I asked British people what they think about the French

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A French guy in England
I interviewed strangers to find out what British people really think about France, French food, and ...
Video Transcript:
That's for you. Thank you, Mer. Technology is great when it works, but when it doesn't work, sorry again.
That's okay, don't worry, I've got time for you. I really have, and welcome back to the channel. It's a sunny day today.
We will be asking British people what they think about French people. We will have some tricky trivia questions. Let's see whether people know the answers.
Let's go and interview people together. Have you ever been to France? France is the most visited tourist destination.
Yes, been to France many times. Yeah, lovely. Yeah, I really like the country.
It's beautiful. Where did you go in France? All over.
Yeah, we traveled all over. We've been north, south, east, west, everywhere. Yeah, and in between.
I have. Yeah. Oh, nice.
Where did you go? Where did I go? I went to Normandy for 5 days on a school French trip in the 80s, a long time ago.
And I've done a couple of day trips. I used to live in Ramsgate in Kent, so I worked on the ferry. So we could go backwards and forwards to Dunkirk.
Nice. We used to go across on the ferry, so I've been to Calais, mainly. I was brought up in Dover, so Calais was very close.
My grandfather was in the Army in the war, and he stayed with a French family. They lived in Santeny at the time, but moved to Soissons. We used to have summer holidays in Soissons.
Where else have you been in France? Most areas, except the very southwest, the Aquitaine. But that's still to do.
Yes, I have. Coincidentally, I've just come back from a French trip with the local school. It was very lovely, very fortunate to go.
Wow. And where was it located? I went to Alsace.
Have you ever been somewhere else in France, in other regions? First time in France, so very lucky to go. Yes, I've been a few times.
I've been to Lourdes down in the South, and then Paris as well. I've been to Paris, like Normandy. I'm going in October, Paris.
I've been quite a few times. I've just done my French GCSE. No way, wow.
I think I went when I was younger one time, but I don't remember. It was in the middle of France. We have a house there, like a family house.
So that's where we stay when we go there. Oh, where did you go? Paris, Lorraine.
A few places like this. And also Lyon. What did you think about the people you met?
Yes, nice. They're very, very friendly. Yeah, and it's lovely to meet the French people.
It's nice to be amongst the French people, to hear them speak, because you don't get that here in the UK. The people in France were very friendly. Yeah, I think they were.
It was a long time ago, but everyone was very. . .
I was quite young, but yeah, very friendly. What did you think about French people in general? Love it.
Absolutely love it. I would say, on the whole, they were very friendly people. Yeah, absolutely 100%.
Oh, they're very friendly. Yeah, the Parisians, I think, were less friendly. I don't know.
I tried to order a sandwich, and she just looked at me like I was an idiot. But in the South, lovely. Yeah, when I went to Paris, I was with a French person, so I think they were a little bit more friendly to me.
But when I was with English people, I think they're a little bit less. . .
you know, in the same way that we are here, I guess. No, I didn't see any strikes. Didn't see any industrial action anywhere, to be honest with you.
No strikes. I was expecting a strike. You know, all geared up for a strike.
Love a good strike, but no. Friendly people. Smiley people.
The weather helps, obviously. It was nice and sunny while we were there, so everyone was just smiling, enjoying their time. Did I see any strikes?
Yes, no. But I remember in the '80s, there was quite a lot of them. And I was a bit upset when they set fire to the sheep in the lorries.
Oh no. Yeah, that was quite upsetting. But that aside, I've got a lot of respect for the French people for standing up when there's something that they don't like.
Far more than the English people. They would get off their bums and they would actually do something about it and let them know that they are discontented. So I respect their spirit for that.
Did you see any strikes? Oh yeah, wait. Yeah.
Was it safe? Safe? Oh yeah.
What about the landscapes? Absolutely amazing. Beautiful landscapes.
Yeah. Depending on where you go, some is better than others. But yeah, it's absolutely gorgeous.
Yeah, really love it. Yeah, yeah. Well, Dunkirk was a bit.
. . power station.
Not very scenic, but it's lovely. Calais is really nice and scenic. And I like the streets and.
. . I went to Mont Saint-Michel and that is beautiful.
Beautiful. Yeah, beautiful. I couldn't recommend it enough.
Absolutely gorgeous landscapes. We had, um, in the hotel, we were staying, beautiful open fields, tractors, picturesque, like a postcard. If you had to picture France, it was like that.
It was beautiful. I don't know. I didn't really.
. . see.
. . I saw the beaches and they were nice.
Nice and warm. Yeah. Yeah, it's.
. . like a very nice place.
It reminded me like when I was. In the countryside reminded me of like the English countryside, maybe a bit flatter, I'd say. I love it, absolutely love it.
I know no French. I went on a French trip knowing absolutely nothing. I still know nothing, but we had capable French teachers there with us, so we muddled through.
