French men....in Paris
Jul 19th, 2007, 01:11 PM
#61
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Well I am cautious, and I wouldn't accept a drink from anyone (except a friend) blindly. You shouldn't do that anymore.
I am expecting a high ratio of Northern African men based on what I have read about France in Vanity Fair. I think the population is over 20%
I am expecting a high ratio of Northern African men based on what I have read about France in Vanity Fair. I think the population is over 20%
Jul 20th, 2007, 11:32 AM
#63
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I am expecting a high ratio of Northern African men based on what I have read about France in Vanity Fair. I think the population is over 20%
I would not rely on Vanity Fair for stats.
There are 6 millions Northern African men, women and children in France out of a population of over 60 millions.
I would not rely on Vanity Fair for stats.
There are 6 millions Northern African men, women and children in France out of a population of over 60 millions.
Jul 21st, 2007, 09:16 PM
#64
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That would still be ten percent, wouldn't it?
All cultures tend to assume that tourists are more liberal about sex than the locals, and all cultures are right. Most people become less inhibited while outside of their own society, as they feel the normal rules can be bent or ignored. Thus, the French tourist is likely to be less inhibited about sex when in the U.S., and the American tourist is likely to be less inhibited about sex when in France. So the idea that "tourists are easy" is usually true to some extent, no matter what country is being discussed and no matter where the tourists come from. And this applies to both sexes.
The degree to which the "foreigners" are considered "easy" often correlates with the magnitude of the differences between the two cultures in question. For this reason, you are more likely to be aggressively chatted up in France by Africans or Arabs than by the French (who are themselves already quite aggressive by American standards), because American culture is more different from Arab or African culture than it is from French culture. Men in many societies tend to consider their own women more respectable than women from other societies, and so the latter are treated as easy marks.
All cultures tend to assume that tourists are more liberal about sex than the locals, and all cultures are right. Most people become less inhibited while outside of their own society, as they feel the normal rules can be bent or ignored. Thus, the French tourist is likely to be less inhibited about sex when in the U.S., and the American tourist is likely to be less inhibited about sex when in France. So the idea that "tourists are easy" is usually true to some extent, no matter what country is being discussed and no matter where the tourists come from. And this applies to both sexes.
The degree to which the "foreigners" are considered "easy" often correlates with the magnitude of the differences between the two cultures in question. For this reason, you are more likely to be aggressively chatted up in France by Africans or Arabs than by the French (who are themselves already quite aggressive by American standards), because American culture is more different from Arab or African culture than it is from French culture. Men in many societies tend to consider their own women more respectable than women from other societies, and so the latter are treated as easy marks.
Jul 22nd, 2007, 02:50 AM
#66
Yes, and 50% of that 10% is women and another 50% of what's left is children and elderly persons.
Anyway, my women friends and acquantainces in Paris are divided into two groups: the ones who say they never have any problems at all, and the other ones who are constantly hit upon. And they are both right. The ones who have no problems are quite confident and have perfected the blind eye/deaf ear techniques. The other ones are jumpy to begin with, just like that little lamb that gets separated from the flock. Since "fear" and "excitement" are extremely similar, the signals that are sent out just make the problem worse and worse.
Anyway, my women friends and acquantainces in Paris are divided into two groups: the ones who say they never have any problems at all, and the other ones who are constantly hit upon. And they are both right. The ones who have no problems are quite confident and have perfected the blind eye/deaf ear techniques. The other ones are jumpy to begin with, just like that little lamb that gets separated from the flock. Since "fear" and "excitement" are extremely similar, the signals that are sent out just make the problem worse and worse.
Jul 22nd, 2007, 03:45 AM
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>Careful? Because the knees get weaker?!
Attributed to Sophia Loren:
"I never drink alcohol in public. It affects my knees".
"Oh, do they get weak"?
"No, they spread".
Attributed to Sophia Loren:
"I never drink alcohol in public. It affects my knees".
"Oh, do they get weak"?
"No, they spread".
Jul 22nd, 2007, 04:00 AM
#69
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Oh ira- I have always enjoyed reading anything you write in this forum. This one just got a serious LOL.
Will Travel- I second the "you will get hit on by North Africans" idea. Before going to Paris in February, I spent a week in Tunisia. One guy I met in Paris the following week, he was from Tunisia- go figure, right? We had a couple of drinks at the bar (I was with co-workers, so it seemed harmless!), but then I went off to the bathroom- he followed me and attempted to make out with me as I came out of the stall!! I am glad my co-workers were there, it could have gotten ugly had I been alone. This man was a perfect gentleman, until I said NO. At that point he turned into a crazed man, and wanted to follow me to my hotel.
So, savannah, just be careful. You might want to bring some mace as well.
Will Travel- I second the "you will get hit on by North Africans" idea. Before going to Paris in February, I spent a week in Tunisia. One guy I met in Paris the following week, he was from Tunisia- go figure, right? We had a couple of drinks at the bar (I was with co-workers, so it seemed harmless!), but then I went off to the bathroom- he followed me and attempted to make out with me as I came out of the stall!! I am glad my co-workers were there, it could have gotten ugly had I been alone. This man was a perfect gentleman, until I said NO. At that point he turned into a crazed man, and wanted to follow me to my hotel.
So, savannah, just be careful. You might want to bring some mace as well.
Jul 22nd, 2007, 06:16 AM
#70
Let's blame it on the Germans. German women do a lot of sex tourism in North Africa, Black Africa, and the Caribbean. Since all people of European stock look alike, the offenders just think that you are a German woman.
