French bashing at the grocery checkout.

[trumad]

So I'm standing in line waiting to pay for my groceries and the bag boy and the customer that was in front of me started to tell French jokes and basically ridicule the French as Cowards.

So when I get up to pay, I told the bag boy that we'd have most likely lost the Revolutionary War if not for the French. He said, he knew that and tried to counter his stupid comments by stating that he was 25 percent French. I replied, then what the hell are you dissing 25 percent of yourself?

I also told him that that French coward humor may have been funny between him and that customer but for those in ears distance, it can be quite offensive. I then looked at this young oh 19 year old kid and asked him the killer question--- so when ya gonna enlist? He didn't say another word.....

I know he was just a dumb kid who's infected with American Exceptionalism...but I'm getting sick of this shit--- and from on--- I'm going to speak up.

[Ian David]

1. You don't carry recruiter brochures with you? n/t

[blue cat]

2. Good God!

Great response.

[calico1]

3. Hopefully you will make him think

twice next time.

[stepnw1f]

4. No Trumad.... You Made a Difference

He probably was just an uniformed kid, who was using a form of bigotry for small talk, and you deflated his false sense of ego. When ever he says the same thing again, he'll think of how a stranger confronted his stupidity. The shock alone, will etch that moment into his memory for a very long time. If he is a good person, he'll learn from it... most people are.

More of us should do the same...

[trumad]

7. I hope so...

He was as white as a ghost when I left him and the young lady who was the cashier had a slight smile on her face as I walked away.

[annabanana]

5. I ALWAYS carry one of these:

http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/infomgt/forms/eforms/dd0004.pdf

[driver8]

13. Good God, I just had a horrible flashback.

I need to see a DD-214 ASAP!!!

http://www.vba.va.gov/ro/providence/C&P/dd214.htm

[WI_DEM]

6. and besides the French love Jerry Lewis

which makes them tops in my book (I'm serious).

[Systematic Chaos]

8. So does this mean I can't laugh at "Genius in France" anymore?

Best song Weird Al Yankovic has done, hands down, and with total support of the Zappa family.

I'm not the brightest crayon in the box
Everyone says I'm dumber than a bag of rocks
I barely even know how to put on my own pants
But I'm a genius in France (yeah), genius in France, genius in France

Hoom chaka laka
Hoom chaka laka
Hoom chaka

I may not be the sharpest hunk of cheese
I got a negative number on my SATs
I'm not good looking and I don't know how to dance
But nevertheless and in spite of the evidence I am still widely considered to be
A genius in France, a genius in France, a genius in France

People say I'm a geek, a moronic little freak
An annoying pipsqueak with an unfortunate physique
If I was any dumber, they'd have to water me twice a week

But when the Mademoiselles see me, they all swoon and shriek
They dig my mystique, they say I'm c'est magnifique
When I'm in Par-ee, I'm the chic-est of the chic

They love my body odor and my bad toupee
They love my stripey shirt and my stupid beret
And when I'm sipping on a Perrier
In some cafe town in St. Tropez

It's hard to keep the fans at bay
They say, "Sign my poodle, s'il vous plait"
"Sign my poodle, s'il vous plait"

Hemenene humenene
himenene homenene
Poodle... poodle...

Folks in my hometown think I'm a fool
Got too much chlorine in my gene pool

A few peas short of a casserole
A few buttons missing on my remote control
A few fries short of a happy meal
I couldn't pour water out of a boot with instructions on the heel

Instructions on the heel
Instructions on the heel

But when I'm in Provence, I get free croissants
Yeah, I'm the guy every French lady wants
And if you ask 'em why, you're bound to get this response
(He's a genius in France! Genius in France!)

That's right
(He's a genius in France, genius in France)
You know it
(He's a genius in France, genius in France, genius in France)

I'm not the brightest bulb on the Christmas tree
But the folks in France, they don't seem to agree
They say, "Bonjour, Monsieur would you take ze picture with me?"

I say, "Oui, oui"
That's right, I say, "Oui, oui"
"Oui, oui"
He says, "Oui, oui"

I'm dumber than a box of hair
But those Frenchies don't seem to care
Don't know why, mon frere
But they love me there

I'm a genius in France
Yeah, I'm a genius in France

Gonna make a big splash when I show up in Cannes
Gonna make those Frenchies scream
"You ze man! You ze man! You ze man!"

