tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526736757651414061.post2706454140156834986..comments2024-03-29T10:02:55.374+00:00Comments on Nigeness: Those Crazy FrenchNigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13314891387515045404noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526736757651414061.post-15112167073138633062009-10-23T15:22:23.971+01:002009-10-23T15:22:23.971+01:00"the most direct descendants of the Gauls are..."the most direct descendants of the Gauls are to be found in Brittany": could be. But the name "Brittany" gives a clue to the origin of part of the population.deariemenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526736757651414061.post-25251445687735398422009-10-23T15:08:36.706+01:002009-10-23T15:08:36.706+01:00I put it down to Rousseau on the one hand and the ...I put it down to Rousseau on the one hand and the holiness of the Constitution on the other. <br /><br />It's like the old joke about the Frenchman that Gaw referenced the other day: "It's ok in practice but does it work in theory?"<br /><br />That gag applies to plenty of Americans too.Brithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00390560583798960760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526736757651414061.post-15630520487160316832009-10-23T15:03:33.062+01:002009-10-23T15:03:33.062+01:00Nige:
They may feign incomprehension and fight ab...Nige:<br /><br />They may feign incomprehension and fight about lots of things, but the Americans and French are a lot more similar that either likes to admit. They seem to have a kind of dysfunctional co-dependancy relationship. After all, we are talking about people who consider boycotting cheese and <a href="http://www.jstor.org/pss/286280" rel="nofollow">Coca-Cola</a> as either affirmations of patriotism or hostile acts.<br /><br />My theory is that it all comes down to too much classical architecture.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526736757651414061.post-3556710580624855152009-10-23T14:42:21.289+01:002009-10-23T14:42:21.289+01:00Mickey - according to an impeccable source he'...Mickey - according to an <a href="http://gawragbag.blogspot.com/2009/10/wild-thing-i-think-i-love-you.html" rel="nofollow">impeccable source</a> he's never been the same since they removed his teeth and stopped him beating MinnieGareth Williamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05058241057385364459noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526736757651414061.post-5946552237452520892009-10-23T14:05:53.388+01:002009-10-23T14:05:53.388+01:00Isn't mickey mouse the God of shopping?Isn't mickey mouse the God of shopping?wormhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02802335627720182532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526736757651414061.post-37355504795131285102009-10-23T13:51:47.634+01:002009-10-23T13:51:47.634+01:00Peter - of course! The pernicious Disney - and Mic...Peter - of course! The pernicious Disney - and Mickey's a mouse too, so it's even weirder. What the hey does Mickey M stand for, I wonder, apart from cloying whimsy?Nigehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13314891387515045404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526736757651414061.post-68329670669031555282009-10-23T13:27:31.281+01:002009-10-23T13:27:31.281+01:00Vive la France indeed Nige, tunnel vision extraord...Vive la France indeed Nige, tunnel vision extraordinaire, engaged in a conversation once, in midwinter in an Alpine refuge, with a group of elite French soldaten being taught how to fall off an Alp without complaining. The talk got around to Napoleon, whom they were insisting was their most victorious commander, trying to point out that he may well have lost the odd one was met with deafening silence.maltyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02936465848907794425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526736757651414061.post-22418170258144262632009-10-23T13:04:22.277+01:002009-10-23T13:04:22.277+01:00It's just that I can't see any other natio...<i>It's just that I can't see any other nation on earth celebrating 50 years of an unfunny cartoon character on quite such an absurdly grandiose scale.</i><br /><br /><a href="http://www.dcpages.com/gallery/Mickey-Mouse-75th-Anniversary/" rel="nofollow">You can't?</a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526736757651414061.post-11695341015957060562009-10-23T12:38:02.817+01:002009-10-23T12:38:02.817+01:00I think it's even more absurd when you conside...I think it's even more absurd when you consider the most direct descendants of the Gauls are to be found in Brittany. So it's a bit like the English celebrating their roots via a cartoon about the Welsh.<br /><br />I once went to the 'bandes dessine' museum in Angouleme (I think). God, it was dull and totally unfunny.Gareth Williamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05058241057385364459noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526736757651414061.post-60020018876984981592009-10-23T12:06:02.508+01:002009-10-23T12:06:02.508+01:00I too enjoyed Asterix, particularly Asterix in Bri...I too enjoyed Asterix, particularly Asterix in Britain. I still love his entirely understandable reaction to the notion of vinegary mint sauce with lamb, "pauvres betes".Sophie Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05212037697701712380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526736757651414061.post-91891897264323825532009-10-23T11:58:17.123+01:002009-10-23T11:58:17.123+01:00Talking of Franco-American war by cartoon, Mrs B w...Talking of Franco-American war by cartoon, Mrs B was playing a Simpsons computer game a little while back. In one sequence the small fat German kid throws a pebble at a French village, and instantly hundreds of white flags pop up along with cries of "we surrender!"<br /><br />That's how you do it, no mincing about with metaphors involving the Roman Empire...Brithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00390560583798960760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526736757651414061.post-58492024542095796752009-10-23T11:31:33.082+01:002009-10-23T11:31:33.082+01:00love a bit of asterix, especially the latin jokes ...love a bit of asterix, especially the latin jokes - although I haven't read any in years, and I had heard that they are still making them, with diminishing returns.wormhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02802335627720182532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526736757651414061.post-90462545989980607582009-10-23T11:25:51.019+01:002009-10-23T11:25:51.019+01:00As a kid I loved Asterix but even then I could tel...As a kid I loved Asterix but even then I could tell he massively jumped the shark after <i>in Belgium</i>.Brithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00390560583798960760noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2526736757651414061.post-21177091636678440762009-10-23T11:07:30.839+01:002009-10-23T11:07:30.839+01:00"Our ancestors the Gauls...": isn't ..."Our ancestors the Gauls...": isn't that how French history lessons were said to begin?deariemenoreply@blogger.com