If I had gone alone, I would have been in a lot of trouble. But didn't you tell me bonjour when I met you? Yes, I picked up bonjour and jumel Alex, and that was the extent of it.
Was it a challenge with breakfast as an English person? No, 'cause we had croissants. I like croissants.
And how was it with the breakfast? Lovely, yes, I love the breakfast. Yes, the oh, the baguettes and the croissants.
Yes, it was a bit of a culture shock, okay, because in the '80s when I was a lad, I was used to eggs and bacon and stuff like that. But yeah, I think continental breakfast is quite nice. I tried a snail, not my cup of tea.
That's too far for me. But croissants, pain au chocolat, everything else, other than that, brilliant. Yeah, I like the French food.
I haven't tried snails, though. So I went to Rosalind in the Alps skiing with school and yeah, I actually got food poisoning from the food. Otherwise, it was great.
I don't think we could blame that on the French. I think, yeah, I love the food so much. It's one of my favorite things.
French food is the best, I can't lie. What about the food? Oh, it's the best, I think.
And did you struggle as an English person with the English breakfast? You have any expectations? No, no.
When in France, I eat like France. What do you think about the UK supermarkets? Croons?
Well, there's only one supermarket that I would buy the croons from, and that's Lidl. Yeah, Lidl. I wouldn't buy croons from Tesco or anywhere like that.
No, they don't taste as good. Lidl's much better, fresher. How would you compare the English supermarkets?
Can't. Are they worth it? Yes, some and some.
Goop is okay. Can't compare, no comparison at all. Night and day.
Yeah, absolutely terrible. No. I feel like the French do it better than the English.
The croons are just lighter and they're just as filling, but you feel like you've barely eaten anything. I like croons. I love croons.
Oh, French ones definitely better, 100%. French pastry is much better. What do you think the French are famous for?
Well, definitely cheese. Absolutely cheese and bread and gorgeous scenery. Beautiful country.
That is what I think the French are famous for. Definitely, I think food has got to be in there. Really good cheese, fine wine.
Big country, very scenic. Food would have to be top of the agenda. I always think about really nice cheese and wine and nice language.
I like the sound of the dialect, yeah. It sounds very nice. Unfortunately, football winning the World Cup.
You've got always got quite a good football team. I'd have to say, recently riots, obviously. Food, wine, being a bit stuck up, but that's just a stereotype.
They're not actually like that. They're not all of them are like that. I should say, oh, the south of France, yeah, the south of France.
Paris, just the city of love I guess. Yeah, striking. Yeah, the riots.
They do a good riot. I think the French people are more laid-back than the English. French definitely.
I think the French are a bit more laid-back, actually. English people can be a bit uptight. Probably the French, yeah, they always look more relaxed, especially in hotter weather.
Yeah, we don't have them much hot weather. We've got quite a nice day today, but yeah, it's pretty rare. English that I've showed out going through the border control, complete tight-lipped, very, very serious, then as soon as you cross the border into England, hello, how was your holiday?
Got a nice tan? Happy to be back. So absolutely different there.
Very different there, but that might be because of the job, obviously, and they got to be very serious. But I'd still say the English pip them on that one. Who's more laid-back?
I'd probably say overall the French. I'd say the French, yeah, like when they do get up in arms about stuff, it's about a real issue, hence the strikes. I think there's a much slower pace of life in France, I think.
Yeah, as compared, definitely. I've often noticed that people in the Europe area are more stylish, yeah. But yeah, definitely, definitely laid-back, yes.
Oh, France. Yeah. Do you know that French people like British humor very much?
I know, I didn't. I thought they stick their nose up at it. Do they?
I didn't know that, no. Especially to comedies. Which ones are they?
Which one comedy is you like? "Fawlty Towers" maybe, was it like Fawlty Towers or something like that? "Only Fools and Horses", that's an old one, "Only Fools and Horses".
Friend, horses. No, only Fawlty Towers. It's even translated into French, and we have it on French TV.
Is it like Black Adder or something like that? It's nearly there. We are nearly there.
Not Mr Bean, it is ah. Because, um, I lived there in Germany for a year, okay? And it's very big over there as well.
Mr I love Mr Bean. I wouldn't have guessed. I didn't expect that was for them.
Yeah, they put them on the TV a lot. Oh, Mr Bean, yeah, Mr Bean. Yes, I love.
And the second one, City. Cities? No, I don't know.
Well, say British, Laurel and Hardy weren't really British, actually. Laurel and Hardy, we like them. But there are two which are even more famous in France.
Are they? Yeah, yes, Norman Wisdom. You like, I think?
No, no, no. A duo. They're actually in a group, usually.
Oh, really? I don't suppose they would have liked LOL very much. I loved it, though.
I thought it was brilliant. Um, Benny Hill or something like that. Monty, Benon, oh, Monty, pen.
Yeah, well, that's great humor. Monty Pry, yes, of course. Nice, yeah, Monty Pyon, yeah.
