Talk of the shape of Sarkozy’s nose is just another example of French racism, argues jason burke |
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There are not many countries where, in polite conversation between educated adult people young enough to know better, you hear throwaway comments about 'how black people dance better because they have rhythm in their blood,' nor where even left-wing newspapers refer to places where 'blacks' hang out.
Nor are there many countries where a chat show guest can reprimand another for reading out an extract from a children's book in an exaggeratedly stupid fashion by saying: "Don't use that dumb voice, it is a book for children not spastics," nor where people openly discuss whether you can tell that the new President has Jewish blood by 'the shape of his nose.' France however is one.
For the country that likes to claim that it invented human rights, this is somewhat surprising. But it is true. Take the language.
In normal quotidian English, the use of the
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| In France people openly talk about their new President’s Jewish origins |
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adjective black, asian, jewish as a noun without any qualification has almost disappeared. You may talk about a black guy, a Chinese bloke, a Jewish geezer – but you avoid using the term in a way that takes a racial, national, ethnic, religious or even cultural quality as the sole element defining an individual.
In normal spoken French, however, you are a noir (or indeed a 'Black'), a juif, a chinois. You are thus defined first by your skin colour or your religion.
There is unlikely to be much change soon. French people will continue to utter statements that drifted out of acceptable general use in Britain 25 years ago for the foreseeable future.
'Political correctness' is seen as an
American invention that throttles free speech and thus a threat to their national identity. Referring to people as Jews or Blacks, talking about the 'Dark Continent' on the radio or allowing asinine TV guests to strip the mentally handicapped of their humanity apparently is not. 
FIRST POSTED MAY 14, 2007
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