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The French On Julia Child: Elle Est Okay.
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TheFormerJuneBronson
09/17/09

In reply to The French On Julia Child: Elle Est Okay.
Somewhere out there, I'm thinking, Simone Beck is amused as hell.
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bowleserised
09/17/09

In reply to The French On Julia Child: Elle Est Okay.
I once pitched an article (maybe it was at the height of the Freedom Fries business) about the sheer volume of "Eat/Dress/Walk/Home Decorate/Shit Like a Frenchwoman" books available to English speakers, but alas, it wasn't commissioned. I was just fascinated that the French were held up as such paragons of living. I'm not saying they're not great, just amused that "Frenchness" seemed to be the agreed upon sine qua non.
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sara-without-an-h
09/17/09

@bowleserised: Honestly we are bemused by it too. I read the book about how to eat like a French woman and it did not really remind me of anyone's way of life I know. Oh well. At least I can always elicit a gasp when people realize I'm French and a terrible dresser.
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bowleserised
09/17/09

@sara-without-an-h: What? You mean you don't know how to tie a snappy little neckscarf twenty different ways???
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hatepaperdoll
09/17/09

@sara-without-an-h: But you do have a glass of Veuve Clicquot with every meal, right?
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sara-without-an-h
09/17/09

@hatepaperdoll: Bien sûr, while I tie my snappy neckscarf and smoke theatrically with my younger boyfriend.
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Seeräuber Jenny
09/17/09

@bowleserised:

It is a bit much, especially when French culture is fetishized by people with little knowledge of France or the French language, but can you imagine:

"Eat/Dress/Walk/Home Decorate/Shit Like a German"

"Eat/Dress/Walk/Home Decorate/Shit Like an Englishwoman" ?

It may be marketing and self-promotion but the French do it better than anybody else.
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bowleserised
09/17/09

@Seeräuber Jenny: I know, and that's what fascinates me! Presumably the Italians come second.
Mind you, "Dress like an Englishman" is an extremely popular notion worldwide (can't move for English Gentlemen's Outfitters here in Germany). Although, as with the Frenchwomen, it's an extremely idealised, stereotyped Englishman they have in mind.
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Seeräuber Jenny
09/17/09

@bowleserised:

The thing is, no one hits on all cylinders like the French. It is fantasy France, but they are amazingly successful at it.

I also think that internationally, French culture is still the culture that most everyone thinks is the most refined, sophisticated, etc. It's unifying.

If you want to emulate a Western, non-Anglo Saxon culture, there's France.
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Seeräuber Jenny
09/17/09

@bowleserised: It's fascinating how strong the image is. For example, intellectually, I know that there are sexy Germans, but the first image that springs to mind is of women in stiff dirndls and white cotton stockings and men the color of bratwurst in lederhosen. (I know, that's every cliche in the book except for the Nazis).

But German is spoken by more people than French.
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Edited by Seeräuber Jenny at 09/17/09 5:30 PM Seeräuber Jenny was starred Seeräuber Jenny was unstarred

applebrown-betty
09/17/09

@bowleserised: burrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrberry
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Misiula
09/20/09

@Seeräuber Jenny: German is spoken by more people than French? Really? I'd think it's the opposite -- what about now independent countries that used to be French colonies? There's a lot of native speakers of French outside France. Plus, French is by far more popular among foreign language learners in the U.S.
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Lindisima
09/17/09

In reply to The French On Julia Child: Elle Est Okay.
Wiith the changes Americans are making to our diets such as the move from high fructose corn syrups to cane sugar and from margarine to butter, as well as the popularization of the French Paradox (wherein people eat food that actually has more flavor is more satisfying but in smaller portions) there will be more room on our shelves for The Art of French Cooking. It's the ultimate word in cooking locally and seasonally.
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Seeräuber Jenny
09/17/09

@Lindisima:

The French have an increasing obesity problem.
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Lindisima
09/17/09

@Seeräuber Jenny: This is most certainly due to stepping away from their traditional diet and into the local MacDo.
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RStewie
09/17/09

In reply to The French On Julia Child: Elle Est Okay.
Meanwhile, nerdy Canada is all "America doesn't even SEE me! :,("
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KLondike5
09/17/09

@RStewie: And Americans threaten to move there when politics here suck, like Canada's our back-up date to the prom. :(

That's it...I'm going to start talking up how sophisticated and mysterious Canadians are. Wish me luck!
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Mary McCarthyite
09/17/09

In reply to The French On Julia Child: Elle Est Okay.
Oof!

I Googled "canard farci" and a handful of disturbing videos and images appeared: a scenario involving a duck and a dog.

Mon dieu!
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Tchotchke
09/17/09

In reply to The French On Julia Child: Elle Est Okay.
As mentionned above, the importance of Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" is not necessarily important because it is an untouchable bastion of French cuisine. Rather, it encapsulates a style of cooking that was extremely popular in post-WWII France and among the well-to-do in the United States. You will likely never see curly parsley put on a plate as a garnish in this country anymore, because we've come to think of it as dated, but at the time, it was novel. Millions of people bought Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and in turn, their notions of cuisine, of the possiblities of what cuisine could be, were indubitably changed. An entire generation of chefs grew up reading that book, and that's why it is significant.

Also, the French love Jerry Lewis, and in my experience, B-list American action heros, so there's no accounting for taste.
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futuremouse
09/17/09

In reply to The French On Julia Child: Elle Est Okay.
Les poissons, les poissons
Hee-hee-hee, haw-haw-haw

This is what I imagine all French chefs to be like.
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bananastand
09/17/09

@futuremouse: Now I STUFF YOU WITH BREAD. Won't hurt, 'cause you're dead!
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Mary McCarthyite
09/17/09

@futuremouse: ZUT ALORS!
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keldo
09/17/09

In reply to The French On Julia Child: Elle Est Okay.
"Like a cheerleader rebuffing a nerd." Yes! My husband divides his time between the US and France and the comparisons between the two are unending in our house. We just can't win with the French.
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fulanita
09/17/09

In reply to The French On Julia Child: Elle Est Okay.
Do the french actually think that Americans still hold Julia Child up as the paragon of the latest-and-greatest French cuisine? If so they are the ones who are a bit behind the times, non?

PS to France - Spain is kicking your ass food-wise anyway so neener, neener, neener.
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Lady Skittlehattington
09/17/09

In reply to The French On Julia Child: Elle Est Okay.
We are so poor, we do not even have a language. Just thees stupid accent!

She's a-right. We all talk like Maurice Chevalier! Ohhh ho ho!
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Penny
09/17/09

In reply to The French On Julia Child: Elle Est Okay.
I read this this morning and laughed. Silly French.
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otherginger
09/17/09

In reply to The French On Julia Child: Elle Est Okay.
Kind of hard to explain Jacques Pepin's love and admiration for Ms. Child, then, isn't it, France?
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Lymed
09/17/09

@otherginger: Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home is absolute television genius and it is clear that they adore each others' company as they each cook in their own way: Jacques with herbs and Julia with butter.
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Dodgergirl
09/17/09

In reply to The French On Julia Child: Elle Est Okay.
You know what France? That's fine! We'll just change the title to "Mastering the Art of FREEDOM Cooking."

What do you have to say about THAT?
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BlueJeans
09/17/09

@Dodgergirl: I was in high school when all that ridiculousness started up, and my friends and I started referring to "Freedom kissing" a lot. I still do, every once in a while, but then people roll their eyes when I giggle.
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