Pick on the French?

Eunos_Cosmo

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Top Gear's (Clarkson's) favorite particular targets of ridicule are us, Americans, and the French (which is my heritage :( ) So I just saw this and i was truly shocked. Any French people on here watch this??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uvjz0pL3LKk

:lol: 2% said Mars!!
 
Top Gear's (Clarkson's) favorite particular targets of ridicule are us, Americans, and the French (which is my heritage :( ) So I just saw this and i was truly shocked. Any French people on here watch this??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uvjz0pL3LKk

:lol: 2% said Mars!!

Hi and welcome to the world.

The English have a renowned reputation of picking on the French, and frankly for good measure. They have a long history of yelling at each other so honestly you can't blame them. The French do it to the English too, it's not one sided.

We also have about a thousand threads regarding the feuding betwixt Yanks and Limeys. We've heard every reason and every excuse. It's just a way of life, so we have to deal.

And that video, without even watching it I might add, is already posted here somewhere in this thread.

Welcome, btw.

/As for the heritage thing, how do you think I feel? look at my sig.
//I'm a drunkard who argues with himself.
 
Top Gear's (Clarkson's) favorite particular targets of ridicule are us, Americans, and the French (which is my heritage :( ) So I just saw this and i was truly shocked. Any French people on here watch this??

.... and they also make regular insults and slurs against the germans, spanish, dutch, australians, japanese, koreans, and most of all, their fellow brits. your point being?

my observations is that while top gear boys pretty much mock and insult EVERBODY (except for the italians for some reason), a person of ay given ethnicity always cries saying 'why does TG make fun of my ppl and heritage so!' yet seems to turn a blind eye or even enjoy the jokes made at the expense of other fellow non brit nations.

im sorry, but isnt that behavoir a bit hypocritical? if americans or french are offended at jokes made against them, then they should be equally outraged at ALL the jokes and insults directed towards all peoples of the world. Sound fair?
 
.... and they also make regular insults and slurs against the germans, spanish, dutch, australians, japanese, koreans, and most of all, their fellow brits. your point being?

my observations is that while top gear boys pretty much mock and insult EVERBODY (except for the italians for some reason), a person of ay given ethnicity always cries saying 'why does TG make fun of my ppl and heritage so!' yet seems to turn a blind eye or even enjoy the jokes made at the expense of other fellow non brit nations.

im sorry, but isnt that behavoir a bit hypocritical? if americans or french are offended at jokes made against them, then they should be equally outraged at ALL the jokes and insults directed towards all peoples of the world. Sound fair?


Chill..............out
 
Chill..............out

i understand what youre getting at, but in this case, youre assuming wrong, im actually quite calm and relaxed in writing that response. and besides it needs to be said, youve been around these forums long enough to see al threads started by ppl getting genuinely upset because the feel like their homelands are getting singled out and ridiculed like the weak kid in the schoolyard. and boy, now those ppl really needed to chill out.

i just dont seeing hypocritical behavoir and statements being made and want to call them on it. we both know that a lot of americans who find the anti american jokes offensive find the european jokes funny as hell, or vice versa. theres simply no point in feeling like any one group is being persecuted.

and as far as offending everyone, the creators of the show South park follow the same ideas in their program. they love to rip on everyone pretty equally, the ppl that are in the wrong, but esp the ppl who think theyre in the right.
 
I'm french, and i'm ok with TG :)

Actually if Clarkson do not like the french, he loves France.

About the video, yes that's impressive, i didn't know it before!
But Brits made Rovers, and that's just as bad... :p
And don't bring the TG survey in this about peugeots breaking down because at least peugeots are still made... And being broken is better (but not cooler) than being dead.

;)
 
It's funny how long it took the audience to decide. I know on the American version it?s like: Ask the Audience? OK... BAM! And they're always right. This is too funny. They really had to think about it.

6389818_2bbb45fafc.jpg

Actual French sign
 
I think in that WWTBAM clip the audience just want rid of the annoying slow guy in the chair. That's what I would do.

I once watched the Russian version in a Russian lecture, which was brilliant. The audience kept giving the wrong answer in the 'ask the audience' bit, and you could tell they all knew the real answer.
 
Brits do indeed have a go at everyone most especially other Brits and Americans (C'mon they are so easy), authority figures, Politicians - especially from the ruling party. Hell, we admit it, bummer really.

Some things some of us 'secretly' think about the French - they play the EU 'game' superbly, decent food generally available, nice country, some really nice people and especially pretty girls. The cars are not all that bad really - got one myself, never let me down in 5 years.

