Monday, March 21, 2011

America in Paris!


Funny. last evening as I was coming home I saw this big American flag in a window of an art gallery. I could not help but getting closer and seeing what was inside... An exhibition called USA: New York and Route 66, by Arnaud d'Aunay, a former banker who became an artist somewhere along the road.  I did not get to see the rest because the gallery was closed, but I certainly will. It's funny  to see the images that represent a country for foreigners; I know that Americans think the French wear a beret and carry a baguette wherever they go ;-) and the French think the average American drives an old Oldsmobiles Chevy, eat hamburgers and say the F word every 5 seconds (the latter comes from what we hear in American movies!).

38 comments:

  1. So true. But I drive a hamburger, eat the F word and say Oldsmobile every five seconds. Life in America can get boring if we don't switch it up once in a while.

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  2. Les Français think the Americans drop the "F-Bomb" every 5 seconds - because (it seems) we do, especially on both coasts.

    As a young adult, «Louis» lived in Amarillo, TX along Route 66 and home to the Cadillac Ranch (scroll down). Also, scroll down HERE after viewing the link above.

    Route 66 also passed through Tulsa, Oklahoma.

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  3. Ha ha, Suzy! I was gonna say that that is a very accurate description of Americans (except we all drive big, gas-guzzling SUVs as opposed to classy, old gas-guzzling Oldsmobiles). ;~}

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  4. The car on the flag, BTW, is a '54 Chevrolet "Two-Ten" series.

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  5. I need to go get a xxxxxxx hamburger. Where the xxxx are the xxxxxxx keys to my Olds? I left them right here in my xxxxxxx beret. I guess I'll just have a xxxxxxx baguette.

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  6. Is that an Airstream in the smaller picture?

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  7. If only we drove xxxxxxx Oldsmobiles. They don't xxxxxxx make them anymore. Whose xxxxxxx idea was that?

    Me too, Jeff. I am so xxxxxxx hungry. Let's get a xxxxxxx burger and go catch a French flick.

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  8. This American drives an old Volvo, wishes she could carry a baguette everywhere she goes only uses the F word when she drops something heavy on her foot, and lives a block and a half from Route 66.

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  9. Ahh...they don't make'em like they used to...burgers and cars that is! The four letter word I most detest in English is "very"! I think Gertrude Stein would agree. So trite, afterall. As for the F-bomb...it too is becoming so run of the mill, but it does roll so nicely from the tongue, especially after hammer meets thumb. I'm just sayin.... ;-)

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  10. My first car was a '54 Chevy!!!!!

    I haven't used the F word all day, all week or all month. There are some better sayings like hells fire and damnation! I was raised in the south....

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  11. This American drives an old Saturn, and has given up hamburgers. Unfortunately, that F word is used much too often here to my mind, so what you see in the movies might be getting close to accurate. Teenagers especially think it's no big deal. Luckily, my sons have always watched what they say around me and now around my grandson. Whew! (I make no apologies, I guess I'm a prude.)

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  12. That's how Americans are viewed? WTF? ;-)

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  13. Hi Eric, (or anyone)
    I have a request, but will try and tie it in with this post by saying that it relates to the 'sh' word, and not the F word.
    I've just been writing about poop in Paris and can't remember for the life of me the name for those cute little green poop-mobiles which used to go up and down the Champs Elysées gobbling up poop. I'd like both the official name and the humorous one too - I think there are both - thanks in advance, and watch your step!

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  14. Route 66 was such an amazing part of Americana. I think the exhibit will be fascinating to you, Eric.
    This is so funny to see your wrote Oldsmobiles and struck it out, because over the last weekend my husband found a 1989 Olds for sale in our local paper. He wanted to go see it and he talked about it ALL weekend! (We did not see it and won't be purchasing it.) I absolutely love old cars, but the days of owning one to drive are over - they are environmentally and financially not such a good idea. I had a 1956 Ford in the 1980s that I loved so much. It was robin's egg blue and I named it Buster. A great memory!

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  16. @Sab: their humorous name was "motocrottes"...

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  17. That's great Thib, thanks! I was wondering if there wasn't something like 'Poopmobile' (as in Batmobile)...