Like a fine Renoir (waa), I've got that je ne c'est quoi (quoi!)
Like a fine Renoir (ooh la la), I've got that je ne c'est ...
Quoi quoi quoi quoi quoi, oo-we-oo
Quoi quoi quoi quoi quoi, oo-we-oo

Bow diddy bow di bow di bow bow diddy
Bow diddy bow di bow di bow bow diddy
Bow



I'm a taco short of a combo plate
But by some twist of fate, all the Frogs think I'm great
Oh, the men all faint and the women scream
They like me more than heavy cream

When I'm in Versailles, I'm a popular guy
My oh my, I'm as French as apple pie (apple pie)
They think I'm awfully witty, a riot and a half
When I tell a stupid joke, they laugh (haw haw haw haw haw)
And laugh (haw haw haw haw haw haw)

People in France have lots of attitude
They're snotty and rude, they like disgusting food
But when they see me, they just come unglued
They think that I am one happening dude

Bowm ba ba bowm ba bowm ba bowm
I'm about as sharp as a bowling ball
But they like me better than Charles de Gaulle

Entre nous, it's very true
The room temperature's higher than my IQ
But they love me more than Gerard Depardieu
How did this happen; I don't have a clue

Well, I'm not the quickest tractor on the farm
I don't have any skills or grace or charm
And most people look at me like I'm all covered with ants
But I'm a genius in France (yeah), genius in France, genius in France

And I'm never goin' back, I'm never goin' back
I'm never never never never goin' back home again
I'm tearin' up my return flight ticket
Gonna tell the folks back here where they can stick it

'Cause I'm never goin' back
I'm never goin' back
I'm never goin' back

The girls back home never gave me a chance
But I sho' 'nuff got them Frogs in some kinda trance
And I'm aware that it's a most improbable circumstance
But "Great Googily Moogily!", I'm a genius in France

Every Frenchie that I meet
Just can't wait to kiss my feet
Get in line, pucker up! Tout Suite!

Bowm diddy bowm diddy bowm diddy

I'm gettin' even more famous by the hour
I'm stuffed with pastries and drunk with power
Now they're puttin' up my statue by the Eiffel Tower

A little more to the left, boys, a little more to the left
A little more to the left, boys, a little more to the left

I'm the biggest dork there is alive
My mom picked out my clothes for me 'till I was 35
And I forgot to mention
I'm not even welcome at the Star Trek convention

But the Frenchies think
That my poop don't stink
I'm a genius in France

Say, would you pass the Grey Poupon?
Merci beaucoup

[Parche]

9. i feel your pain

I am in an email debate with my sister as we speak, she of course is a F-IN
Republican.

The thing I cant stand is when I always call Bush a dictator or an idiot
and she replies....

Damn you are lucky you can say this here.

You’d be shot in China. Flogged in Taiwan
You are DAMN lucky to be living in the GREATEST country in the world


I have heard that so many times from these constipated ignorant conservatives
that I just want to scream or ring some of their necks.

Is that their weak talking points?

[Dr Fate]

10. Speaking up is something everyone can do. No second guessing required.

Not that you were second guessing yourself.

My only complaint is that you did not interject yourself into the 1st conversation. I would have liked for that kid to have seen a Liberal shoot down a smug repug.

When folks say- "Butt-out- no one was talking to you"- I say "No, you were indeed speaking so that I could hear it- if I have to hear lies spoken in front of me, I am going to correct them."

Anyway, thanks for speaking up- do it often.

[H2O Man]

11. You did well.

It may have been tempting to be more aggressive in confronting the situation. It would, for example, have been fun to have asked him about enlisting when he was making the jokes with the person ahead of you. That person may have responded in a manner that allowed for more theater .... which has its place.

But by putting the youngester on the hot seat in a private conversation, you may have done more to make him think. And that is the more important thing.

[trumad]

18. Nah..I sensed the adult customer would have been a flaming jerk

with a mind as locked as a safe. The kid can learn.

[driver8]

12. Right on, trumad. These people always have to have someone

to be their scapegoat.

I have been getting more vocal with people, too. Especially the young kids who think that they know everything, but actually know nothing!!

[bluedogyellowdog]

14. French bashing? What year is this again?

Well, at least he's only still living in 2002. There are some Repugs still living in 1979 and obsessed with Jimmy Carter bashing. Or still living in 1861 with nooses in their Senate office...

[Rocknrule]

15. ALL Republicans are living in 1998 and are obsessed with Clinton bashing!

[PassingFair]

16. Ohhhh! French Bashing! Sounds dirty! Me next!

Viva Le Bash!
Cherchez le bash...

Le Bash avec Frommage!

[tocqueville]

17. thank you for that, but the way is long...

there is a site discussing the problem, most of the posters are Americans :

http://superfrenchie.com/

the problem is that if the jokes were on the level "Canadians are" it would be OK, it has always existed - and the French are not exempt of that either regarding other nationalities, Belgians for example. But the attacks are reaching the level of "racism" and can be fully accepted in the US MSM, comments and parodies that would never be accepted regarding Blacks and Jews for example.

here some examples

http://superfrenchie.com/?p=967#more-967

http://superfrenchie.com/?p=935#comments

http://superfrenchie.com/?p=926#comments

the worse is that the reverse isn't really true. Of cours you can meet French people that bash "everything American", but those aren't really represented in the media. Most of the French anti-americanism is an "intellectual" posture from some intellectuals to the far left or the far right.
The average French isn't more "anti-american" than he/she criticizes the American model (death penalty, lack of social security, religion, ecology, ultra-nationalism... and imperialism) in a way that would make most DUers agree if not cheer.

but booing the US national anthem at a movie like the booing of the Marseillaise in "Casablanca" (see post http://superfrenchie.com/?p=926#comments) would hardly happen here...