March 20, 2003

LEARNING FRANCOPHOOBIA FROM THE MASTERS:

Outrage at Sun Chirac jibe (SALLY BROOK and MEL HUNTER, March 21, 2003, The Sun)
THE Sun hit Paris yesterday to show the world our disgust at the cowardice of President Jacques "The Worm" Chirac for wriggling out of his responsibilities to the West.

We took copies of a French edition of our newspaper labelling Chirac as Saddam Hussein's whore.

Describing his actions as those of a "Paris harlot", The Sun argued he was as big a threat to the civilised world as Iraq's tyrant.

Sadly but predictably, the poor, misled French people backed their spineless president to the hilt. [...]

[A]ngelique Bienassis, 19, said: "You cannot call Chirac a harlot. That is so offensive to the French people. Whatever his faults he is our protector."


We still have so much to learn from the mother country. Posted by Orrin Judd at March 20, 2003 10:23 PM
Comments

This is rich. The French teen objects to a rather mild and humorous diss of their president while burning our president in effigy and sending pretzels hoping he will choke and die. This really is a culture I have no interest in ever visiting again.

Posted by: Melissa at March 21, 2003 12:59 AM

The cartoon is horrifying, but I can't take my eyes off it.



I like that la teen francais calls Chirac her "protector." The french are a parody of themselves.

Posted by: NKR at March 21, 2003 2:00 AM

I wonder if they teach stuff like this in American journalism schools....



British papers are truly the best in the world.

Posted by: M Ali Choudhury at March 21, 2003 5:02 AM

This does the Post's "Axis of Weasels" picture one better!

Posted by: Buttercup at March 21, 2003 8:03 AM

"Whatever his faults he is our protector"



And how is this different from "My country, right or wrong." which has been for decades deried by sophisticates? I thought the Euro-French were supposed to be above naked jingoism and cults of personality.

Posted by: Raoul Ortega at March 21, 2003 12:11 PM

Canadian papers aren't too shabby, either.



The ombudsman at the Toronto Star wrote that one of his columnistss (the inane Zerbisias) had demonstrated how a columnist could "suck and blow at the same time."



I can still remember the unease and reluctance when I became the first reporter ever to use the word condom in a story -- 15 years ago.



Of all Tom Wolfe's great ideas, his description of the American press as "the Genteel Beast" was the surest.



I agree with Mr. Choudury that English papers are lots of fun. But I don't trust any of their reporting. American papers are dull -- my editors even dull up my stuff -- and unadventurous, but quite a lot in them is more or less accurate.

Posted by: Harry Eagar at March 21, 2003 5:52 PM

Harry:



Until reporters learn economics and demographics little they write in world affairs will be even remotely accurate.

Posted by: oj at March 21, 2003 11:09 PM

I know both.

Posted by: Harry Eagar at March 22, 2003 12:59 PM
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