WASHINGTON (AFP) - Two years after relations between the US and France soured over the Iraq war, French-bashing in America appears alive and well in light of a recent ad campaign by a fast-food chain linking France and cowardice.
The ad by the Subway chain touted a cordon bleu chicken sandwich with the words 'France and chicken, somehow it just goes together'. A photo of a chicken dressed like Napoleon accompanied the advertisement.
My opinion: that's just good writing.
Subway ran the ads in about 10 US states for nearly a month and pulled them in September following an outcry by members of the French expatriate community and other customers offended by the racist undertone.
Racist? French is a race?
Mark Bridenbaker, a spokesman for Subway, which has outlets in France, defended the campaign telling AFP it was aimed at lauding French cuisine.
'The perfect match of French cuisine and the Subway chicken ... that was the intent of this advertising,' he said. 'But once we realized that people were taking offense, we removed everything from stores right away.'
Yeah. Right.
Others, however, say the ads are evidence French bashing has become well-ingrained and perfectly acceptable among a segment of the American population.
I could have told them that.
Obligatory disclaimer: thanks for the help during the Revolution, Pierre.
3 comments:
The French and what army is going to stop me from making French jokes? First, they have to find an amry :-)
French expats were complaining? Why did they leave?
I followed the blog links back to what looks like the source post at SuperFrenchie, a French blogger in America. I agree with SuperFrenchie that they are not cowards and that they lost a lot of people in WWI and WWII.
That said he is full of BS that the reason the French didn't go into Iraq was because they knew there was no WMD's. They didn't go because Chirac was making way too much money being buddy buddy with Saddam, not to mention off the "Oil for Food" scam.
Was tempted to leave a comment there, but hate starting a flame war. :) I may post the article tomorrow and link back to ya.
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