French Anti-Americanism

If you aren't already following The Browser's "Five Books" series you should. They ask an expert about his or her subject by way of five books, and the expert explains how each book sheds light on the subject.

Today's post is an interview with historian Richard Kuisel about one of my favorite subjects: French anti-Americanism. Describing Philippe Roger's "The American Enemy", he states:

If you go back to the 18th century there is an expression of cultural superiority. French intellectuals saw America as a rude country of immigrants lacking any cultural eminence. So there is a Gallic condescension operating here. Even to this day there is a belief that the French are the guardians of culture and we [Americans] are the purveyors of some kind of cultural pap. Roger is trying to ridicule this discourse which he finds biased, hypocritical and uninformed. He is trying to remove a toxin from French intellectual life.

I will never forget my oral exam on the French foreign language exam I took after my year of studying abroad here in France. (Both the oral and written exams were fascinating examples of French chauvinism and anti-Americanism.)

The subject was cultural preservation in a changing world, and the professor basically told me that Americans don't have a real culture. We are just a mix of many different cultures.

The French, of course, have a real culture.

No need for me to rail on about the subject. Check out the interview and maybe even read the books. Lots of good stuff there.