2011/07/we-fart-in-the-general-direction-of-your-high-tech-marketing-campaign.html#comments#ixzz1TNa02DHu

[MikeyVA]

Thanks Afkat!

Next time ask them this; Do you speak German?

When they say non, say, "You're Welcome."

Oh, and the women don't shave their underarms, and bathing is an option.

[judi the barberho]

wow, and you thought OUR blog ads were annoying...

[Tash]

Ak- smaller towns in many areas aren't overrun with tourists (talk about boorish sometimes in NY OR Europe), and so the service people aren't numb/annoyed from constant rude behavior. I found the same comparison between Rome and smaller towns in Italy. In spite of my cracks about the weird smiling, some cultures just don't smile all the time the way many of us do. The French are very reserved (I found out, too late, that smiling directly is, ahem, a stage beyond flirting). The expectation is that you greet people, don't just barge up and ask questions, or in a shop, ask for help, don't just barge in and start grabbing merchendice, etc. Meanwhile, in Newark, when it's our turn in a long line it's expected to be greeted with "yeah?" I really haven't been treated rudely anywhere in France and my vocabulary isn't so great. Maybe it's because I smile so dang much ;)

[nursecindy]

Tash I've heard you're very popular in France. Mikey, I love it! If I ever mess up and go to Paris I will definitely remember that.

[Ralph]

Follow in your books as we learn three new words in Turkish....

[MikeyVA]

Gesundheit!

[Richard the Weasel-Hearted]

I encountered more rudeness from Francophones in Montreal than in Paris, actually. Although my first encounter on French soil -- with a train ticket clerk in Cherbourg -- was a textbook example.