Comments
alicesartandmore t1_j63jphq wrote
I just watched a really weird movie the other night called Speak No Evil, where this Danish couple meet a Dutch couple and get invited to come stay at the Dutch family's house for a weekend. Then the Dutch family become increasingly rude/hostile while the Danish couple are too polite to say anything/put a stop to it. It was dark but definitely one of the more interesting movies I've seen lately.
debinprogress t1_j63xzfe wrote
Came here for this comment, and it did not disappoint 👏🏻
stewieatb t1_j65yrfm wrote
I quote this often, but usually say "the French"
dom_corleone t1_j65nd71 wrote
I absolutely lovee saying this quote
Le_Rex t1_j687uzz wrote
You mean "The D🤬tch"
No need for such vile language here.
wewhomustnotbenamed OP t1_j62t2pr wrote
NOOOO.. not the Fr*nch!
Edit: the original AP tweet has been deleted/hidden.
DBH2019 t1_j63y9qe wrote
Does the book also have a picture of the Fr*nch folks two moods during war: The Guillotine or a white flag?
jimthesquirrelking t1_j647awm wrote
That's pretty reductive, there's a third mood, brutal racism and imperialism to Africans and African nations
indomitablescot t1_j6493zb wrote
4th one : almost conquering Europe twice.
Hspryd t1_j649btw wrote
You forgot the mood where France is the country with the most military victories in the history.
RoboJesus4President t1_j65e88c wrote
Those kinda stop counting after they folded when it really mattered.
Hspryd t1_j65i5pf wrote
Love the good ol « when it really mattered » speaking of History continuum haha !
I hope every conscious existences draw values out of their short lives and recognize that their choices and perspectives do matter in the era they’re born in.
p314159i t1_j65hbqp wrote
I'd probably stop fighting too after getting everything you ever dreamed of in the last war and it still not being worth it only having to do it fucking over 20 years later.
ShadowDragon8685 t1_j66l3cb wrote
Let's also not forget that thanks to a combination of French generals preparing really really hard for the last war for twenty years, and the Nazis' perfect willingness to invade literally anyone, the Nazis managed to bypass the French army more or less entirely and go running rampage throughout the rest of France, having seized the capitol while the bulk of the French military was still manning the Maginot Line.
jimthesquirrelking t1_j64c8aj wrote
Frogs Mad 😡🐸
glorilol95 t1_j64g2jm wrote
Without those frogs, you would just be another British colony.... 1500 years of history while your kids can barely picture their country on a map lol
Jrubas t1_j64txhe wrote
Without us, the French would be speaking German right now, so I think we're even.
glorilol95 t1_j652qr7 wrote
nice of you to dismiss, UK,Canada,australia etc ....how american of you
bruh you owe france you entire fucking existance....from your lands to your entire fucking constitution. you country as you know it would never exist.
france is the last country who owe you something, pull your BS elsewhere
Jrubas t1_j6575m0 wrote
Perhaps you've forgotten - or never knew, since you clearly have something against America - that our production capabilities kept the Soviet army in the fight. Khrushchev himself stated that without shipments of Spam from America, the USSR wouldn't have been able to feed its army. If they couldn't feed their army, the Germans would have knocked them out of the fight. If the Germans had knocked the Russians out of the fight, the UK, Canada, and Australia - hell, even the US itself - probably wouldn't have been able to stop the Germans. The Russians suffered millions upon millions of war deaths. Translate that to the Western front (because Russia's out of the war) and what you have is a German victory. So yes, the French would be speaking German right now.
Maybe it's time Europeans showed a little gratitude and stopped with this snobby holier-than-thou bullshit. The French helped us and we helped them. We wouldn't exist without them and without us there'd be swastika flags all over Paris.
Idk where Europeans get off thinking they're so much better than us when a full half of it spent the 20th Century under fascism, Nazism, or Communism. If they were so much better than us, they wouldn't keep sending people to death camps.
Or, you know, relying on a Russian dictator for most of their natural gas lol.
