Cest la Vie America vs. French Lifestyles - Essay Example

 As Americans, we are raised to believe in the natural superiority of America in the world. From birth, we hear patriotic songs, see the stars and stripes fly, watch fireworks on the Fourth of July, and cry when patriotic songs are played at concerts. If one even questions America’s natural superiority, he is seen with disdain, and is labeled a “commie” or “America-hater.” Often, the phrase “American Exceptionalism” is thrown around like it’s a birthright. Beyond the political and historical aspects of her inherent greatness, Americans also see their superiority in American lifestyle, culture, the families and her great cities. It is time that someone stood up for that other great culture in the world: France! Just saying the name France or French makes many Americans cringe. Americans have called the French “cheese-eating surrender-monkeys,” have been derided as weak capitulators to terrorists with loose morals and an eye toward lechery, have had the” french” fry relabeled “freedom” fry. Certainly, anything French is not very popular in some circles in America today. Thus, it is only with conviction and certainty that one can assert that on the points of daily life, food and culture, the pace of life, and its great cities, one can only conclude that the French lifestyle is superior to the American lifestyle. Tres courageux! In France, one’s daily life is taken at a much slower pace and has a greater focus on leisure time and enjoying what life has to offer. It is not uncommon for business people to eat three or four-hour lunches in France, enjoying conversation and a good bottle of wine along the way. Certain French workers are given subsidies for lunch expenses and bars/restaurants that honor those subsidies are ubiquitous (Chrisafis 1). There is a focus on enjoying eating times, and although there are fast food restaurants in France, they are not iconic as in America and eating food on-the-go in France is still a cultural faux-pas, and will engender stares and snorts. There are less malls and more of a focus on local specialty shops, like grocers, meat markets, cheese stores, chocolatiers, butchers, cobblers, and similarly specialized shops. Indeed, the cafe life--sitting out at a cafe, sipping a coffee or a drink, looking at the world pass by, is one of life’s great pleasures. In America, the outside cafe is a rarity, and even if one finds one, usually one has one drink and must leave (turnover is king!). The French lifestyle is much more condusive to a leisurely and introspective approach to life. It also encourages neighborhood shopping and more interaction with one’s neighbors and a more connected way of life. Americans focus on the “Protestant work ethic” of hard work and sacrifice, and have less of a focus on enjoying life on a daily basis. Americans over-value hard work-- the “working vacation” is not uncommon but even expected in many professions. Fast food, eating on the go, quick meals, drive-thru lunches, coffee to-go, 70 hour work weeks, 2 weeks vacation a year, and shopping at the local cookie-cutter-anonymous mall are standard American life-style choices. In fact, America sees those as a point of pride in her citizens’ lives. Enjoying life less and refusing to slow down are typical American badges of honor. What do those French do with their extra time? With more free and leisure time, the French culture naturally has developed a major focus on French achievements and artistic accomplishments while America tends to remove itself from anything cultural if it interferes with her work-ethic. France takes pride in its centuries of contributions to the arts, humanities, literature, architecture, and music. This French obsession with culture cannot only be found in many great world-class museums, but on the streets and parks of her cities and towns. France shows off her great history and artists with public adornments of art and architecture that is hundreds of years old. France wears her history proudly like a necklace, and encourages the preservation and nurture of all things French in music, language, and art. France works to save its classic architectural and artistic heritage, and protects old buildings from the wrecking ball. America, conversely, may have a thriving artistic community and sense of its accomplishments, but she tends to put old works behind her and always strives for the newest, next best thing. She often tears down fabulous old buildings and destroys its history in the name of urban renewal and modernity. The preservation of American culture is mostly left to individuals and is not valued by the state. There has only been a movement in recent years to save America’s heritage buildings, but unfortunately, much has been destroyed. America has a “tear down and build anew” mentality (just look at Las Vegas and LA) rather than a more Franco-style “save and refurbish” approach to its historical buildings and art. With this focus on food, culture and leisure, it is natural that the family is king in France. The French have a greater sense of the family unit, whereas the American family unit is in flux with little tradition or time for itself. There are many more traditional families in France (mom, dad, children, grandparents) than in America, supported and encouraged by the French government. A simple thing like closing stores on Sundays encourages family time and slowing life down, and gives families a set period of time each week to spend together if it so chooses. The French get 8-12 weeks of paid maternity leave (for both mother and father!) which encourages family unity from the very beginning (Chrisafis 2). All people in France are given health care, subsidized by the government, which also encourages greater health and happiness in the family unit. In America, families are largely on their own to fend for themselves. Sundays are seen as another work day, with all stores open, and people tend to treat it as a second Saturday. If mom has a baby, she is lucky to get two weeks leave, and it is unheard of for the father to get time off due to a new addition to the family. Families are also on their own in terms of health care and if they do not get it through work at a premium cost, they must purchase it on their own, or do what many Americans do, treat the emergency room as one’s health plan. As lovers of culture and family, the French tend to live in larger cities with their neighborhood stores. There is one city which stands out from the rest. France’s capital city, Paris, is seen as the world’s greatest and most romantic city by many. It combines many features of New York, Washington DC, Los Angeles, and Chicago all in one city. Paris is the artistic, cultural, governmental, and international epicenter of France, and of all of Europe. Her architecture, lifestyle, outdoor cafes, food, cultural offerings, and sense of herself all add up to make Paris the world’s great city capital. Located in the center of Europe, millions gravitate here every year, including millions of Americans, to sock in the food and culture, as well as the strolls along the Seine. Paris has New York’s sense of itself and fashion/culture, has LA’s sense of art and creativity, DC’s seats of power and government, and Chicago’s hip toughness and food identity. Yes, America has great cities, and all of the ones mentioned have their advantages and associated civic pride. Indeed, citizens of one great city in America are quick to tell you their city’s benefits and the failings of those other cities. In France, there is one city on the world stage, and that city is Paris. None can argue with her stature and influence in world affairs, along with her livability, beauty, and approach to the enjoyment of life that can be found in no other city in the world. Despite America’s penchant for claiming the best way of life in the world, much can be made for France and her focus on an incredible lifestyle that has a focus on culture, food, and family life. With the City of Light as her beacon to the world, one can make a solid case that the French approach to enjoying what life has to offer is much superior to the American way of life which emphasizes sacrifice and work. Slowing down, enjoying ones family, working just enough to do one’s job well, enjoying the best in world cuisine and art, and being a stone’s throw from the world’s great capital all add up to make the French lifestyle superior to the American puritan renewable society. You take your “freedom fries” and I will take my “cafe creme” in a Parisian sidewalk restaurant, surrounded by beauty, culture, history, and an appreciation of one of life’s great experiences. C’est la vie! Work Cited Chrisafis, Angelique. “French sterotypes: They do not work that hard.” Gaurdian-UK Online. 25 March 2011 . OUTLINE I. Introduction: French lifestyle is superior to American lifestyle II. Daily Life A. French Daily life B. American Daily life III. Leisure Time A. French Leisure time B. American Leisure time IV. Family Life A. French family life B. American Family life V. Great cities A. French city: Paris B. American cities: NY, DC, LA, Chicago VI. Conclusion Read More