In the trivia question, tricky question. So, how many French cheeses are there out there in France? I'm going to say about 125.
How many? Yes, I'm going to say more than 250 thousand. It's rock for that's French.
Yeah, Brie, I think. Um, is it one for every day of the year? 365?
Couldn't even imagine. Certainly over a hundred. You need to add another zero to 1,200, actually.
Oh my goodness. W. 1,200, really?
Yes, I was well off. Really? Yes, I was well off the mark there.
1,200 French. Cheeses, 2,200, 1,200, 1,200. I see three.
What about the English jazz? I think I could probably name three at a push. Not that many, about 100.
Oh, probably a lot less, like 450, probably only about 500, 200. Oh, well, we have maybe a dozen, you know, two dozen, something like that. 700, actually.
Is that, yes, see 700, yes, 700. They're still a lot. Less, though, isn't it?
700, you got to spit on that one. 700, yes. I clearly don't eat enough cheese, I need to have more cheese.
I'm actually vegan, so it would be a vegan cheese for me. They do vegan cheese as well? Yeah, they do, actually.
Do you learn something new every day? I didn't know that. Who created the French toast?
French toast, yes, not France, no. French toast, French toast, um, Einstein. I'm going to guess the English, no, no, French toast.
Oh, I think that was American, probably the Americans who did. Originally, the British? No, the Romans, really?
Yes, but actually came from the Romans initially. Okay, really? From the Romans, yes, that's correct, yes.
Oh, I didn't know that, um, I believe it was an American, yes, yes, but actually came from the Romans. I can see, but you know your stuff, yes, I do. I know everything about French toast.
Excellent, and I guess you're going to have some French toast tomorrow in the breakfast, well, I was going to have some for my tea tonight. Yes, what do you think British people think about the French? It's hard to say, it's hard to say.
I think they get on with the French very well, yes, when they go on holiday. You know, British people wouldn't go to France if they didn't get on with the French people. So I think they probably.
. . Relations are very good, yeah.
Personally, I think we're all children of the universe, and we should live together. I don't believe in national pride and things like that. I think we should all get on.
I don't believe in borders, that's just me political. I'm a bit of a anark, I think they get a bit of a bad press in England. I think a lot of English people like to mock French people, probably 'cause we're pretty much.
. . Our French since.
. . You know, I know my ancestry back to 1066, and I've got a French name, Bateau, I was born in acne, so I'm not that exotic.
The majority of them don't like the French, I think. If you ask the average Joe blow, they wouldn't like the French. They think they're too stuck up, they're too arrogant.
I think they'd have a negative and wrong opinion of the French. Yeah, I'd say so for sure. I don't know, it's quite a strong rivalry, isn't there?
I think a lot of people joke about hating the French, but I don't know if they actually do hate the French. I mean, I feel like it's quite common to be like, "Oh, we hate the French," but we don't. I don't know if we actually do.
Yeah, yeah, I'd say overall good. I think we're jealous, if anything. I don't think the English meet enough French people to really know what they think of French people, so unless you go, I think it's hard to say, yeah.
I think it's 50/50, I. . .
Think if you've been there and enjoyed it, it's good, but if not, people. . .
Sometimes have some negative stereotypes. What do we think? Oh, well, yeah, I don't know.
You know, at worst, I think it's about. . .
The wartime, you know? But unless you've been occupied, you don't know, do you? What it's like, it's easy to criticize.
But if you've been in that position, it's a different thing, yeah. I like French. People, I didn't know like you.
Can't I don't really know many French people, I mean, I used to have a friend, she had to go back to France and she was really nice. I have a French friend, he's really nice. Yeah, I know French people and they're all very nice so I don't have anything bad to say about them.
To be honest, I think in general they're nice people. But I don't like to think in general, people aren't that nice. So yeah, 20,200?
Okay, a little bit off. Even me, before I moved to England, I imagined that English people would be like in the Monty with no s. I wish we were, I wish we dressed more like that.
But unfortunately, no, not quite. That's a shame, we should bring that back though. We should make that a thing.
I get behind that actually. I got one, I need to wear it more often. Really, I brill, okay, wear it.
I'd love it. Okay, well, I'm going to say Monty Python, you are correct. Yes, yes, yes.
There's another one also, Monty Py. What was the other one? Oh, I forget now.
Mr Bean, no, Mr Bean, of course, yes, yes, yes. Well, Mr Bean, I think is maybe the same as Miss Hulo. Have you watched much mov, the little music?
Thank you so much to everyone who participated. We had great answers, great engagement. Everyone was so happy and so excited to answer the questions.
It's really heartwarming. It's a great pleasure to do that together. I really enjoyed it.
Thank you so much, and I hope to see you at the next video. Please do not forget to subscribe to my channel so that you can be notified when the next videos come out. If you would like me to make new videos on this topic or if you have any questions or suggest questions, please leave a comment below orir.
For now, but not goodbye.
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