[deleted] t1_j65c0he wrote
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Bushmancometh t1_j65lr9q wrote
Man we went from shitposting to actual butthurt real fast. Supposedly Americans are the thin skinned ones lmao
[deleted] t1_j65mtm7 wrote
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Bushmancometh t1_j65nsbf wrote
that deleted comment though...
m0le t1_j64x0mq wrote
Vietnamese in the background like "what, we don't matter?"
sharrrper t1_j63cuyt wrote
Here's my universal translator. Unfortunately it can only translate into an obscure dead language.
Hello?
Bonjour!
Crazy gibberish!
surferos505 t1_j651q30 wrote
Good news everyone!!
froggison t1_j63ajs4 wrote
This is being taken way out of context. (However, even in context, it's still a little dumb.) They aren't saying don't say "The French" in general, they were using that as an example of how you shouldn't write any nationality. The French, The Dutch, The Japanese, etc. Instead, you should write French people, Dutch people, and Japanese people, etc.
Obviously they weren't going up to bat to defend the poor, downtrodden French people. Just using it as an example.
WinoWithAKnife t1_j63bckb wrote
It's not just nationalities, it's other descriptors like that as well. In their post (which as far as I know was just a post of an excerpt from their guide, not a change), they also explicitly called out, ironically given your last sentence, 'the poor'.
KimJongIlSunglasses t1_j63kfzn wrote
But he’s using that as anadjective for “the french” lol.
Coelacanth3 t1_j63cvyq wrote
It kind of makes sense tbh, "the" descriptors for nationalities aren't super offensive or anything but they do come across as slightly disrespectul and there are better ways of phrasing it, same for "the poor".
OutOfStamina t1_j641u58 wrote
I find it an indicator of someone's other ideas. if they say "republicans" but also say "the democrats", they really give away their hand on many positions without even knowing it. Maybe it's a dogwhistle and I'm supposed to pick up on that... but I think most don't know they do it, just part of their programming.
chucklesbro t1_j65hgu7 wrote
Not programming, useful. What should I say when I want to make a statement about all french people collectively? For example, The French pay higher income taxes than The Germans (I have no idea if this is true). That is not offensive. And, it does not mean precisely the same thing as saying French tax rates are higher than German tax rates.
TenzenEnna t1_j661ula wrote
"France has a higher income tax than Germany"
Doesn't seem that hard IMO.
You could say "Your average French citizen will pay a higher income tax than their German counterpart" if you wanted to fancy it up.
​
Also same claim as above, No idea if that's true, just showing sentences.
OutOfStamina t1_j6e18qe wrote
>What should I say when I want to make a statement about all french people collectively?
In your question you literally just did it without saying the more dehumanizing "the French". So... "French people" by your own example. "All french people"... "Some french people"... just a few ways to not use "the".
omni42 t1_j65ij2i wrote
It's a pretty solid sign they don't see that group as people, they see them as a block of other. It's not that it's rude, but what follows it probably will be.
froggison t1_j63cs2n wrote
Yep, thanks for clarifying my comment! I just meant that "the French" part was referring to nationalities. But, yes, the sentiment was to avoid using "The [x]" and instead write something like "[x] people."
WinoWithAKnife t1_j63d4ey wrote
Yeah I knew what you meant, I just thought it was amusing.
RoyChavelle t1_j63kv2e wrote
They were saying it was ironic because in your last sentence you said “the poor” in the same sentence as the term French people. Just a silly - pretty good silly Wino
featherfooted t1_j64w5jj wrote
It's a series of adjectives though?
"the poor, downtrodden French people"
That's not "the poor & the French"
RoyChavelle t1_j65fpbb wrote
They’re just saying it’s funny that the two words ended up being together, not that the person is wrong, it’s what could be best described as a “dad joke”.
Prince_Day t1_j6548ak wrote
‘The’ in that sentence refers to ‘people’.
AUniquePerspective t1_j64jdfb wrote
Notably, because this is reddit, it's the same grammatical issue of taking something that should be an adjective and using it as the noun to define a group that we see when someone writes females.
cthulu0 t1_j64buhu wrote
Its still sort of dumb and helps creates the problem its supposed to 'solve':
fahrvergnugget t1_j654d15 wrote
First of all a clip from the office isn't the authority on whats considered racist language. Secondly, Michael asking in good faith what's a less offensive term than Mexican is still better than him just straight up saying "You Mexican!" in an offensive way.
cthulu0 t1_j65orrw wrote
>...authority on ....racist language
Oh man I work in HR and I was going to screen the Diversity Day episode in my presentation to the employees, but good thing you warned me else I would have been in serious trouble!!! Thanks man!
