France. Old culture, even older country, the bearer of all things highbrow, the keeper of the cultural gate, beautiful language, delicious food, makes us all envious BUT . . .

After spending one week with 12 French students in a bootcamp style English intensive camp, I can tell you the French enjoy their "trash" too. The students ranged in age from 21 to about 45 so this was not just a question of young French minds who hadn't developed the ability to "discern".

1. The Smurfs

I must have heard the students talk about the Smurfs 100 times. They wanted to know what the word in English was, my favorite Smurf, favorite episode, which one I'd be, etc. I heard them say the word in French, Les Schtroumpfs, many times. No matter what age they all discussed them. I asked if they had made a comeback and were popular again and was told no, they never stopped being popular

2. Queen and Freddy Mercury

I have been known to like Queen and Freddy Mercury but I was always properly "embarrassed" about it. I mean can you really like Bohemian Rhapsody? We Are the Champions is now corny, "ringard" in French, even at sporting events. These French students all loved Queen. Queen has been popular since the mid seventies in France they tell me. They only got more popular when Freddy Mercury died and have never been considered cheesy. I know French rock music is a little sad but we have much better to offer you than Queen.

3. Jim Carrey

I had heard the French love Jerry Lewis. Now that I live here I have to say I have never heard a single French person mention his name. I must conclude that they either never liked him or no longer like him. It doesn't really matter because Jim Carrey has taken his place. We watched a Jim Carrey movie in English with the English subtitles on one day. They laughed from the start to the finish in big, loud, roaring, sidesplitting outbursts. After the movie they went on to describe his movies, their favorite lines, his gestures, etc. It's a strange world we live in.

4. The Tecktonik

This is a dance that lies somewhere between break dancing and breaking ones leg. Actually I have heard it said that it is exactly between Krump dancing and the Wu Tang. While I find it amusing and saw it a few times while walking the streets, I can't say it is very graceful. Maybe it is just an assumption that a dance should be graceful. Anyway, not all the French love this dance but it has appeared on every major news channel this year and "the kids" are certainly doing it.

5. Comic Books, Bande Dessiné

In the US comic books are for kids and graphic novels are for "struggling readers". In France there is a famous convention for Bande Dessiné in Angoulème, for kids and adults. The French love their comics, and not just the childish kind. I have to admit that the story lines of Bande Dessiné are much better than that of the comic books but still. Maybe I am the snob, I just couldn't sit there, on a train, reading a bande dessiné, in France. My students were asking if it were true that Americans thought BD were for kids, incredulously. What a role reversal.

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