Tuesday, January 16, 2007
France rediscovers Disney
The French have a new appreciation for Walt Disney, partly by redefining him as their own, though they still have it wrong on Jerry Lewis. Nice article. ...
P.S. -- The origin of the Disney name may have had an influence. The same for Lewis. ...
Update -- Armchair Gen. Saving Hill writes in about other changes in France:
Update II -- The French were proposing a union with the UK in the 1950s? Via AS.
Update III -- Just read the WSJ op-ed (not an editorial) linked above in the first Update. I distinctly remember Chirac pulling the same thing when he was mayor of Paris, running for president, praising America, winning tributes from American conservatives ... and look how he turned out. Just a cautionary note.
The French have a new appreciation for Walt Disney, partly by redefining him as their own, though they still have it wrong on Jerry Lewis. Nice article. ...
P.S. -- The origin of the Disney name may have had an influence. The same for Lewis. ...
Update -- Armchair Gen. Saving Hill writes in about other changes in France:
Saw the article on CSM on Disney exhibit. Of note, also, the editorial in WSJ (sub. req.) about the 2 French presidential candidates. Chirac's party's candidate (Nicolas Sarkozy) is outwardly pro-American, or in a more acceptably Gaullist phrase, anti- anti-Americanism. Predictably his enemies refer to him as "l'Americain". The socialist candidate is notably "agnostic" on anti-Americanism and in debates has taken a very hard line against Iran, and even going so far as to say the new government of Iraq deserves France's support (mon dieu!).
While not a sea-change, it would be nice for reflexive anti-Americanism to be questioned in France -- at least by its absence -- in an election. The last German parliamentary election, likewise, may not have been a referendum on anti-Americanism, but certainly the theme was simmering under the surface - and the current Chancellor (Merkel) most notably has built a career on rubbing German anti-Americans the wrong way - and, predictably - been tagged as an American lackey.
Now if we can just convince them all that Jerry Lewis isn't funny.
Update II -- The French were proposing a union with the UK in the 1950s? Via AS.
Update III -- Just read the WSJ op-ed (not an editorial) linked above in the first Update. I distinctly remember Chirac pulling the same thing when he was mayor of Paris, running for president, praising America, winning tributes from American conservatives ... and look how he turned out. Just a cautionary note.
