Comments on: Back from the Pyrenees http://francetales.com/2008/04/13/back-from-the-pyrenees/ Connecting expats, wit, and advice direct from Toulouse, France, we play well with others. Tue, 29 Nov 2011 06:47:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Owen http://francetales.com/2008/04/13/back-from-the-pyrenees/comment-page-1/#comment-1970 Owen Mon, 21 Apr 2008 06:46:00 +0000 http://francetales.com/2008/04/13/back-from-the-pyrenees/#comment-1970 @lost in france, I will get around to it, or you could add them, I don't mind. @Michelle, but back in the day did you listen to Queen? I did but in a carefully locked room when no one else was around, I was afraid of being banned from Gilman for listening to Queen. @David I have been told many times recently why the Smurfs are popular. I understand it now, but I still find it strange. They weren't even very good. @Bob I tread cautiously here, but who is Axelle Red? Unleash the storm. It is nice that France, and other countries just not the US, have a sense that the latest isn't always the best. They hold onto cultural icons for longer periods of time and revere them more. Of course this can work against a country too, Johnny Hallyday anyone. The kids in the English class knew a wide variety of music, much more than I, and certainly much more than any American 22 year old would have known. It was refreshing, 'the kids these days' but in a good way. @lost in france, I will get around to it, or you could add them, I don’t mind.

@Michelle, but back in the day did you listen to Queen? I did but in a carefully locked room when no one else was around, I was afraid of being banned from Gilman for listening to Queen.

@David
I have been told many times recently why the Smurfs are popular. I understand it now, but I still find it strange. They weren’t even very good.

@Bob
I tread cautiously here, but who is Axelle Red? Unleash the storm. It is nice that France, and other countries just not the US, have a sense that the latest isn’t always the best. They hold onto cultural icons for longer periods of time and revere them more. Of course this can work against a country too, Johnny Hallyday anyone. The kids in the English class knew a wide variety of music, much more than I, and certainly much more than any American 22 year old would have known. It was refreshing, ‘the kids these days’ but in a good way.

]]> By: Lost in France http://francetales.com/2008/04/13/back-from-the-pyrenees/comment-page-1/#comment-1965 Lost in France Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:33:22 +0000 http://francetales.com/2008/04/13/back-from-the-pyrenees/#comment-1965 Hmmm. Maybe you should add these in a comment to my stereotypes post! http://cyberfrance.blogspot.com/2006/10/french-stereotypes-of-french.html Hmmm. Maybe you should add these in a comment to my stereotypes post!

http://cyberfrance.blogspot.com/2006/10/french-stereotypes-of-french.html

]]> By: David http://francetales.com/2008/04/13/back-from-the-pyrenees/comment-page-1/#comment-1961 David Tue, 15 Apr 2008 11:30:56 +0000 http://francetales.com/2008/04/13/back-from-the-pyrenees/#comment-1961 Sorry Owen, I was just pretending to be offended... (that's my strange sense of humor, doesn't always translate well in the written form (and even less in English)) The thing with the smurfs is that in France (and Belgium) they are mostly known as a comic book series, not a cartoon... So their popularity is very different than the one they have/had in the US. Here they've been famous for several decades without any real peak (well, they were more popular in the 80's I think, but I'm not too sure about that). Sorry Owen,
I was just pretending to be offended… (that’s my strange sense of humor, doesn’t always translate well in the written form (and even less in English))

The thing with the smurfs is that in France (and Belgium) they are mostly known as a comic book series, not a cartoon…

So their popularity is very different than the one they have/had in the US.
Here they’ve been famous for several decades without any real peak (well, they were more popular in the 80′s I think, but I’m not too sure about that).

]]> By: Michelle Gonzales http://francetales.com/2008/04/13/back-from-the-pyrenees/comment-page-1/#comment-1959 Michelle Gonzales Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:33:23 +0000 http://francetales.com/2008/04/13/back-from-the-pyrenees/#comment-1959 I just Queen on my ipod, and while I'm not a fan of the Smurfs, Ines does love Alf. In fact, the show Alf is partially responsible for his English! I just Queen on my ipod, and while I’m not a fan of the Smurfs, Ines does love Alf. In fact, the show Alf is partially responsible for his English!