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  18. oh that's funny! we do eat hamburgers (i happen to love them!) and i drive a chevrolet, my husband a ford (he works for a ford dealer so they give him one to drive) and you do hear the f bomb quite frequently lol....do go back to the exhibit, route 66 is really an interesting topic, very americana!!

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  19. The descriptions of French and Americans seem pretty accurate to me.

    Right, got my bowler hat, my briefcase and my rolled umbrella, just of to my club for lunch.

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  20. By the way, Roast Beef for lunch today, mmmm....
    Toodle pip!

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  21. Well, I eat hamburgers (I had one last night--it was yummy), I drive a Pontiac, and I've never said the F word in my life. Nor do I ever plan to.

    My grandparents drove Route 66 when they were alive..I have a picture of them "somewhere along the road" that I love.

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  22. LOVE this picture and something I would have never guessed would show up in PARIS!! "We" love our classic cars but up here in MN, we only get to drive them a few days out of the year. Our antique car shows are classy and great family fun. Hardly anyone I know says the F word either, but was is true -- hamburgers are a main staple here, especially here in the heartland. :) Wow- Thank you Eric for an out-of-the-norm picture in Paris!

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  23. LOL. I'm just back from my 2 hour French lunch(!) reading your comments and LOL (I also red my caption and corrected all the awful mistakes that I made, shame on me, I must have been in a hurry to go to bed when I write it!!) Sorry for that...

    LOL Drummond, as usual.

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  24. Here in Canada, only hockey players us the "F" word. I prefer to get to work in a canoe although I did learn how to drive on a big old Green Olds and some of us like Poutine with fries and gravy instead of Hamburgers just to switch it up. I did adore the photo however. Route 66. Yes!

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  25. Wouldn't want to be called stereotypical, so this Yank drives no car at all, had Shepherd's pie for dinner (at a fashionably late 10 pm) last night, and sometimes blurts out "Putain!" when sufficiently vexed. Love it when you get us started, Eric.

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  26. Traveled on Route 66 in August 1947 with canvas water bags on front bumper more to put in radiator of 1939 Chevy than for drinking. Here are some interesting links: http://www.arcadiaroundbarn.org/history.htm
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Route_66

    Good early memories. Thanks Eric.

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  27. Actually Americans are there! My son and his French class are currently visiting your lovely city! Then on to Loire Valley,Saint-Malo,Normandy (of course)then back to Paris and home to Wilsonville OR again. We have friends in Dinan we are hoping he will get to visit while in StMalo....Love your site! ;)

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  28. You are so right - the hamburger abuse is out of control here. There are more Ford trucks and various SUVs than anything else. Maybe just in Texas. I have taken up using the Brits "bloody" instead of the F word. Doesn't sound as harsh.

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  29. @Alexa "Love it when you get us started, Eric." I knew what I was up to!

    PS: did you pack already?

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  30. Today was so fun to read! You guys are the best! I'll never xxxxxxx forget the word motocrotte -- what an image! : ) I had to go back and read all the posts so I could giggle all over again. Still can't stop laughing -- way stir the pot, Eric!

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  32. My first car here was an Oldsmobile. I can't remember the exact model, but the first time I put my foot down on the accelerator, the car took off like a rocket!!! Damn V8 engine was a whole lot different than driving an old 4L ;) gas was cheap back then, maybe 40 or 50 c a gallon.

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  33. How many people who would never dream of saying the F word have effed people over by their actions, their bigotry, their intolerance? I find that much more offensive.

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  34. ^ Anon, you are so right and couldn't agree more. I started commenting about that, but I figured... what's the point.

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  35. To be more precise, the "f" word you hear is only on cable TV (the premium channels). The "non-paying" cable TV (well technically we're still paying, we're just not paying enough, I guess) are properly censored. No "f" word, no nudity, no this, no that.

    So I guess if you're paying an extra $?? to see showtime or HBO, you are allowed the "privilege" of hearing the F word but if you're not paying, it becomes taboo? I never got the rationale behind that.

    F the cable company, anyway!
    (just had to throw that one in there ;)

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  36. I don't have effing cable.

    Honestly, I don't hear the f-word that much. I'm hanging out with the right crowd, I guess, or the wrong one, depending on your preference.

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