Itavan t1_j65udfh wrote
I found out recently (I have Jewish friends) that calling someone a Jew is not nice. You have to say "Jewish person." I had no idea. Ditto not calling people the Dutch, the French, etc. I wouldn't be insulted if someone called me "the American", depending on their tone of voice.
SoySauceSyringe t1_j67lkab wrote
I don’t think you’re giving yourself enough credit. I bet you kinda had an inkling. Like, let’s say you have one uncle who talks about “Jewish people” and one uncle who talks about “the Jews.” You’ve got a gut feeling as to which one might not be speaking about them so nicely, don’t you?
[deleted] t1_j63eegz wrote
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wildernessmafia100 t1_j64sic4 wrote
Yes let us make an example of the French
PunxNotDed22 t1_j68szyp wrote
This sounds like a spin off of the "Ukraine or the Ukraine" debates that happened last year.
Devz0r t1_j64nefj wrote
We can’t sanitize everything. Sometimes it really feels like there’s a push more toward “doubleplus ungood”. Not everything needs to be scrutinized and under the microscope
inb4 literally 1984
idler_JP t1_j66ofdm wrote
From the Sublime, to the Ridiculous.
Oh, sorry! I mean from Sublime people, to individuals who suffer from Ridiculousness.
nmj95123 t1_j663ca0 wrote
They claim it to be dehumanizing because it may "... sound dehumanizing and imply a monolith rather than diverse individuals." How does "French people" imply a monolith any less than "the French?"
lindberghbaby t1_j63i9u8 wrote
No shit
Kind_Bullfrog_4073 t1_j65y8jp wrote
People is insensitive to those who don't identify as people.
blazinrumraisin t1_j66enf6 wrote
How about fuck all that bullshit.
Flying_Reinbeers t1_j63e1yo wrote
the fr*nch
chucklesbro t1_j65ggnj wrote
And yet, people of France refer to "The Americans" frequently.
MajorPownage t1_j62tpsg wrote
The Fr*nch 🤮
Ceutical_Citizen t1_j655j6c wrote
The only thing worse than the Bri*ish. 🤢
ReillyDiefenbach t1_j62tg98 wrote
CogitoErgoScum t1_j62viz2 wrote
Mmnnhaa The Frensch . . Champagne . .
wildernessmafia100 t1_j64sbjh wrote
Orson is wasted
emp_raf_III t1_j65n7mr wrote
CelebratedeverywherefortheireXCEllence...
menlindorn t1_j63931o wrote
The AP Stylebook
nenohrok t1_j62ube1 wrote
AP Stylebook is what the French call «les incompétents».
SocDemGenZGaytheist t1_j641oc9 wrote
Here's what AP means:
- instead of "the transgenders," it's probably better to say "transgender people."
- instead of "the blacks," it's probably better to say "Black people."
- instead of "the Jews," it's probably better to say "Jewish people."
- instead of "the LGBTQ," it's probably better to say "LGBTQ people."
- instead of "the schizophrenics," it's probably better to say "schizophrenic people."
- instead of "the homeless," it's probably better to say "homeless people."
- and yes, instead of "the French," it may be better to say "French people."
Until yesterday I had no idea this was any kind of official AP standard. I just noticed that bigoted people talking about groups they hate often avoid calling those groups’ members "people."
Plus, using the plural "people" helps us avoid one of the most common thinking errors in social/political discourse: treating a group like they are all one singular allied organization with the same goals and desires when, in reality, the group has a diverse range of disagreeing opinions and different experiences.
(I feel like it must mean something that transphobes keep using weird phrases like "transgenders" and "transgenderism" and "the transgenders" to refer to trans people.)
techitaway t1_j66407w wrote
I know they used "the French" and everyone's having fun with it. But if I had a nickel for everytime I've heard "the Mexicans/the Chinese..." Followed by something racist as fuck...
