Where does anti-Frenchism, or Francophobia, come from? When did it originate and why?
The permeation of anti-French sentiment throughout English society started long before the evil nation of Amerikkka descended upon the planet.... - the British view is epitomised by the apocryphal story of the Hartlepool monkey hangers, whose belief that the French were literally inhuman led them to have allegedly executed a pet monkey in the belief that it was an invading Frenchman (although the story is based upon the disputed premise that those involved had never seen a Frenchman before). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monkey_hanger
Plainly, the only explanation for such behavior is that the United States, and its hatefulness, preemptively caused the Hartlepudlians to behave this way. We Americans bear full responsibility.According to local folklore, the term originates from an incident in which a monkey was hanged in Hartlepool. During the Napoleonic wars, a French ship of the type chasse marée was wrecked off the coast of Hartlepool. The only survivor was a monkey, wearing a French uniform (allegedly)-(presumably to provide amusement for those on board the ship). On finding the monkey, some locals decided to hold an impromptu trial on the beach; since the monkey was unable to answer their questions, and many locals were unaware of what a Frenchman may look like, they concluded that the monkey was in fact a French spy. Just to make sure, the animal was thus sentenced to death and hanged from the mast of a fishing boat on the Headland.
And, well, we know why the Irish hate the French - that little incident when Thierry Henry handled the ball with his mitts and scored that key goal a few years back in the World Cup....
So, if you hate the French, why? If not, why not? And, where do you think the hatred of the French and/or French are cowards thing comes from?
On another thread, we were digressing about what the earliest reference to the French being cowardly could be found. Warren Dew found one from about 1903 by a writer by the name of Molineaux. I wonder if anyone can locate any earlier such references.
Is it true that they don't bathe much, and that French women let their hair grow unimpeded by the shaving razor?
A Frenchman:
The only Frenchman I had to pleasure of knowing was at work, arrogant bastard he was, but I think he played up the stereotype for banter purposes.