April 17, 2008
WHAT IS LEFT FOR FRANCE BUT TO APE ANGLO CULTURE?:
Eurovision song sparks French row (BBC, 4/17/08)
A French MP has said he is outraged that the song chosen to represent the nation in the Eurovision song contest has English lyrics.Jacques Myard, of the UMP party, has urged the company that runs most of France's TV networks to reconsider.
Sebastien Tellier's entry, entitled Divine, combines both English and French lyrics with electro music. [...]
Mr Myard told the BBC that allowing an English song to represent France was a fiasco: "The French language is the tool of a huge industry in terms of cultural influence and if we French give up our language, what do you think the others will say?"
Mr Myard, himself a fluent English speaker, said it was not appropriate that, in a European contest, France should "monkey another's culture".
Others will say there's hope for France yet. Posted by Orrin Judd at April 17, 2008 11:35 AM
"The French language is the tool of a huge industry in terms of cultural influence and if we French give up our language, what do you think the others will say?" ...um something in English?
Posted by: KRS at April 17, 2008 12:25 PMcombines both English and French lyrics with electro music. [...]
Have they watched "Les Girls", Gene Kelly mixed French and English eons ago and nobody was afraid Americans begin speaking French. There are Japanese/English, Chinese/English, French/English ... songs. I guess if you lack self-esteem, everything is a slight.
Posted by: ic at April 17, 2008 12:45 PMYeah, but they have *really* great trains...
Posted by: Jorge Curioso at April 17, 2008 8:01 PM