SoySauceSyringe t1_j67lsc1 wrote
Made a similar comment before, but yeah. Let’s say you have two uncles, and one refers to Jewish people while the other talks about the Jews. Do you think one of them is maybe a little more likely than the other to say something antisemitic?
You already knew the answer, let’s not pretend this is coming outta nowhere.
HearthstoneOnly t1_j669xn3 wrote
Are people going to be less racist when they start their sentences with "The Chinese people?" This tone-policing is needless.
idler_JP t1_j66qkog wrote
Yes, by convincing the racists to continuously come up with more and more euphemisms and dog whistles, they will gradually be convinced WRT the superiority of liberal thinking, and therefore cease to be racist.
Oh no, wait, it's just a counterproductive excuse for circlejerk virtue signalling on the left that often actually insultingly infantilises the oppressed. Sorry, the oppressed people.
But hey, we all looove a bit of moral high ground ...when it doesn't cost any money
Darnell2070 t1_j6datxg wrote
This guy dog whistles.
Kind_Bullfrog_4073 t1_j65yevl wrote
So AP just wants people to spend more time talking
HearthstoneOnly t1_j669uns wrote
This is such a weird cultural issue to take a side on. All this does is create needless hostility as folks over-assume each other.
chucklesbro t1_j65fzoi wrote
"people of trans"?
SocDemGenZGaytheist t1_j65qbu7 wrote
or, yknow, just "trans people"
Doktor_musmatta t1_j62y6zu wrote
You mean "the F-word"
WurthWhile t1_j643te8 wrote
Which one? Fuck or Fr*nch?
notapoliticalalt t1_j66kbnl wrote
Pourquoi pas les deux?
Arbernaut t1_j63rbv7 wrote
The French are not going to like this.
Lovecr4ft t1_j64ond6 wrote
It touches one without moving the other one.
Adelefushia t1_j64qay9 wrote
Just came back from r/france, so far us frogs find it pretty funny actually. Ever since I read the article I was sure I would find this on r/nottheonion.
Bleu_Cerise t1_j64vxvb wrote
It is already on r/paslegorafi
[deleted] t1_j66e8ck wrote
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DeMimsyPorpington t1_j63ppri wrote
Opposite effect for The Ohio State
metikoi t1_j63bmy5 wrote
Remember, you must hate a Frenchman as you hate the devil.
thatnickyboy t1_j63gzwd wrote
This message was approved by Italy.
TommyTuttle t1_j6551ot wrote
Stop calling them The French.
They are people. People With Frenchness.
aresef t1_j65k6dx wrote
People experiencing Frenchness*
Wait, no, that's imprecise. Because it could mean tourists too.
onetonenote t1_j63q62q wrote
The author Hari Kunzru quipped, “The accepted usage is ‘People with macarons.’”
Punk18 t1_j643vqh wrote
Freedom fries
notapoliticalalt t1_j66klt0 wrote
That’s freedom people fries to you!
Anthropoligize t1_j647ccq wrote
“The French are assholes, Lloyd.”
BEN-C93 t1_j64s6l7 wrote
The French should as a whole pretend to be more human then, if the label of being French is dehumanising.
Yours sincerely, The English.
EliseOvO t1_j6303qt wrote
Ah shit, am I racist now?
yellowlinedpaper t1_j647u5e wrote
Can one still go off and get high with the French?
Kelgan79 t1_j64swwp wrote
Nobody here in France gives a damn f*ck about all of this BS actually. Creating controversies for nothing left and right. As someboy else said before "it touches one without moving the other one" actually.
nyrB2 t1_j65163p wrote
this is such a non-issue - AP was obviously using "the French" as an example, not singling out French people in particular.
Frigorifico t1_j66br22 wrote
French (derogatory)
Double-Parked_TARDIS t1_j62w2zu wrote
Zut alors! But do you really expect much better from people who loathe the serial comma?
Safe_Departure7867 t1_j630pqz wrote
Never read such schlock as “Ivanhoe” is what they were really saying…
[deleted] t1_j632ezq wrote
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PlasticGirl t1_j636zt1 wrote
This is clearly wrong, because in electronic music, "The French" are on another level of quality.