]]> By: Bob Spencer http://francetales.com/2008/04/13/back-from-the-pyrenees/comment-page-1/#comment-1957 Bob Spencer Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:08:51 +0000 http://francetales.com/2008/04/13/back-from-the-pyrenees/#comment-1957 You forgot Axelle Red (among others). One of the things that I've always found endearing about France is the fact that once one becomes popular in France, they remain popular almost forever. We Americans are quick to jump ship and champion the latest star, craze or technology. You forgot Axelle Red (among others). One of the things that I’ve always found endearing about France is the fact that once one becomes popular in France, they remain popular almost forever. We Americans are quick to jump ship and champion the latest star, craze or technology.

]]> By: Owen http://francetales.com/2008/04/13/back-from-the-pyrenees/comment-page-1/#comment-1955 Owen Mon, 14 Apr 2008 08:26:28 +0000 http://francetales.com/2008/04/13/back-from-the-pyrenees/#comment-1955 I'm sorry if it sounded like I was passing judgement so strongly. I know probably every Queen song and many I could sing at the top of my lungs, but like you I no longer listen to them. So for me it would be a mystery that they were popular again. It was a bigger mystery to find out they never stopped being popular. I watched the Smurfs every Saturday morning for years but they stopped being on TV. It would be amusing to find out that they had become popular again. I found it more amusing that they seem to be a part of the French cultural landscape. Not exactly of the highbrow sort Americans envision the French to admire. Frites et les schtroumpfs et Jacques Brel, vive la Belgique. I’m sorry if it sounded like I was passing judgement so strongly. I know probably every Queen song and many I could sing at the top of my lungs, but like you I no longer listen to them. So for me it would be a mystery that they were popular again. It was a bigger mystery to find out they never stopped being popular.

I watched the Smurfs every Saturday morning for years but they stopped being on TV. It would be amusing to find out that they had become popular again. I found it more amusing that they seem to be a part of the French cultural landscape. Not exactly of the highbrow sort Americans envision the French to admire.

Frites et les schtroumpfs et Jacques Brel, vive la Belgique.

]]> By: walt http://francetales.com/2008/04/13/back-from-the-pyrenees/comment-page-1/#comment-1954 walt Mon, 14 Apr 2008 06:35:56 +0000 http://francetales.com/2008/04/13/back-from-the-pyrenees/#comment-1954 Yup, those smurfs, or schtroumpfs in French, are a mystery. Belgium has a huge impact on French culture, and obviously the world. Frites and smurfs. Not to mention all the singers. Wow. Yup, those smurfs, or schtroumpfs in French, are a mystery. Belgium has a huge impact on French culture, and obviously the world. Frites and smurfs. Not to mention all the singers. Wow.

]]> By: David http://francetales.com/2008/04/13/back-from-the-pyrenees/comment-page-1/#comment-1953 David Mon, 14 Apr 2008 05:58:17 +0000 http://francetales.com/2008/04/13/back-from-the-pyrenees/#comment-1953 -Love of smurfs! Come on, they're one of the greatest thing coming out of France (ok, they come from Belgium, but nobody has ever heard of the country out of Europe) -Love of Queen. You mean, the band? Come on, they're one of the greatest band ever (I don't listen to them anymore, but I just grew up listening to them... literally. The oldest "non-kid" song I can remember is Bicycle Race. -Love of Jim Carrey. I didn't know about this one... But the thing with Jerry Lewis, I never understood why Americans are so obsessed with the French being obsessed with him. Sure he was big in the 60's, but he was big(ger) in the US too at the time. -Love of smurfs! Come on, they’re one of the greatest thing coming out of France (ok, they come from Belgium, but nobody has ever heard of the country out of Europe)

-Love of Queen. You mean, the band? Come on, they’re one of the greatest band ever (I don’t listen to them anymore, but I just grew up listening to them… literally. The oldest “non-kid” song I can remember is Bicycle Race.

-Love of Jim Carrey. I didn’t know about this one… But the thing with Jerry Lewis, I never understood why Americans are so obsessed with the French being obsessed with him. Sure he was big in the 60′s, but he was big(ger) in the US too at the time.

]]>