DARE TO ASK: Insulting the French, and prostitutes

By PHILLIP MILANO, The Times-Union

Question

What does it mean when an American calls someone a "French whore"?

Julie, 22, Nashville

Replies

Our country is still obsessed with moralistic rules and judges the way France glorifies the female body as immoral. These same people also don't want to admit that the American media glorifies the female body, too (but the plastic Barbie woman, not the real thing) - the same way they don't think of prostitution as an issue here.

Jessica K., 22, Huntsville, Texas

Simple: Like the average French person, whores over there have more elegance and class than their American colleagues.

Hanna, 27, Sweden

It's "You smell like a French whore" and refers to overindulgence in perfume. "Whore" would also indicate someone of a lower class putting on airs - in this case literally by liberally applying perfume.

Doug, 39, Phoenix

Whores tend to overdo all feminine signals (i.e. dress and makeup) and also are often thought to be dirty. Since the French are considered dirtier and smellier by those of British descent, it follows that a French whore would be particularly smelly, indeed.

Tara, Morgantown, W.Va.

Expert says

Dare to Ask can sometimes offend particular groups of people, so let's be clear: We in no way wish to affront prostitutes with this column.

They do dally in sex, though, and sexual daring is what the French are often associated with, said Scott P. Sheridan, associate professor at Illinois Wesleyan University who studies French culture and even lists "Decadence" as a professional interest (we're not kidding).

What you have here are historical truisms getting meshed with stereotypes, he said.

For one thing, as far back as at least the 19th century, France was noted for being a more sexually open culture, especially compared with our Puritanical ways. American GIs in World Wars I and II then regaled friends stateside with tales of pretty, hospitable and pretty hospitable French prostitutes.

Now add in some stereotypes, Sheridan said: The French don't bathe much (they do, but aren't as obsessive as Americans) and douse themselves in perfume to cover body odor (we're talking Napoleonic era with that one).

Mix everything together, and you get an image of sweaty prostitutes who carry a certain bouquet and then heap on the eau de toilette to hide it.

The danger in all this is that Americans, who've pretty much caught up to western Europe in promiscuity, hold onto these images and assume they are somehow "better" or more moral than the French.

"France has become one of the few countries it's still OK to bash," Sheridan said. "It's still a punching bag for stereotypes because we assume the French aren't relevant anymore."

Sheesh, no wonder they're so rude to us.

Phillip Milano, author of I Can't Believe You Asked That! (Perigee), moderates cross-cultural dialogue at Y? The National Forum on People's Differences. Visit www.yforum.com to submit questions and answers, or mail to Phillip Milano, c/o The Florida Times-Union, P.O. Box 1949, Jacksonville, FL 32231. Include contact information. For Dare to Ask podcasts, go to Jacksonville.com keyword: milano.