Gruntfuttoc t1_j638b4b wrote
Do they prefer something less offensive?
kirkl3s t1_j63hi9e wrote
I would be very offended if someone called me Fr*nch
whimsicalphysics t1_j63qkk8 wrote
Was reading an article yesterday and Syphilis used to be known as "the French Disease". National pride was something.
pixelburger t1_j63x6gv wrote
Nothing to do with the French per se
bnightm t1_j64a4h0 wrote
What in the world is going on in the comments of this post.
RingGiver t1_j64glnn wrote
If you called me French, I would be offended.
SilasX t1_j64gwww wrote
"Hey -- cut that out, that's not professional. You can't just compare someone to 'the French', a fictional society made up as an over-the-top example of people who are dainty and cowardly, more interested in setting up beautiful boulevards than the invading armies marching down them."
'Um, sir...' *whisper whisper whisper*
"Oh ... well, shit."
purrcthrowa t1_j64h474 wrote
True, but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing, right?
(To be fair, I love France and a high proportion of the French. It's just the Parisians who are the problem, as all non-Parisian French would agree).
FistsofHulk t1_j64o5n0 wrote
Including after the word Pass and before the word Fries?
Adelefushia t1_j64qu1y wrote
TIL I’ve been dehumanizing myself since the day I was born. More seriously, the quote was taken out of context. AP thinks it’s better to say « French people » instead of « the French ».
chucklesbro t1_j65f5ug wrote
How about "people of France"?
p314159i t1_j65gwiy wrote
To be fair it is quite dehumanizing to be called the french.
Atlas-Kyo t1_j65ivzf wrote
The French are problematic?
That sounds a bit racist to me.
Kind_Bullfrog_4073 t1_j65y1v0 wrote
"Individuals of the nation of France" is the politically correct term.
owreely t1_j667epr wrote
but what about groups of people commonly united by culture that have not been allowed to form some kind of officially recognized nationhood?
I feel "the nation" is an inconsiderate and wildly offensive phrase.
metamagicman t1_j6625dm wrote
When they get rid of their colonies maybe we can talk. Until then they’ll be the dirty French.
WeLiveInAnOceanOfGas t1_j663pep wrote
magpietribe t1_j66ahup wrote
The Redditors just spat their coffee on their phones.
[deleted] t1_j66g09c wrote
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cstmoore t1_j6737m5 wrote
But "Belgian" is still acceptable? /s
VanDenBroeck t1_j68km8s wrote
I really liked this comment from the link.
“Instead of ‘The French’, the term ‘cheese-eating surrender monkeys’ is preferred.”
Spot on!
jimi15 t1_j6a0vt9 wrote
In opposite to what? Since when was proper grammatics dehumanising?
yourgoodfriendgeoff t1_j6arozd wrote
This is false. It says you should use adjectives as adjectives, not nouns. French people, not the French. Just as it’s black people, not The Blacks.
[deleted] t1_j6op6d9 wrote
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yessschef t1_j63jcxc wrote
Paper probably written by some French person
mechy84 t1_j63lgrs wrote
Could someone please pass ___ French dressing.
chucklesbro t1_j65g6h3 wrote
I'm on a roll..."please pass the dressing of France"
hairy_potto t1_j63qhrb wrote
*Not onion people
Manimal31 t1_j63x97r wrote
Devil's advocate here. Don't the french kinda deserve some shade. They are the french by the way
BobDogGo t1_j63hoyk wrote
Let's not call them anything, let's just ignore them
Zombie_Jesus_83 t1_j638ajb wrote
Easy fix. Instead of using The French substitute "cheese-eating surrender monkeys."
doitnow10 t1_j63eb7b wrote
In Germany we like to call them "frog-eaters"
superflygrover t1_j65lf4u wrote
Bonjourrrr, Simpsons fans!
Jump_Like_A_Willys t1_j635u6t wrote
“There are two things I can’t stand in the world: People who are intolerant of other people’s cultures, and the Dutch.” -- Nigel Powers