Jul 22nd, 2007, 10:30 AM
#71
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ira, So you also agree with "most women are easy given the right circumstances. so are all men."!! LOL. Since this is just a light hearted thread okay to post anything and everything! Sophia Loren comments are very funny.
Let's hope Savannah's social experiment with French Men is interesting enough to post here.
Let's hope Savannah's social experiment with French Men is interesting enough to post here.
Jul 22nd, 2007, 02:44 PM
#72
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I concur with what Willtravel said, and agree with the comments of Anthony and Kerouc regarding the tourist thing, and other cultures. I really do think there is a thing where people on vacation may often behave differently than at home for various reasons -- it just seeming not to count being you aren't at home, who knows, or not seeming as dangerous (or sleazy). I was watching a Bill Maher show on HBO last night and I had to laugh when he said something about how everybody loves a free trip (this was in reference to lobbying) because everybody seems to think a trip somewhere means they are going to have sex (as he said, everybody thinks that, even if they are married ....it's not happening in Cleveland, but I know it's going to happen in Italy ... or wherever). I know men in certain cultures may say they respect the women they associate with daily or live around, but somehow don't really respect all women at large, and treat tourists or women of a different nationality, religious or culture very differently. In some countries, I think it is the influence of certain media, where they think all American women are like what they see in bad movies or on old TV shows. The worst I've encountered has been in North Africa itself, where I was told Dallas reruns were very popular (well, that was some years ago, I'm sure there are some other reruns now, but somebody attributed it partly to that --in that culture, just women traveling alone would mean they were loose, of course).
But I found what Kerouac said interesting about German women, because I didn't know that, but I have a couple friends who took a vacation to Jamaica last winter, and they told me there were a lot of German women there on vacation who had a goal of seeing how many men they could have sex with. yikes, I thought, this is a whole subculture I never even heard of.
But I found what Kerouac said interesting about German women, because I didn't know that, but I have a couple friends who took a vacation to Jamaica last winter, and they told me there were a lot of German women there on vacation who had a goal of seeing how many men they could have sex with. yikes, I thought, this is a whole subculture I never even heard of.
Jul 22nd, 2007, 02:49 PM
#73
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>...women there on vacation who had a goal of seeing how many men they could have sex with. <
Sheesh. How difficult is that?
It's somewhat more difficult, and expensive, for men.
Darn double standard.
Sheesh. How difficult is that?
It's somewhat more difficult, and expensive, for men.
Darn double standard.
Jul 22nd, 2007, 07:08 PM
#74
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Years ago, when I was in my late 20s I overcame my trepidation and walked into a Paris salon and had my hair cut and colored and styled in a completely new style for the first time in my life. I walked out of that salon and for the next week practically had to fight off Arab men at every cafe and bistro and restaurant I sat down at, every museum entrance, every park bench I sat on. I'm still not sure what it was about that haircut that screamed out for Arab men to accost me, but it certainly unnerved me.
But apart from that experience, I've always loved meeting people of both sexes and all ages in every new place I've traveled. It's one of the reasons I spent so very many years studying various languages.
Savannah, if you want to meet French men, learn a good bit of the language. NOTHING is more flattering to a French man. And should you by chance be smitten, well, you know, knowing how to "converse" will be an advantage
But apart from that experience, I've always loved meeting people of both sexes and all ages in every new place I've traveled. It's one of the reasons I spent so very many years studying various languages.
Savannah, if you want to meet French men, learn a good bit of the language. NOTHING is more flattering to a French man. And should you by chance be smitten, well, you know, knowing how to "converse" will be an advantage
Jul 22nd, 2007, 07:40 PM
#75
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Anthony has it right. Frenchmen do not think that a lover can be a friend or so I was told...it has taken 20 years but I think I have convinced at least one very french man otherwise. If you really want to meet someone, it wont be at a bar but rather as stated otherwise at a concert, exhibition, class ect. Good luck..it is well worth it..or at least I think so!
Jul 23rd, 2007, 05:51 AM
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<<I think it is the influence of certain media, where they think all American women are like what they see in bad movies or on old TV shows. >>
It's tempting to think Europeans would have to be watching Sex and the City to get an impression that American women are sexually available. But Friends and even Golden Girls present a picture of single women with "healthy" sexual appetitites. Of course those repeated themes also affect American audiences.
I tend to think Europeans are less impressed by the TV images - they have their own film and TV fictions - but maybe immigrant classes take the programs more literally.
if women are "looser" or more sexually or romantically adventurous on vacation, a lot of men match them by jumping onto mopeds and into traffic with little experience, climbing mountains without sufficient training, heading into the wilds without knowledge, hang-gliding without listening to the vendor's instructions, etc. Vacation can be dangerous!
It's tempting to think Europeans would have to be watching Sex and the City to get an impression that American women are sexually available. But Friends and even Golden Girls present a picture of single women with "healthy" sexual appetitites. Of course those repeated themes also affect American audiences.
I tend to think Europeans are less impressed by the TV images - they have their own film and TV fictions - but maybe immigrant classes take the programs more literally.
if women are "looser" or more sexually or romantically adventurous on vacation, a lot of men match them by jumping onto mopeds and into traffic with little experience, climbing mountains without sufficient training, heading into the wilds without knowledge, hang-gliding without listening to the vendor's instructions, etc. Vacation can be dangerous!
Jul 23rd, 2007, 09:18 AM
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In Latin cultures and quite a few other cultures, friendship between the sexes is considered impossible, so the answer is yes, it's true. Unfortunate, but true, as many people from other cultures—where platonic friendships between the sexes are possible—have found out.
