Answering YOUR French/American Questions I Why Are Americans So...? I France vs USA Culture

[@larryh3309]

The "crackle voice" references a vocal phenomenon called "vocal fry." It can be seen in the speech patterns of the Kardashian sisters whose sentences generally end in vocal fry.

[@RGSuperfan]

I too think they are referring to vocal fry in this question

[@MyWadester]

Yes that’s what it means. I hate those kind of voice 😂

[@annaburch3200]

Vocal fry drives me nuts!! It feels more generational.

[@sbean98]

I swear there was a Depuis quand ça existe video with that title, about vocal fry, but I can’t find it now!

[@bunchi2k]

this is an excellent video that explains vocal fry if anyone is wondering/interested kzbin.info/www/bejne/rpu5aq2NedZ4rdk

[@AndreaGonzalez-gq3jo]

The answer to the last one is suburban sprawl and single family zoning. It makes it impossible to build affordable, diverse, walkable neighborhoods and basically makes every single city, except for a few exceptions like NY and Chicago, extremely car dependent. and you get those high costs of maintenance, pollution, traffic, stroads, etc.

[@pumpjackpiddlewick]

Agree 🙂

[@Rachel-rs7jn]

THANK YOU for speaking so frankly about the health care, and for bringing up the point about the huge difference in the out-of-pocket cost independent of social security. I feel like that part is really overlooked. I don't have residence in France but I'm here many months of the year and have regular doctors' appointments (fellow autoimmune condition person here), and so I know how much things cost without social security. It's orders of magnitudes lower than in the U.S., and that's not just because of taxes. It's absolutely corporate greed like you said (and possibly the high cost of medical school in the U.S. which is another cog in the system). I think for the "crackly voice" question, they meant the vocal fry made popular by the Kardashians! 😄 I can answer the last question a little bit, being from Connecticut. Our cities are the worst part of our state, and I think for us, it's because people don't choose to live in CT for the urban experience. They choose it for the forest, the tranquility, etc. Also, because the state is so small, there's no advantage to living in the city in terms of commute time and being close to things. In most areas of the state, even if you live surrounded by trees, you're never more than say, 30 minutes from an urban center and rarely more than 15 minutes from a supermarket by car. So basically, if you have a choice, you don't live in the city. (I'm one of the exceptions - I wanted to live within walking distance of a downtown.) So the cheapest place to live is often in the city. And if you don't have a car, well, as another commenter pointed out, you really better not live too far from a city as the public transport won't suffice. Great video overall!

[@mfcq4987]

As a Frenchman, I can say that I didn't really like the cities during my trip to the USA. I wouldn't say they are catastrophic, but they are designed so differently from European cities. I'll give you an example: the first city we wanted to visit in the USA was Sacramento (California). With our French reflexes, we went straight to the downtown hoping to see lively streets with shops, restaurants, bars,... And there was nothing! Only car parks at the foot of buildings and bank branches. No one was walking, there were only cars! We were wondering where all the locals were? We saw a small group of pedestrians on a street and discovered an air-conditioned mall that was extremely cold compared to the outside, so we didn't stay. Later, we went to Salt Lake City (Utah), to a hostel a bit far from downtown. We decided to go there on foot, it was sad enough to cry: no one was walking in the streets, houses that looked alike were lined up on squares of lawns in streets that intersected at right angles, to wonder if we could find our way back. There was nothing and nobody. And in the center, there was only the Mormon temple which we visited since there was nothing else to do. So I don't know if American cities are catastrophic, but they are sad and boring... (Apart from that, the landscapes are magnificent and the campsites in the national parks and the motels in the small villages are very friendly and exotic).

[@knucklehoagies]

American cities, for the most part, are designed for people who own cars. Most Americans don't actually live IN the city but rather in the outlying suburbs. They'll drive into the downtown area for whatever specific place they want to go to, then leave. The way our towns and cities are laid out, it's just primarily designed for car culture. Even in smaller towns far away from any big city it's like that. Only very few cities are "walkable" comparable to european cities. NYC and Chicago for example. Most other cities aren't like that. In America, there's still weird stigma against not owning a car. People associate public transportation or walking with "poor people" or "bottom feeders of society." So people will go into massive debt just to own a car.

[@elizabethwireman-nothwang8039]

Sadly, you went to some cities that do not have good downtowns. Sacramento has always been an armpit and San Francisco gets all the attention in that area. SLC isn't horrible if you're near the universities, but Utah is predominantly LDS so that's what you're going to get there. There are much better city/downtowns in the US but you have to look for 'walkable downtowns'. If you're in Utah, for example, go to Park City.

