A French Affair

Henry Doisneau was forever immortalized in the world of art by the “The Kiss” (officially called “Le Basier de l’Hotel de Ville”), a photograph that would go on to become a national icon of France.  In the crowded streets of Paris, the whole world and all its troubles melt away as a young couple display the passion so persistently associated with France. Although it is highly unlikely that our romance with France has anything to do with hormones in the water systems or other equally sinister happenings, there must be some sort of factor that creates this aura of intangible happiness. So what exactly is it about France that makes us swoon from the very first bonjour, and why do the French put up with it?

For starters, it used to be that the French as a people were characterized by three words: “Liberté, egalité, fraternité”. Centuries later, the French are still characterized by three, albeit different, words: “Passion, beauty, life”.

Most justify their attraction to France by blaming it all on the language; it’s so sexy and tempting that we really just can’t help ourselves. All those breathy whispers and alluring accents constantly hint at intimacy. And let’s face it: the food only makes it worse. Chocolate, butter, warm bread, soft cheese, wine, champagne and caviar, which play major roles in French cuisine, cause our nervous system to induce feelings of love. Compound on top of all this the French reverence of all things beautiful. Le Museé du Louvre is a tribute to beauty in its artistic form. Le Château de Versailles, with its intricate gardens and gold-gilded corridors, is a tribute to beauty in its architectural form. The list goes on and on. To put it simply, beauty is imbedded into the fabric of French culture, and a world this beautiful is hard to resist. Finally, there must be something said about the French concept of living la vie en rose. In North America drinking coffee on the go is the standard. That’s why those quaint little cafés that tourists flock to like crazed flamingos seem unfathomable. What do you mean, people actually sit down and drink coffee? In France it’s possible, not because time magically stops, but because the French are willing to slow down their lives in order to savour every moment.

Honestly now, who wouldn’t fall in love with a place where every word is dripping with ardour, every bite of food is infused with luxury, every thing is radiating beauty, and every one has the time to drink coffee without spilling it on their clothes?

The situation may seem a little too good to be true to some, leading them to wonder why, after all these years, the French aren’t fed up with all these lovey-dovey stereotypes. The answer should be quite obvious for any reader: it’s all about profits. While the world is busy lusting after France, France is busy counting all the money rushing in.

In 2004, France was the top tourist attraction in the world, drawing in more than 75 million travellers. The romantic haze that engulfs France makes it a key destination for expensive ventures (surprise, surprise…) such as vacations, movie shoots, and weddings. Also remember that France remains to this day a meeting place of the rich and famous. The country hosts a number of fashion shows and film festivals every year, where the attendees are more than willing to pay hefty prices for the honour of walking down the red carpet or branding themselves with distinguished labels. So with all this money flowing into the economy, it is not hard to see why the French don’t exactly complain about being called food-loving romantics.

At the end of the day, it is undeniable that in France, romance hangs in the air as thickly as smog on a hot summer day. The reason for this remains ever so elusive; maybe it’s the language, maybe it’s the food, or maybe it’s that wonderful feeling of living la vie en rose. But whatever the reason, the French affair will be here for a while yet, because no matter what, love is never going to go out of style. Especially not when it’s bringing in all that cold hard cash…
 

Adriana Radu