But we do not usually let on.
 
i love that who wants to be a millionaire video. i know what nannocrob means about the audience taking a long time, the UK version doesn't even give them half that time. that picture is gold too :D

i think it's good to pick on the French, they never seem to fight back. it's not like they could threaten any other country (judging by their performance in every war since time began). i'm not a fan of France anyway, i hate the language (why have 3 words in French for one word in English?) and it's just too complicated. there, i said it, i hate France. sorry to any French people (although i don't think i've ever seen a French member on here)

edit: damn you Teeb :D
 
.... and they also make regular insults and slurs against the germans, spanish, dutch, australians, japanese, koreans, and most of all, their fellow brits. your point being?

my observations is that while top gear boys pretty much mock and insult EVERBODY (except for the italians for some reason), a person of ay given ethnicity always cries saying 'why does TG make fun of my ppl and heritage so!' yet seems to turn a blind eye or even enjoy the jokes made at the expense of other fellow non brit nations.

im sorry, but isnt that behavoir a bit hypocritical? if americans or french are offended at jokes made against them, then they should be equally outraged at ALL the jokes and insults directed towards all peoples of the world. Sound fair?

I don't see what your getting at. I laugh at every joke made about America (pretty much, a few just aren't factual) I'm not in the least bit offended by anything Clarkson says, because its just a TV show and making fun of a group of people is often very funny. I'm also absolutely not offended at the jokes made at the French.

Everybody is taking this thread the wrooooong way. I just saw a funny video about the French and decided to post it on this MOSTLY English/American board, because I thought MOST of you would get a kick out of it. I'm hardly new to the board either, I just do not post all that much.

Also, sorry to any French peeps this might have offended.

I'm trying to cover all my politically correct bases here, its not so easy.

Just do this -> :lol:

(on the not new to the board thing, my join date shouldn't suggest anything, I'm airmenair's brother and we used to use the same sn, but I made a separate one earlier this month to post some photography threads.)
 
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Firstly, i apologise to french people that i am going to offend with this nex t sentance (even though i dont care really)

I have said the sentance : "You french frog eating basterd" more times than i care to count ok. Im english, therefore hate the french. Maybe your french, therefore hate the english. Its the same with Pakistan and India, Scotland and England, Scotland and Ireland (seriously its so funny my dads scottish and we found out his ancestors were irish lolage) and etc.

I speak my mind and as you see and i dont care if you call me racist, idiotic or just a plain twat. Its just the way the world is, we either kiss eachothers arse's or hate eachothers guts.
 
Its the same with Pakistan and India, Scotland and England, Scotland and Ireland (seriously its so funny my dads scottish and we found out his ancestors were irish lolage) and etc.

Iran/Korea and......the world? :lol:
 
i think it's good to pick on the French, they never seem to fight back. it's not like they could threaten any other country (judging by their performance in every war since time began). i'm not a fan of France anyway, i hate the language (why have 3 words in French for one word in English?) and it's just too complicated. there, i said it, i hate France. sorry to any French people (although i don't think i've ever seen a French member on here)

edit: damn you Teeb :D

I know a lot of what you said is opinion, but some things I can refute with Facts!

There are many more words in the English language than the French language. Wiki suggests 600,000, this link here suggests many more. The French language has less than 100,000 words. So if you were of a third nationality and wanted to be fluent, on paper French is easier. Plus I have found that it is more the case that English needs 3 words for French's 1 rather than vice versa.

Furthermore the French grammar system is - at least in theory - less complex than English. English is a language full of irregulars and minirules and exceptions. French, less so. Somewhere around here I have a CIA published list of how difficult languages are for beginners to learn. English is, I believe, a 3 or a 4, whilst French is a 2. Where 1 is easiest and 5 is hardest. Russian is a 4, I believe Arabic or Chinese were at 5 (although I am not sure I remember right on that bit; just English, Russian and French stuck in my head).

The French have had more military victories than you give them credit for. They ruled fair chunks of England for a while, and with Napoleon had a fair chunk of Europe in it's grasp. Until his defeat, yes. They also, despite many invasions, have the largest European country in terms of landmass (excluding Russia).

WirelessMonkey said:
I have said the sentance : "You french frog eating basterd" more times than i care to count ok. Im english, therefore hate the french. Maybe your french, therefore hate the english. Its the same with Pakistan and India, Scotland and England, Scotland and Ireland (seriously its so funny my dads scottish and we found out his ancestors were irish lolage) and etc.

Waitwaitwait. Since when did the Irish hate the Scots and vice versa? I thought - due to both Celtic connections (as in descended from the Celts, not the football!) and mutual hatred of the English - they were relatively pally.
 
I know a lot of what you said is opinion, but some things I can refute with Facts!

There are many more words in the English language than the French language. Wiki suggests 600,000, this link here suggests many more. The French language has less than 100,000 words. So if you were of a third nationality and wanted to be fluent, on paper French is easier. Plus I have found that it is more the case that English needs 3 words for French's 1 rather than vice versa.