[@mfcq4987]

@@elizabethwireman-nothwang8039 In fact, I had my walking account in Utah when I visited Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park which are breathtakingly beautiful places. In fact, outside the national parks, we favored stops in small towns, just to sleep there and have breakfast there. The only two cities we really visited were Las Vegas which is amazing, it looks like a toy town for big kids, and San Francisco which is fun to explore (but I really preferred the countryside, especially in the Great Bassin and the Colorado Plateau)

[@selin8274]

The US has nice cities, but Europe has better cities. NYC, Boston, Chicago are my favorites. I lived in Boston for a few years and loved it. Still miss it.

[@malgosiakaczmarska8036]

Ha ha ha - you seriously visited some of the ugliest US cities, add Detroit and you’ll have a full trifecta 😹 Yes, in North America people don’t live downtown, we live outside city centre. Next time you visit the US try seeing San Diego, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, Chicago - those are some spectacular and gorgeous cities ❤️

[@vintagewriting]

The idea that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to own guns, outside of an official sanctioned state militia, is actually relatively new, and was only recognized by the Supreme Court in 2008 in DC v. Heller. It was considered fringe when I was in law school in the ‘80s, and retired Chief Justice Warren Burger called it a “great fraud“ in a 1991 interview. The framers had no such intent, but the gun industry has been extremely successful in making people think they did. In fact, this historical revisionism is cited as a good example of the concept of moving the Overton Window: massively shifting public perception so that eventually the laws change. It is certainly understandable that you could be taken in by this.

[@yannischupin7787]

About the 10th question, I think it was about how American cities are so badly designed, especially in comparison to their European counterpart... here I think the French view American cities as being so spread out that they tend to be unwelcoming for true people. I mean while living in an European city most of the people are gonna use public transportation for long distances and walk the rest of th time. This way you won't be stuck in traffic jam and you can enjoy passing by adorable boutiques on the streets. Which is also something you can't do in the US due to strict urban planning, saying that commercial zones cannot be mixed with housing zones... Anyways it was a nice Video, a lot of love from France!

[@florianandre6891]

13:21 I remembered to learned about that in geography lectures in middle schools, there is a difference between how americans/europeans/asians cities have been built, don't remembers why, but the poorest borrows are in europeans cities are in the last rings while in the US there are in the middle (I think it have something to do with the ability in the US to build giant roads because of space which led to the enrichment of the last rings from people living in the city centers but not sure).

[@mic498]

Hello, I just wanted to say that nobody in France "disagree" with 9-11. We all remember what happened this day and were deeply shocked by this terrible attack. Our government, and most French people, disagreed about the Iraq war, that happened after. We didn't want to send our children fight in a desert for what seamed to be useless from our point of view, since Iraq had nothing to do with the 9-11. I totally agree with all you said and think you are right, but please don't mix the iraq war and the 9-11, in french people minds they are two very different things. We are all 100% with you about the 9-11, nobody disagree with that !

[@ew5301]

I hate when people generalize the US. We are not all the same. Each state is like it’s own country with an accent, values, personalities etc. many of us are not gun crazy and I would in fact say most of us are not gun crazy. The loudest are the ones heard and unfortunately usually the loudest ones are the craziest ones (the gun crazy people). Most everyone I know despise guns.

[@TheMntnG]

yeah but also you can‘t hide from the responsibility of being part of a society that treats many horrific.

[@ew5301]

@@TheMntnG not hiding from that part of society I just don’t know anyone like this. My community and people I surround myself with, my town…no one is like this. It’s small pockets of gun crazy people. Usually they live in the south or in remote areas. So again, I am not hiding from that part of society, I’m just not a part of that and don’t see it except on the news. Because the US is absolutely vast and varied I may never interact with these people in my lifetime. Now, this doesn’t mean I can’t be part of the solution. I use my voting power, volunteer time and money to help solve the violence.

