Chill out and laugh a little
By: Jackson Briggs
Issue date: 2/6/09 Section: Opinions
It's possible that a room full of French majors could become slightly annoyed and roll their eyes after being read a newspaper article that trots out some tired stereotypes about France. If you read the same article to a group of average college students, however, I hope that you would receive a different response, particularly since I happen to be the author.
France is a beautiful country, rich in history, culture and, perhaps most importantly, full of good food. I already extolled some of its virtues in the very article that Jaci Holland angrily responded to, but I will reiterate here that France is still a major player in the world, and the statistics that tout it as the most visited nation by foreign tourists speak for the nation's domestic attraction. I enjoyed my time in France and have no sort of personal vendetta against the French people.
With that in mind, I would like to note that absurdity is one of many devices used for comedic effect. Homer Simpson is absurdly stupid. Ron Burgundy is absurdly arrogant. Bender B. Rodriguez is absurdly narcissistic. We find absurdity funny because we imagine the fictionally absurd situation happening in reality and realize just how ridiculously out of place it would be.
Stereotypes are untrue and ignorant - we have all been taught that since we were little. However, they are also an example of absurdity, asserting that every member of a particular group behaves a certain way. When they are witnessed in person, they are no doubt bound to elicit laughs because we are witnessing the absurdity that we had previously only imagined possible.
On multiple occasions in France, I was waited on by extremely lazy restaurant hosts who stood around and talked with employees or enjoyed a cigarette rather than fulfilling my request. More than once I saw parents instruct their children to relieve themselves in the street. More than once I saw videos by French rappers such as "Busta Flex" imitating American hip-hop in their own unique way. These things actually happened. My article was not the result of some sort of string of "random, ignorant assumptions" as Holland has claimed.
France is a beautiful country, rich in history, culture and, perhaps most importantly, full of good food. I already extolled some of its virtues in the very article that Jaci Holland angrily responded to, but I will reiterate here that France is still a major player in the world, and the statistics that tout it as the most visited nation by foreign tourists speak for the nation's domestic attraction. I enjoyed my time in France and have no sort of personal vendetta against the French people.
With that in mind, I would like to note that absurdity is one of many devices used for comedic effect. Homer Simpson is absurdly stupid. Ron Burgundy is absurdly arrogant. Bender B. Rodriguez is absurdly narcissistic. We find absurdity funny because we imagine the fictionally absurd situation happening in reality and realize just how ridiculously out of place it would be.
Stereotypes are untrue and ignorant - we have all been taught that since we were little. However, they are also an example of absurdity, asserting that every member of a particular group behaves a certain way. When they are witnessed in person, they are no doubt bound to elicit laughs because we are witnessing the absurdity that we had previously only imagined possible.
On multiple occasions in France, I was waited on by extremely lazy restaurant hosts who stood around and talked with employees or enjoyed a cigarette rather than fulfilling my request. More than once I saw parents instruct their children to relieve themselves in the street. More than once I saw videos by French rappers such as "Busta Flex" imitating American hip-hop in their own unique way. These things actually happened. My article was not the result of some sort of string of "random, ignorant assumptions" as Holland has claimed.