Combine that with their inexplicable arrogance in the face of
irrelevance,
and you have comic fodder.

I've actually been to France. Perhaps because I didn't go to Paris, but
was in the middle of nowhere... but I didn't find the people to be in
any way arrogant. They were, in fact, no different to the typical middle
class American - they were just normal and perfectly pleasant people,
who just spoke a funny language. Although I found I was fluent in French
if I drank enough wine in a short enough time period. Well, it seemed
that way anyway.

G I've spoken many languages fluently after too much wine...

As I pointed out up-thread, French people on an individual level are often
regarded as "cool", "suave", and "debonair". This is in stark contrast to
their national reputation, which can be summed up as "bumbling", "lazy", and
"cowardly".

This sets anti-French humor apart from the humor that is poked at (for
example) Poles. "Pollock Jokes" (as they are called in Wisconsin) make
individual Poles sound like idiots, yet no one regards the Polish nation or
its government as anything less than gallant.

It's an interesting, telling difference that some state-funded sociologist
could make a career out of studying, I'm sure.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"