[@MyLittleGreenHairdedMermaid]

@@ew5301 It’s small pockets of gun crazy people...... its larger than what you think, and much larger than anywhere else in the world. The only country with near equal gun owners is Canada, but we cant get the types they have in America, its mostly hunting rifles

[@malgosiakaczmarska8036]

Good video, as always :) My comment for obesity in America is first of all a socio-economic problem. The production of cheap meat that is full of growth hormones lands on the table of the poorest Americans 💔 Second problem: dairy industry, again - full of hormones. Portion sizes are problematic, yes, but not as much as cheap production of meat and dairy, which involves growth hormones 😏 And eggs colours: they are determined by the species of hen. In Canada we have white, brown and blue eggs 🤍🤎💙

[@mgparis]

In my opinion French is a lot more nasally than American English! The vocal fry is comes from the throat, not the nose

[@GorgieClarissa]

When you spoke about the cost of medication w/o health insurance, I experienced the exact same thing in Thailand!! When I went to the pharmacy to pay for my medication, I thought she misspoke when she said 15$ and I assumed she meant 50$. And she said nope, just 15$. Also, I could get most of the medications I actually needed in Thailand without a prescription. The cost of healthcare and the requirement to spend 160$ on a dr appointment just to get a prescription medication.... is effing insane.

[@Klmnop2380]

My eggs are brown, pink, freckled, green and blue. Depends on breeds.

[@backtotheblak]

I'M SORRY, but as a veteran french soldier, we have the USA followed without flinching for 9/11. Like many I remember where I was when it happened, I was 18 and I was at soccer practice after high school. I joined the army a year later partly for that, to protect our Western ideals and values ​​and I was deployed 3 times in Afghanistan. I lost some friends there, so I can't let you say that. You confuse with the 2nd war of Iraq, which was a fabric of lies fabricated by the president Bush, his administration, and his intelligence services. The vast majority of French people were against this war and history proved us right, even if it exacerbated the ''French bashing'' of which we are still victims today...

[@aeolia80]

I think the grésille is about the vocal fry. Think Kim Kardasian. There's actually a good video, in French, I can't remember which youtube channel but a pretty prominent French one, that talks about the US vocal fry. By the way, there are French people that talk with a vocal fry too but they tend to be smokers, lol

[@sharonmclaughlin2258]

Growing up in Massachusetts there was an Egg Board campaign that with the tagline; Brown eggs are local eggs and local eggs are good. We grew up with brown and white egg options.

[@quoniam426]

"Catastrophic urban design" would be a more understandable sentance. Even the US urban planners say so to be honest, too much space for cars, look at Philadelphia for example, half of the ground space is reserved to PARKING LOTS and they are barely 30% full... in short you have 3 times more space than needed for car parks in the city instead of having more trees and green spaces. Morevover, apart from New York or Chicago which invested in a big metro system, other cities in the US barely have decent public transportation or barely STILL have it when they did one hundred years prior, even LA had an impressive tram network rivalling the Paris tram network (which was one of the biggest in the world) back then. LA is, verly slowly, trying to recreate a transport network but it is appalling compared to what the city's needs are. Plus, decades of individualistic thought to counter the public transport bases Soviet Union will do that to a country especially if oil is cheap. (even Paris had its "Car reigns supreme" moment, let's face it) Why do Americans not like us? Of course, that's a political issue, propaganda made to diss us because we don't think the same as you do, that's sectarist thought and it tends to be stronger and stronger EVERYWHERE, (not just the US).

[@Missyuzu13]

I'm french and i don't understand the meaning of the last question 😂 I don't think it was written by a french...i hope haha

[@lesvoutesparis1351]

U.S., land of freedom obsessed with guns ? There is no freedom in carrying a weapon! Rather, it is the symbol of a fear of being the victim of violence that runs through US society. Living as prey seeking protection is not the definition of freedom! "The safest door is the one you can leave open!" Confucius

[@chlore2amine]

Eggs colors depends on chicken breed, yolk color depends on what they eat. 2nd Gulf War is not related to 9/11 but to supposed WMD 's, France didn't belive in US lies and say they will not vote for an UN resolution to a military action in Irak hence the french bashing (coward, surender, etc.) . Afganistan was related to 9/11 what's why US used the NATO's article 5 and France supported it and sent troops

[@dome9911]

La dernière question sur la beauté des villes aux States est désobligeante , et digne d'une personne pas très intelligente , personnellement , je dirais quelles sont différentes des villes Française , par leurs jeunesses , leurs constructions ont quelques 200 années , l'architecture reflète donc cette sensibilité , contrairement aux villes comme Carcassonne , St Malo , Strasbourg , Paris , La Rochelle , Annecy , Lyon etc... qui ont un vécu de plus de mille ans .

[@shatterquartz]

En dehors des villes bâties à l'époque coloniale, l'urbanisme américain reflète surtout la sensibilité du tout-puissant lobby automobile. C'était cela le sens de la question: ces banlieues immenses et sans âme dans lesquelles il est impossible de se déplacer autrement qu'en voiture, et dans lesquelles le moindre commerce est à des kilomètres, ont en effet un aspect catastrophique. Ne serait-ce que par le nombre d'accidents mortels qui y ont lieu.

