Do Parisians Deserve Their Bad Reputation?
Are we the insufferable snobs everyone makes us out to be?
If you have already read some of my articles, you may know that I am French.
I have a confession to make. I’m not just French. I am Parisian.
Yes, I’ve been living in Paris for fifteen years.
This is the part where you roll your eyes and mumble.
Well no one’s perfect.
Or more frankly:
Yay, yet another snobbish, pretentious idiot! Exactly what I needed!
I don’t blame you. I’m well aware of our reputation.
They say we are unpleasant.
If you ever come across a smiling person in Paris, then he’s not a Parisian. He’s a tourist.
That’s one of the many jokes about us. I think it’s a good one.
But it doesn’t have to be like this. Let me tell you a secret. If you want to meet a friendly Parisian, start the conversation with the word “Bonjour”. It’s a magic formula which means “Hello”.
A few years ago, I was waiting for a subway when an exasperated woman suddenly asked me for directions. She spoke with a thick accent, perhaps Texan. I think she wanted to go to the Eiffel Tower.
I didn’t answer right away and she immediately showed signs of impatience. I guess she wanted to immerse herself in our culture, so she decided to be even ruder than a Parisian.
But that’s impossible. We’re the best at being assholes. Every time a tourist tried to do this kind of contest with us, he lost. I seriously considered sending her in the opposite direction.
Don’t try to be the rudest. Say “Bonjour”. Everything will be fine, we can be very pleasant people when we are in the right mood.
Very pleasant, and very stylish according to common belief.
Let me be frank. No, I don’t dress like Emily In Paris. The writers of this show should go to a special hell filled with unbearable Parisians.
I like the French “Casual Chic” style. I usually wear relaxed yet classy and well-matched clothes. I try to be elegant but I don’t sacrifice my comfort.
And if the people I meet on the street are anything to go by, most do the same.
But it’s not just clothes. Our hobbies can be stylish too, in their own way.
Before we had children, my husband and I loved to see plays. When we went to the cinema, it was always in the original version. There was no way we were going to see a dubbed film, because we’d miss half the acting.
That’s a bit snobbish. It’s not like Iron Man was going to win an Oscar.
We take the children to museums and other places. They are four and six years old, and they have already been to the Louvre and the Natural History Museum.
They also visited the Eiffel Tower, as well as various famous places such as the Arc de Triomphe or the Sacré-Cœur.
But their favorite place is the Cité des Enfants (Children’s City), where they enjoy different activities to introduce them to science and culture.
So it’s true. We do love our cultural way of life.
And we also like to have a coffee on a terrace after a Sunday stroll.
No need for a beret.
We enjoy the moment with a drink and a chat.
It contrasts with our usual hurried attitude. During the week, we have to contend with public transport and chase our tight schedules. Once the working week is over, we relax.
If you ever visit Paris and come across one of its hurried and rude residents, remember the city motto Fluctuat nec mergitur. That’s Latin for “it is beaten by the waves, but does not sink”. As the ship of the motto, follow your path regardless of the elements.
And you’ll discover our hidden side. People who are sometimes pleasant, ever stylish, and always in love with their city!
