Tall, Fat and Blonde

During CEM orientation, my Parisian roommate informed me that I was not a real American because I was neither tall, nor fat, nor blonde. In sharing an apartment with a Parisian, I learned that the French do indeed shave and bathe regularly.

I attend an English Conversation Hour at the local University twice a week. In English conversation hour this past Tuesday, we discussed stereotypes. The group was about half French and half Americans, and we split up into national teams to write down as many stereotypes of the other country that we could think of. Then the Americans wrote stereotypes that we think the French have of us, and the French team did the opposite. We compared what we cited at the end, and the results were surprising! Or maybe the French team was just trying to be nice.

American stereotypes held by our French team:
Americans...don't know how to cook, chew gum all the time, are always concerned about time because time is money, speak loudly.
Our reactions:
Americans: "We were surprised you guys didn't say, 'fat' or 'tall'!"
French: "We were going to write 'fat', but we took it off the list because all of you are normal sized!"

French stereotypes held by our American team:
The French... are very proud, only speak French, eat bread, wine and cheese constantly (true), smoke all the time (false), wear berets and tights (false), are fashionable, are skinny, and sit in cafes all day.
The French team thought that Americans would think of them as... grumpy, know-it-alls, going on strikes, good cooks, loungers on the French riviera, well-educated, and connoiseurs of good wines.


I think most people stereotype the south of France and assume that I live next to a beautiful beach like this.


Rather, I live here.