[@annaburch3200]

We definitely use timber for our homes in the PNW due to earthquakes. Houses are not typically made of stone/brick because it crumbles in a quake. We have stone or brick facades or trim, but not total stone or brick. Newer big buildings made of concrete have massive earthquake engineering integrated into their construction.

[@florianandre6891]

7:35 If I remember well "le monde" did a video on the vocal fry. Apparently, women tried to have lower voice when they started to have important jobs in the 60's to seem more serious. But according to studies, nowadays, it's seen by americans recruiters as a bad thing (and so less job opportunities).

[@YorranKlees]

About obesity: the one time in my life I spent 2 weeks in Florida, there were obese people all over the place. Then I saw some random guy in the streets of Miami who had a pizza slice in one hand, and an ice-cream in the other. He was eating both at the same time. And he wasn't slim. I was really shocked. That was about 40 years ago and I can still recall that vision. I'm not even mentioning the portion sizes in restaurants. That being said, nowadays Europe faces the same issues about obesity. Not about portion sizes in particular, but because of malnutrition, because that's what it is. About the US / France relationship: US: France, stop your nuclear tests in Polynesia. France: No. We will develop our own nuclear arsenal ourselves (that was President Chirac). US: we have proof that chemical weapons are produced in Irak. France: No, you don't. We're not in. US: No more French fries in Parliament. That's when the French bashing started, and I lived through it. It came on hard. Thing shifted since Macron came into power. There are countless occurences (even recently between Biden and Macron) to show that countries ally themselves to others in purpose of same interests. That doesn't mean France won't have a say in geopolitical decisions, or, well... try to anyway. That doesn't mean either that France has forgotten the friendship, but also the benefits of a close relationship with the US. After all, the Statue of Liberty is a gift from France to the US. If that symbol is not one worth mentioning, I don't know what is. That last question, if I understood it right, is about suburbs in the US. In Europe in general, when you live in the suburbs you don't need your car to go to a store for food, or walk you kid to the school, buy medicine, everyday life stuff in a nutshell. I'm not talking about remote villages in France where you need a nomadic truck to bring you groceries once a week. As real as they get, those examples are scarce compared to the population living in towns. In the US, you need your car when living in the suburbs, period. That's the general idea. Well, that was my 2 cents, or should I say my 2 bucks in this instance. Obviously I'm speaking out very aware of my own european bias, so let's agree that everything I posted here is questionable, and should be as needed. Those French ppl and their bloody addiction for debating... tsss :) I hope nothing here was disrespectful, becauss this is not my intention.

[@SylvainBOSSON-og8fi]

of course, it s easy to anderstand why they got them.We learn a lot . I m not ready for some difference from there, like the tips , and so on

[@christine9122]

Knowing your views, I respect you even more

[@konstantinavalentina3850]

I skimmed through your video list and did not see anything about buying a home in France (maybe I missed it?). I have questions; It seems there's a Value Added Tax thing, and a bunch of other taxes that look like it can be up to 50% the price of home, sooo, if I look to buy home in France, and use round even numbers for example, if home is 100,000 Euro, does this mean after taxes it will be like 150,000 Euro? Do I get mortgage loan for price of home before, or after taxes? Also, Home ownership means Home insurance. There is different insurance for absolutely everything in US. Is it similar in France? Is there maybe just one blanket insurance that covers Home, Car, Health, etc? ... and what are those rates compared to US? Also, in some places in US some neighborhoods have Home Owner Associations, so, on top of taxes and utilities you pay to own home, you have to pay the neighborhood Home Owner Association that's like a mafia of home owners that have power to take you to court or evict you if you paint house color they don't like, or don't mow lawn, or other things. What are all the things about owning home in France? There will probably be big differences for regions, too. :)

[@isagrace4260]

Great post - thanks for sharing! Also, I love your dress / tank! Where is it from??? (Is asking that super American? lol)

[@davidryle1164]

Egg preference in New England also brown.

[@brittanyunruh4004]

@unintentionally frenchified I love your videos, one of my favorites to listen to! 100% agree with you about the health care over here in the US, it needs to be changed. Especially with some insurances having a huge deductible before someone can finally use insurance. American portion sizes are disgusting. But not only that, it’s a marketing thing and what the government allows here vs what is allowed elsewhere too. I’ve watched a whole bunch of documentaries on our food system. I’ve never thought of Americans not liking the French, I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that. I’ve felt like a lot of foreign countries don’t like the US. I love the French language and their culture, I would love to visit soon!

