It's funny how the French are portrayed as cowards in American popular culture, when in reality the French would've gotten the guillotines out already while the Americans... cower.

> It's funny how the French are portrayed as cowards

Are they? Where does that come from?

It used to be I guess a slur, "surrender monkeys," because France surrendered during WWII and there was a Nazi-collaborator government established filled with French politicians.

It's unfair given the reality and importance of the French resistance, but, that's where it comes from.

That one was the brits if I'm not mistaken - Jeremy Clarkson specifically (who I have a lot of affection for - Top Gear was a significant part of my childhood, but he does make an art out of being offensively wrong).

It seems to have originated in The Simpsons https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheese-eating_surrender_monkey...

not even a joke, we're skipping the 4th and celebrating bastille day this year. Ten days apart and the food and drink are just better.

Certainly not the current French, though.

They no longer get the guillotines out, but they still protest like no one else.

Not always about the right issues, but at least they have the spirit

You sure? https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/block-everything-protes...

I think we were talking about the guillotine earlier on

They're metaphoric these days ;)