aproposfrance-usa.blogspot.com
A Propos France-USA: November 2012
http://aproposfrance-usa.blogspot.com/2012_11_01_archive.html
An ongoing exploration of both French and American cultures, societies, languages and politics. Sunday, November 18, 2012. At so many levels, France and the United States seem to hold contrasting if not opposed values: the Americans are more prone to self-reliance,. Action (including war) and black-and-white rhetoric when the French believe in the nanny state. Co-operation, diplomacy and ambiguity. To paraphrase Robert Kagan's famous words. Beyond their provocative cover, The Economist has a great analys...
aproposfrance-usa.blogspot.com
A Propos France-USA: February 2013
http://aproposfrance-usa.blogspot.com/2013_02_01_archive.html
An ongoing exploration of both French and American cultures, societies, languages and politics. Monday, February 25, 2013. A French-American Spat that Will not Be. Franco-American relationships took a blow this week, thanks to American CEO of tire maker Maurice Taylor. Mr Taylor did not only dismiss the French government invitation to invest in a struggling tire factory in northern France, he did so by writing a letter that has shocked la France entière. 8221; workers put in “ three hours a day. France d...
aproposfrance-usa.blogspot.com
A Propos France-USA: June 2012
http://aproposfrance-usa.blogspot.com/2012_06_01_archive.html
An ongoing exploration of both French and American cultures, societies, languages and politics. Tuesday, June 12, 2012. French Catfight or Les Liaisons Dangereuses. This story seems SO French as if it came out of a French 18th century novel. Maybe this is good - it plays along clichés about France and the French. France's new first lady took a very public swipe at her partner's ex, Segolene Royal, with a good luck tweet sent Tuesday to the politician standing against her in parliamentary polls. Hollande,...
aproposfrance-usa.blogspot.com
A Propos France-USA: President Obama's Inaugural Address, a New Rhetorical Strategy.
http://aproposfrance-usa.blogspot.com/2013/01/president-obamas-inaugural-address-new.html
An ongoing exploration of both French and American cultures, societies, languages and politics. Sunday, January 27, 2013. President Obama's Inaugural Address, a New Rhetorical Strategy. A presidential inaugural address is a ritual of transition linking past, present and future as well as a reflection on the people, the citizenry and national identity. That's at least according to Karlyn Campbell, and Kathleen Jamieson in their masterpiece on presidential speeches. Particularly relevant when it comes to c...
aproposfrance-usa.blogspot.com
A Propos France-USA: Lance Armstrong's French Bashing.
http://aproposfrance-usa.blogspot.com/2013/01/lance-armstrongs-french-bashing.html
An ongoing exploration of both French and American cultures, societies, languages and politics. Sunday, January 20, 2013. Lance Armstrong's French Bashing. While Lance Armstrong's "confession" is pathetic, his lie would have not lasted so long, had the sports news media not been so jingoistic, especially after EPO was find in samples of his urine by France’s national anti-doping agency (AFLD) in 2005. Armstrong immediately replied on his website, saying, "Unfortunately, the witch hunt. Americans and the ...
aproposfrance-usa.blogspot.com
A Propos France-USA: How American Series (sometimes) Reinforce Negative Clichés about the World.
http://aproposfrance-usa.blogspot.com/2013/03/how-american-series-sometimes-reinforce.html
An ongoing exploration of both French and American cultures, societies, languages and politics. Saturday, March 2, 2013. How American Series (sometimes) Reinforce Negative Clichés about the World. Ven though the number of U.S. passports issued is on the rise, a majority of Americans do not travel and view the world only through what they hear and see in the media. This lack of exposure makes them an easy prey to clichés and nothing is better than fiction to reinforce or change clichés. The 'cultural clas...
aproposfrance-usa.blogspot.com
A Propos France-USA: Django Unchained and the Victim Empowerment.
http://aproposfrance-usa.blogspot.com/2013/01/django-unchained-and-victim-empowerment.html
An ongoing exploration of both French and American cultures, societies, languages and politics. Sunday, January 20, 2013. Django Unchained and the Victim Empowerment. As often with Quentin Tarantino, Django Unchained is a revenge/rescue tale with a mix of violent action, humor and multiple low budget cinematic references from the 70s (in this case the "spaghetti western"). SPOILER ALERT- - -. THE MAKING OF A HERO. Which may reflect on his immaturity. The actual rite of passage for Django is not just the ...
aproposfrance-usa.blogspot.com
A Propos France-USA: September 2012
http://aproposfrance-usa.blogspot.com/2012_09_01_archive.html
An ongoing exploration of both French and American cultures, societies, languages and politics. Saturday, September 22, 2012. American Civility vs. French Lack-thereof. This, however, is very far from the reality of day-to-day life of ordinary Americans. They may be some hypocrites of course - there always are - but it is true that essentially Americans are a very generous and helpful people. In this week's Economist, Lexington. Also found that civility in the United States endures:. This could not be mo...
aproposfrance-usa.blogspot.com
A Propos France-USA: Same Sex Marriage Debate(s)?
http://aproposfrance-usa.blogspot.com/2013/02/same-sex-marriage-debates.html
An ongoing exploration of both French and American cultures, societies, languages and politics. Sunday, February 10, 2013. Same Sex Marriage Debate(s)? It is quite rare that similar legislation are debated at about the same time on either side of the Channel, but this month, both the U.K. and France are about to make same-sex marriage legal. In both countries, the legislation has large public support ( here. WHAT ABOUT THE UNITED STATES THEN? But, as always with the U.S., most laws are defined by...And O...
aproposfrance-usa.blogspot.com
A Propos France-USA: Ordinary Heroes in SOTU Addresses.
http://aproposfrance-usa.blogspot.com/2013/02/ordinary-heroes-in-sotu-addresses.html
An ongoing exploration of both French and American cultures, societies, languages and politics. Monday, February 25, 2013. Ordinary Heroes in SOTU Addresses. Heroes have always played a central role in American culture, starting with the pioneer, or the cowboy of the Frontier, extending to national political heroic figures like the Founding Fathers, George Washington (like in this statue of Washington as Zeus in the National Museum of American History. But not everyone can be a George Washington, an Abra...