[@yoshibeckham]

« Why are Americans so loud ? » I know you’ve done a video on this, but anyway, when I was in Paris three months ago, they were so loud I was even becoming to hate the sound of English 😅 No offense, my American friends 😉

[@AY-ln1mk]

In my first year of life in the US I was told that healthcare is also expensive because US also funds a lot (or most) of research and clinical trials. Asking friends who work as post docs in the States, they all agree that being a scientist in the States is much better than France, Italy, Brazil, Colombia, probably other countries too. That doesn’t mean that both reasons (greediness and high r&d) can’t be true, probably there’s just more than one explanation. Also, post docs are paid laughably small salaries compared to the industry. But those laughable salaries are still much better than elsewhere..

[@ndoriag1214]

I learn alot from your topic keep it up

[@lauraramsey9000]

Europeans can be just as bad about geography outside of Europe. We got married in the US and in Belgium. At each reception we had the guests play a little game about the other country. The US guests had a multiple choice quiz about Belgium and they mostly did very well. For the Belgian wedding I wanted to prove a point to some grumpy, judgmental guests who would be the first to generalize about Americans. We gave each table a blank map of the US and have them write in the states. Let's just say it was a challenge😆

[@sarahmacrae8277]

Asking people to name states in america is not the same as knowing countries in Europe, knowing states in USA is like expecting Americans to label counties in the UK ir departments in France or German states as Germany is also a federal republic with lots of decisions and rules done at state level. An American correctly identifying Slovakia on a map is the same as a European correctly identifying Belize or Cuba on a map.

[@californiaglo9666]

Loved the video and your answers. I agreed with all of them. Yes we spend so much on medical research, but it is done to make money. We don't treat the cause and love to dish out pills. A lot of my health issues have gone away with proper diet and supplements.

[@carly2981]

Because is in the 2nd Amendment of our Constitution to defend ourselves from domestic and foreign enemies

[@MrsBarnabas]

Having just looked up "vocal fry", I don't think that this is what the voice question means. I think it applies to the nasal harshness of the tone and the loudness in volume of what, from outsiders looking in, would seem to be the 'norm'. I often wonder if the Americans suffer from constant sore throats from all of this! It needs to be remembered that we base our thinking mostly on what we hear on television, radio, films, KZbin, and so on, with only some personal contact, either from the (generally few) people we know or tourists. People from the south (excluding Florida, where so many have migrated from the 'frozen North' to sunnier climes) seem have softer voices, but still with that nasal twang It really grates on the ear - in fact, I find myself wondering if the doctors must be making another fortune from the constant sore throats Americans must surely suffer because of their speech habits! I damaged my vocal chords a while ago through having to raise my voice to be heard over an average of thirty or so healthy 5-11 year olds playing noisy games in the large, echo-y place where our twice a week kids clubs were run, and I sometimes hear the same sort of thing in _my_ voice - loud and harsh - especially if I'm tired, and I _hate_ it! Before that, I was a singer, with a very different speaking voice with excellent projection, but not enough in that sort of situation! (BTW, it was my choice to work with the children, and I knew the price I might pay, but it was worth it!). 😊

[@Lemonbowl1000]

I definitely have that vocal fry (crackling) in my voice when I speak English (as an Australian), but I do notice that I tend not to have it when I speak (my limited) French - maybe the language just isn’t conducive to it?

[@davidryle1164]

Obesity has also been tied to stress levels, constant work, little time off, elevated costs, deplorable health care as well as what youve mentioned, really is it any wonder.

[@e1e2t3]

Brown eggs are very common in Maine.

[@azizpunkmetal]

"You're livin' in the land of the free Free to control your life Land of the free Free to control your mind The land of the free !" (Pennywise).

[@RGSuperfan]

For the last question I think they mean "chaotic". Like explained in this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/lV6VZpiGftmjrsk

[@bge1234]

Medical tourism from the US to other countries with cheaper healthcare is a big industry.