Furthermore the French grammar system is - at least in theory - less complex than English. English is a language full of irregulars and minirules and exceptions. French, less so. Somewhere around here I have a CIA published list of how difficult languages are for beginners to learn. English is, I believe, a 3 or a 4, whilst French is a 2. Where 1 is easiest and 5 is hardest. Russian is a 4, I believe Arabic or Chinese were at 5 (although I am not sure I remember right on that bit; just English, Russian and French stuck in my head).

The French have had more military victories than you give them credit for. They ruled fair chunks of England for a while, and with Napoleon had a fair chunk of Europe in it's grasp. Until his defeat, yes. They also, despite many invasions, have the largest European country in terms of landmass (excluding Russia).



Waitwaitwait. Since when did the Irish hate the Scots and vice versa? I thought - due to both Celtic connections (as in descended from the Celts, not the football!) and mutual hatred of the English - they were relatively pally.


Teeb are you originally French or did you move to France at some point? Just curious because you refer to the French as "They" when you live in France.

I will totally agree with you that, structurally, the English language(and American version of it, which I think will need a different name in the years to come because it has become so different) is horrendous. There are so many conditions and rules that it is nearly impossible to speak or write properly!!

I've met very few people from France, or for that matter, England, but all the ones I have met have seemed extremely nice. A woman originally from France saw my nametag, (I work at a grocery store :( ) Lucien, and asked me if I was French, I said yes and she immediately started talking to me in French. I was like noooo I'm only French in heritage. :lol:
 
I know a lot of what you said is opinion, but some things I can refute with Facts!

There are many more words in the English language than the French language. Wiki suggests 600,000, this link here suggests many more. The French language has less than 100,000 words. So if you were of a third nationality and wanted to be fluent, on paper French is easier. Plus I have found that it is more the case that English needs 3 words for French's 1 rather than vice versa.

Furthermore the French grammar system is - at least in theory - less complex than English. English is a language full of irregulars and minirules and exceptions. French, less so. Somewhere around here I have a CIA published list of how difficult languages are for beginners to learn. English is, I believe, a 3 or a 4, whilst French is a 2. Where 1 is easiest and 5 is hardest. Russian is a 4, I believe Arabic or Chinese were at 5 (although I am not sure I remember right on that bit; just English, Russian and French stuck in my head).

Well first of all, the "Modern" English language is a newer Language than French, and I can say that especially since it's constantly evolving. It?s easier to modify. Words Like: genocide, internet, etc. These would be very difficult to create in other languages. So it was structured to fit into a world that was thinking in more complex terms.

English literature is the best in the world. All modern forms of music have been structured around the English language and speech patterns. People whose native language is English have a better vocal range, from the tongue complexity of the language. And I honestly believe persons who speak it well, benefit from it's overall complexity, given the fact that there are so many different ways to express what you are trying to say, each emphasizing a different attitude or time frame. Our Idioms are waaaaayyy better than those of other languages... And our jokes are funnier.
 
FOUR ALL WHO REED AND RIGHT

We'll begin with a box, and the plural is boxes;
but the plural of ox became oxen not oxes.
One fowl is a goose, but two are called geese,
yet the plural of moose should never be meese.
You may find a lone mouse or a nest full of mice;
yet the plural of house is houses, not hice.

If the plural of man is always called men,
why shouldn't the plural of pan be called pen?
If I spoke of my foot and show you my feet,
and I give you a boot, would a pair be called beet?
If one is a tooth and a whole set are teeth,
why shouldn't the plural of booth be called beeth?

Then one may be that, and three would be those,
yet hat in the plural would never be hose,
and the plural of cat is cats, not cose.
We speak of a brother and also of brethren,
but though we say mother, we never say methren.

Then the masculine pronouns are he, his and him, but imagine the feminine, she, shis and shim.

Screwy pronunciations can mess up your mind! For example ... If you have a rough cough, climbing can be tough when going through the bough on a tree!

Let's face it - English is a crazy language. There is no egg in eggplant nor ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple.

English muffins weren't invented in England.

We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that:
quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square and a guinea pig is
neither from Guinea nor is it a pig.

In what other language do people recite at a play and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell?
How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites?

You have to marvel at the unique lunacy of a language in which your house can burn up as it burns down, in which you fill in a form by filling it out and in which an alarm goes off by going on.
 
I will totally agree with you that, structurally, the English language(and American version of it, which I think will need a different name in the years to come because it has become so different) is horrendous.

What do you mean the 'American version'? Just because you guys can't spell a few words properly you decide 'sod it, we'll call it our own version and now it's right'? :p

Also, Clarkson pays out every country that isn't England. Heres a piece from one of his columns published in Born to be Riled:

'All the best countries begin with the letter I - Italy, Iceland, Ireland, India, Ingland and so on - while all the worst begin with an A: America, Austria and, of course, the godforsaken spider-strewn snake pit. Why do you think God put it so far away? And why do you suppose he's trying to remove its protective ozone layer?'

And it goes on like that. I'd get out my pen and write a letter of complaint, but I find it piss funny and very true! 8)
 
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