Ratatouille: Black Beret-wearing Frenchies

First of all, do any of you all even know what "ratatouille" is? Or, what it tastes like? Can you even pronounce it? Open mouth. Repeat after to me. Raw-taw-too-ee. Not Rat-a-too-ee. "How zu you sez zit, eet eez tres American!"

Before living in France, I didn't know what it was. So, I'm guessing that none of you do either. Ratatouille, according to Wikipedia, is a traditional French Provençal stewed vegetable dish, originating in Nice.

According to me, it's just a bunch of vegetables sauteed in olive oil. At the markets, you can by a packet of vegetables specifically called, "Legumes de ratatouilles." I haven't had a home-made version of it, yet, but the canned version, costing you 0.25 centimes (cents), isn't that bad. Tomatoes is an important ingredient and the base taste. So, kinda like Ragu but with more veggies. Low blow. I'm disparaging the yummy flavors of Ratatouille. It is really great, it is.I'm digressing.

So, while watching Ratatouile, I noticed a bunch of stereotypes that we Americans have about the French. I found it a bit funny that I was watching all these stereotypes on a huge screen with French people all around me. I wondered what they thought about the way Americans depicted Paris, the people and the culture in the film. As SoCo said, "Oui, c'est tres americain."

1. Berets galore! Almost every character that wasn't a rat or a chef was sporting a black beret. Hmmm...wait, was there a beret on one of the rat's in the cafe at the end of the film?

False: While living in Lyon, I haven't seen one French person with a black, red, purple, or pink beret! In Paris, no baguette-carrying, beret-wearing Frenchies trodding past the Eiffel Tower.

2. According to Ratatouille, the French love to wear horizontal black and white striped shirts.

Again, no, no, no! Not spotted: French male, short, taut mustache, black hair, black and white striped tee, carrying a paint brush in one hand and a canvas in the other.

3. If they weren't wearing stripes, they were clad in all black, from head to toe: black shoes, black pants, black shirt, black beret and even black shades.

Alright. I have to admit. The French love their black. And, frankly, they look great wearing it! Fashion a la Francais!

4. Standing around (in all black or stripes) sipping on wine and immersed in intense conversation. They're not talking about the weather. Or, the last episode of American Idol. Or, how much they love Goerge W. Bush and how he has positively influenced their lives.

Mark. Try. Score.

5. "I'm sorry to be rude, but I'm French." -- the female cook. Stereotype: French people are rude and arrogant.

Absolutely, not true. Everyone I have met in Lyon has been extremely polite and friendly. Rude isn't the word. Matter-of-fact, candid and frank are accurate terms. Especially, if you insist on being the all-knowing, good, christian American battling the axis of evil. However, Parisiens aren't as friendly as the Lyonais. Oh, and the old women who always seem to pay no mind that I've been waiting 10 minutes for the changing room, and waltz right past me and into the stall that should have been mine!! Grrr!! Down girl.

**I watched the film in VF - Version francais, and I don't think that she says that line in the movie. I might have missed it because the cook spoke hella fast, so I'll check with SoCo. However, I don't think the French would have appreciated that joke the way, let's say, Americans would.

Many films, especially Disney films, perpetuate French stereotypes. Do you remember the cook from The Little Mermaid? Hee-Hee-Hee. Ho-Ho-Ho. I don't think stereotyping is all that bad. Most people know nothing about another persons culture and by categorizing, it gives them an easy way to place these cultures. When we Americans think French, we think striped shirt, baguette, mustache, beret, oui, oui. When Frenchies think Hawaii or Polynesia, they think beautiful women. Well, that's not a real stereotype. It's the truth!

However, continually bashing another culture according to generalizations and stereotypes is not right. Except when discussing loud, obnoxious mainlanders with their matching aloha shirts and muumuus, lobster-colored skin, and massive cameras suspended from their necks. I kid. I kid. I truly adore our island tourists. Truly.