[@iparipaitegianiparipaitegi4643]

Being polite in the US means to be kind and welcoming. To be polite in Europe means to show respect and use a formal language (vous, usted…)

[@kevinlebon7072]

they meant "vocal fry" with the "grésille" word

[@florianandre6891]

FIRST video in my life I saw with 339 positive review but 0 negative 😅

[@michaelwhite2600]

You answered all of these very well. No one talks about how not only have Americans become fatter or more obese, but the cars have become more massive to accommodate their fat asses. I can say anything I want because I’m American. Just facts. Where I live, I feel bullied by SUV’s because I drive a small Honda. I will never understand these massive gas guzzling cars. Are they for to have more room to put your crap in from your Costco runs? I also feel that Many Americans are too loud especially from up north ( I’m southern) and the midwestern accents can be very nasal. I think Americans need a lesson on how to respect other people when you are on public transport, inside restaurants, stores, etc. The French have more class generally when it comes to manners and respect for other human beings. I hate loud people! I love all of your videos! Thank you!

[@GorgieClarissa]

😂😂😂😂 truth

[@ruthlloyd1163]

Just because a region’s vocal trait is loud or nasal doesn’t mean the population is inferior. Large vehicles are needed for large families and possibly different road conditions, SUVs are much better in snow than your small Honda. And when you live rural or semi-rural a haul from Costco once or twice a month leaves a smaller carbon footprint than multiple runs a week to buy small quantities. Also-where do you think the food arriving in your corner market is grown? Not everyone is a Parisian office worker.

[@michaelwhite2600]

@@ruthlloyd1163 I live in a city. I just think SUVs are popular because of many factors and being loud doesn’t make you inferior , it makes you uncouth and disrespectful to other people nearby. I don’t want to hear your conversations .

[@Chelseyandfam]

@@michaelwhite2600 one major reason I see for the large SUV’s is because it’s a show of affluence. Seriously. It’s about showing off.

[@michaelwhite2600]

@@Chelseyandfam it has to be because it’s not about saving money on gas. 🤣

[@sallieannwestbrook9769]

Great responses, and agree with your thoughts. As someone from Chicago I’m wondering if the last question is about crime? I attribute our crime to the vast differential in economic stability and long-standing lack of equity available to minorities. This contributes to gang growth, etc.

[@oneeyejack2]

I suppose the question about "catastrophic cities" may also be a reference to what we hear in medias : stories of cities that are totally ruined when the local economy collapse (like Flint in Michael Moore's documentary, or some neighborhood getting poor) or the lack of clean water (the fracking scandal etc)... generally it seems to us that quality of life (employment, services, environment) can vary and change drastically in american cities, which is not really the case in France (although there are some ghost villages)

[@shatterquartz]

While it's true that there used to be a time in American history when guns were useful to have around, this is only a very partial explanation for the rise of America's obsession with guns. Canada and Australia, to name but two, were also large settler countries with hostile wildlife and violent displacement of native populations, yet they didn't develop an insane fascination with firearms the way the US has. The real answer is to be sought in the racist fears of white people---once you scratch the surface, the justifications of gun owners boil down to "We're scared of Blacks and Hispanics coming for us, whether directly or through the government". The idea that guns are necessary to protect "freedom" is laughable when you see that most liberal democracies throughout the world have strict gun laws, and that conversely a lot of authoritarian regimes don't care if people are armed. All those guns in the US certainly didn't do much to prevent chattel slavery, the ethnic cleansing of the Native Americans, institutional white supremacy in the form of Jim Crow, the rise of the carceral state with the world's highest number of prison inmates, locking people up indefinitely without trial on the mere suspicion of terrorist activity, police brutality, the list goes on and on. One begins to wonder whose "freedom" is really at stake here.

[@ybreton6593]

les armes à feux autant des cowboys bon d'accords ; mais au XXI siècles pour ceux qui font la Chasse ? OK ! mais de véritables armes de guerres , pourquoi faire ce croire un redoutable guerrier ou guerrière en tirant dans des cibles immobiles ? jouer a se faire peur en s'excitants en buvant de l'alcool ? de toute façon face à des soldats très entrainés , ils ne pourraient rien faires . environ trente milles morts par ans à cause des armes à feux ? chaque années , ils y a plus de morts américains que pendant les 20 années de guerres au Viêtnam

[@michaelthorn5161]

Your racist anti-white statement is the proof why left-wing fascists want to disarm the population, so it would be safer for social parasites to prey on white people. Today, more and more people realize what's going to happen to them when thanks to left-wing policies minorities gonna become a majority, that's why they arm themselves so they won't meet the fate of Jews in the Third Reich.

