Re: "I just want to know why so many Americans over the years say the French have always disliked us"

I don't think that this fully accounts for the perception that the French don't like Americans but in a book I've got about French culture, and how it differs from the U.S., the author maintains that a large source of misunderstanding is that the French are more formal, and that this formality can come across to more informal Americans as rudeness or aloofness or unfriendliness.

Just came back from Paris last week. Absolutely wonderful! Beautiful city, beautiful buildings, beautiful people. Be respectful and you get it in return. As for crime, US of A is the worst so you'll most likely be safer in any other first world country than here, sad to say.

I strongly agree with you Capo. The difference between Americans and Europeans is that Americans believe in instant friendship, while us European are more formals and we are not used to call people by their first name the minute that we meet them and even if we know each other for years we always use the formal You . Children dont call us by the first name but Mrs or Mr Soso..It was very strange for me, when I first came to live in the USA to have the children call me by my first name, such familiarity is unheard in Europe and it is not a proper thing to do.

This is a simplistic answer but in Europe people ask " who are you?" in the US " what are you?". Two totally different ways of looking at people and neither is necessarily better than the other.

It's not only Americans who have this quite inexplicable obsession not just with how unpleasant the French are, but how it's personal: many Brits also find - and claim hard evidence - of this.
Personally, in getting on for a 100 visits to France, I'd say that if anything the standards of public courtesy, to everyone, French or foreign, are higher in France than in the US. And infinitely higher than in my native UK, where we are capable of elevating gratuitous offensiveness to an art form.
The only explanation I've found is that the "French are horrible" gang are generally themselves socially inept. To the boorish, everyone's a boor

Just returned from France and had a wonderful time with the great people o France. But I'm actually posting to express my objection with flyaway's post. If you think that US cities are the most crime ridden you apparently still have a lot of traveling and learning to do.

"To the boorish, everyone's a boor."

flanneruk, touche! (unfortunately Fodor's won't let me put that accent above the "e").

Thanks, kismetchimera. As I recall, that author also maintains that the cultural misunderstanding works the other way too, that the informality of Americans can come across to the more formal French as rudeness, or impoliteness.

Thinking that the particular book I'm referring to is "French or Foe" (which people have mentioned here a number of times) I just looked it up and here's what a review says, on the website below...

'With case studies and plenty of humor, Ms. Platt adroitly explains why it is that other cultures have such a hard time dealing with the French. The American myth of the "rude French" is discussed in detail, and we discover that it is in fact Americans who are (unknowingly) rude to the French, and that the French are simply reacting with puzzlement or fear, which is read as arrogance or coldness.'

http://french.about.com/library/revi...renchorfoe.htm


Interesting comments, flanneruk.

Re: 'The only explanation I've found is that the "French are horrible" gang are generally themselves socially inept. To the boorish, everyone's a boor.'

If someone says they visited France and encountered a few rude, or boorish, people, I can believe that. I love France, and the French, but have also had a few negative experiences here and there. However, if someone says they visited France and encountered nothing but rudeness, I tend to think -- as you alluded to above -- that the problem may actually lie with them.

We were in Paris, with a quick trip to Normandy, from 4/17-4/26 (two moms, 3 daughters, ages 13,13 & 11). The anti-American thing was a complete non-event and we had a great time. Almost everyone we encountered was polite and helpful. After listening to a few words of our dreadful French, they would inevitably respond in English (I'm never sure whether to be insulted or just relieved). I'm ashamed to admit we ducked into McDonald's once (sometimes you gotta have that giant cup of cheap coffee)and it was packed with French people. Also interesting, we saw sweaters,shirts and socks with American flag motifs fairly prominently displayed at Galleries Lafayette. Go, enjoy, and have a wonderful trip!

Gee, I wonder if they were selling any baseball caps or athletic shoes, too? You know, the things that the Fodors "fashion police" keep forbidding us to wear!

I went to France very concerned about the fashion police rules on athletic shoes. But when I got there and saw the French in soxs and sandals as well as running in athelic shoes and black soxs. I figured who cares what the fashion police have to say.