I have always been a big fan of the show ‘Futurama’. It is about a young man called Fry who is (ironically given his name), frozen cryogenically for 1000 years and emerges in the year 3000. He eventually meets a crazy inventor (and relative), who shows him his universal translator. Unfortunately it still needs work he explains: “Currently it only translates english into some dead, archaic language.”
“Hello!” says Fry.
“Bonjour!” replies the machine.
Being anti-French (using the term Gallic would probably give comfort to the enemy), has a long history in the US. There is even the long running gag (before it was corrected), that when you entered “French military victories” into Google, it would respond “did you mean French military defeats?“.
Personally I think it’s all an incredible waste of time but like so many other pointless hatreds, it has real political impact.
As the Republican candidates sling mud ever-lower in their race, it seems Newt Gingrich has struck a bizarre tactic that will be made all the more worrying if it actually works:
He has accused Mitt Rommney (according to The Age), of speaking French.
Not saying anything particularly unpatriotic however, just using the language generally. Apparently bilingual ability is an inherently bad thing, or possibly it just makes a candidate more of a ‘them’ than an ‘us’.
It seems Mitt hasn’t immediately returned the claim, but other commentators have. I’m having ideas for a larger article, of the ridiculous things that affect such amazing events. Right up there is my other favourite random fact of the alternating bald/hairy pattern of Russian leaders since the Bolsheviks.
A few years ago I went to a comedy show called The List Operators. As the name would suggest, they had a range of lists they would make, even taking suggestions from the audience. The one that stuck in my mind was “Countries It’s OK To Be Racist About”. France was in there and the only other thing I remember was that China was added but hastily removed.
I really wonder what that list will look like in years to come. Not only in the eyes of the US voting public Australia as well. However the one definitive thing is there will still be such a list.
Adieu