[@ladysparkymartin]

I just saw Larry H’s reply @larryh and was going to suggest the same! Re: cracking voice, they might mean the “vocal fry” voice affectation used by some people like the Kardashian kids. There’s also a baby voice thing (not sure of its technical term) used by many. They both create a perceived apologetic approach to talking, like a softer intent. But it’s frickin epidemic and annoying! 😂💃🤷‍♀️

[@Jendian]

Great video! I have some comments on the questions asked. Healthcare” is a huge mess in the US (unfortunately). There are a lot of special interest groups like giant greedy pharmaceutical companies that fund all politicians campaigns (both Democrat and Republican candidates) so they have a lot of influence over public health policies etc. They even fund the FDA which is the government agency in charge of approving pharmaceutical drugs. Obviously a huge conflict of interest. Americans are fat because we live in a highly consumerist and glutinous culture. Our culture is about excess and that also affects our relationship with food. Add to that the fact that we drive everywhere instead of walk, our portions are huge, and that our food supply is genetically modified for the most part unless you buy organic and it’s a recipe for obesity. I wish our government did something to improve the quality of our food. In south Florida both white and brown eggs are available as well as green. Also the construction here is almost exclusively concrete. Regarding the question about why Americans hate the french I don’t feel like that’s common at all. If anything the stereotype in America is that the French hate us. I actually think most Americans love French culture or what they think is French culture which is fashion and food. What we fail to understand is the more important parts of French culture like the cultural norms and importance/ pride in language which is my favorite thing about the French.

[@iamwindchakra]

I'm following long and answering from my perspective on the Americam side! 1. We are gun obsessed for the same reasons we are obsessed with skinny as healthy and politicians as "rockstars" it is because it is what we are fed in media and we consume it greedily. It's sick. Has no place in our modern country. 2. I agree, that our healthcare costs are so high due to greed. Period. 3. We have a lot of wood here, so we use what's local to here. 4. White eggs are just from that particular hen. 5. Long commutes and sedentary jobs. If you work an 8 hr day plus a 1 hr lunch, that's 9 hrs, plus your 1 to 2-hour community each way, so minimally 11 hrs per day you are doing work-related stuff. Leaves little time for creating healthy meals and getting exercise. :/ sucks.

[@michaelthorn5161]

We are "obsessed" with guns today because of the high crime rate. When seconds counts, police only minutes away.

[@noefillon1749]

Plus in France we have huge international companies making concrete (Lafarge for ex.). Therefore it's an important lobby that makes that our houses are made of concrete

[@iamwindchakra]

@@noefillon1749 that's a good point! In the desert in the USA, most homes are made from cinderblock to reduce risk of fires spreading. I live in a rural area full of trees, so we build homes with wood.

[@j-loosenfout67]

Hello *Kate,* About obesity in the USA, fun fact ; There are few days, I watched a video reaction on *CartierFamily* (an American) YT channel about a song. At one point in the video, one of the four people on screen leaned down and brought out a goblet that was at his feet. I've to admit, I've never seen such a big paper goblet in my entire life! The thing had to contain at least a liter and a half of drink, maybe two liters, even? I don't know what was in the goblet, but it seemed obvious that it was a very sweet drink, like a milkshake or soda. This type of goblet is difficult to find in France. Few people here want to drink a liter and a half (or two liter) of milkshake or a liter and a half of soda at once. I think, as the popular adage rightly says: *"The best is the enemy of the good".* Regarding the "sizzle" (grésillement) of voice, I assume the person who asked was referring to the characteristic sound produced by the throat when a person tries to lower their voice by one or several octaves (making it deeper) to have a more calm tone, or to appear more serious, or older than her age. It's a characteristic sound we also hear in songs when a singer goes down or up of several octaves (much lower or also much higher than his normal voice) when it's not natural for him. We hear this typical sound perfectly in the live video of the duo *"Johnny Hallyday / Lara Fabian - Requiem pour un fou"* (Johnny, in this case at 1.11 mn in the video - on *Chris Engel* YT channel), for example. I hear you do it several times on your videos in the past (that's why I suppose this question was asked). 😊 And finally to end on the tenth question, I think this time the person asking is referring to the video came out recently called *"Why Europe Is Insanely Well Designed"* (maybe you could react to this video, it's very interesting to watch) and which talk about difference in urbanism between Europe and USA. Have a lovely day, folks. 🤗❤

[@rebeccawayman2204]

Americans don’t hate the French! They helped us win our independence from England! And with geography - not sure the rest of the world realizes how HUGE the US is. Learning geography of the US is kind of an undertaking in itself.

[@anisaromano5352]

You can buy prescription drugs that are taken daily in three month supply, and still just pay the one copay. Been that way for at least a decade now.

