The English Invasion

I see Toulouse with an outsider’s eyes, and particularly with the eyes of an American. And, contrary to what you might think, the observations that stand out the most to me are not those things that are different. Everything is different. If my brain picked out every single new and different thing I saw when I got here it would have burst into a soggy whizzing mess. (Actually, according to what jet lag felt like, my brain may have tried to identify every difference before quickly realizing the impossibility of that endeavor.) Instead, what stand out the most to me are the flashes of familiarity in this strange landscape, things I thought I left when I jumped continents.

American culture has a definite presence in France. The most obvious examples are fast-food restaurants. There are two MacDonald’s in downtown Toulouse and at least two Domino’s. We do hear about the prevalence of low-quality American chains all over the world in the U.S. though, so I was less shocked and more generally depressed to see it was true when I encountered these restaurants. The same sentiment resurged when I saw how many French restaurants the American style inspired (including Quick and Boum Burger). It really did come as a shock to discover that the popularity of American culture goes further than fast-food restaurants. English words appear frequently in advertisements and cutesy store and restaurant names. The French are prickly about their language – the Académie Française still closely regulates the appropriation of new words – but despite the Académie’s insistence on tradition, the world of marketing has accepted English words with alacrity.

That English appears to the outsider most often in advertising indicates a fascination with American culture that I find exceedingly difficult to understand. To me it’s the presence of history, the fact that you can see the results of ancient tastes and events alongside present life, that makes France appealing. I love the constant acknowledgement of the past. But to the French, old buildings and tradition are only normal. They are proud, and they love their Frenchness, but what’s intriguing to them is America’s focus on the future. I’ve spoken to many French people on this subject, and they all communicate the same point of view. They say things like, “la culture de la France est en train de mourir;” “La France dort;” “Mais qu’est-ce que vous faites ici si vous êtes de San Francisco?” French culture is dying; France sleeps; what are you doing here if you’re from San Francisco? They say France does everything America does, only ten years behind. The same American determination to look forward and be productive and create the future that I find frustrating and artificial they find exciting. And so it is that I see my native language and culture bounced around playfully and used to sell things. It’s more than a little bizarre.