[@elizabethlovett4318]

A lot of easy to make, frozen & less healthy foods are also cheaper than the healthier things in America. That doesn't help with eating better when wages don't keep up with living costs even when only talking about the absolute necessities. Americans tend to think if a foreign country/people don't LOVE us, they HATE us. And by LOVE us I mean a surprising number of Americans just can't take any criticism about themselves, their state, job, politics etc without taking it fairly personally and any criticism no matter how impersonal or objective can be taken more personal than intended and it's honestly annoying to me as well as an American. If the French like to complain and criticize or prefer to only mention the down-side, that might be why some Americans might not like the French. And the more obnoxious Americans will snub whoever they perceive to be snobbish especially in an intellectual way. Americans are very emotional, even too emotional in the worst way I think. Americans tend to only want to focus on the good things even when the bad thing is demanding our attention urgently. At least that's my guess and this isn't specific on Americans towards the French but any foreign nation. A lot of Americans are sensitive and have irrational, undeserved egos & pride in their country, particularly those who identify as right wing/conservative/republican, these are also the ones who are crazy for gun culture. The left/liberal/democrats shy away from guns and see them as more harmful & deadly than protective and really want strict regulations on who can own and have access to them. You didn't translate the 2nd to last question to English as you did for the other questions, it's clear why it was about but it still would've been nice to know exactly what it was. Absolutely agree with you on all your answers in this video. No idea what they mean by 'Why are American cities so catastrophic?' as catastrophic is too vague a word. It would help if they used a more specific word or description and perhaps mention specific cities if they had any in mind.

[@fredswartley9778]

A big reason Americans are so obese is their high consumption of refined and added sugar. Most Americans are diabetic and eat tons of sugar. They drink tons of sugar too in sodas and sports drinks. All this excess sugar turns to fat... Lack of exercise and fast food also play a role.

[@ringwe]

It's interesting to see how differently the English accent has evolved in different countries. However the squeaky sound isn't as heavy in the Canadians, isn't so present in the Australians (though social media and the Kardashians made vocal fry a trend and it starts to creep within the youngsters), same goes of course in the UK and in Ireland as well. The thing is Americans don't even realise they talk like that and are genuinely surprised when someone points it out. But to me who is used to the way the British speak, no matter their origin, the squeak the first thing I notice in the Americans, it's hard not to. I would say it's almost distracting sometimes.

[@donsumner9268]

America is still a young country compared to France or the UK. We are centuries behind in building our culture and civilizing ourselves. The guns are to protect individuals from the fear of losing their white identity and fear of paying for putting other races in the past in chains. We are primitive in a country only a little over two hundred years old. The growing pains can be compared to the same thing that France went through during the French Revolution. We are far behind and our politicians and corporations keep us in their control by keeping us poor and powerless. That brings us to why health care will not be supported in America. This is why many are divided today. Be thankful if you live in France or the UK or Europe with enough history that you are civilized people.

[@michaelthorn5161]

Considering the hatred that is permeated against white people today in Western academia, it won't be an exaggeration to suggest that white people will face genocide when thanks to left-wing policies minorities will become a majority. That's exactly why left-wingers are so desperately trying to disarm white people all over the western world, so they won't be able to protect themselves in the near future.

[@MyWadester]

For the medical coast, I remember my husband needed a doctor late night in Australia, he said he was expensive but it was $50! I’m originally from France and the US healthcare issue is really bad! Your premium goes up every year , how can we make it??

[@pnwesty7174]

I wonder if the "villes catastrophiques" question is about the crime/shootings/drugs/homelessness/etc./etc. that are constant news items over the past few years. France can protest something fierce, but the clashes between far right and far left groups in my city over the last few years were national news in the U.S. Just a guess.

[@noefillon1749]

No I think it's about huge low density non mixed-use car-dependant single family homes neighbourhoods The fact that commercial buildings cannot be built in residential areas and therefore the extensive expensive (a real money pit for local governments) infrastructure associated : highways built inside city centers separating communities and parking minimum requirements => lots of space waste => lower density => more car dependence => more cars => more car infrastructure => even lower density... make the cities not walkable and public transit non viable (too expensive for the density of people) because of the distances. If we add to the total ignorance of pedestrians and cyclists in road design, everything being made for the convenience of people in cars while it's neither the most infrastructure-efficient or space-efficient nor the most environmentally friendly mode of transportation and that they generate pollution, noise and danger for every person that is not in a car, that's why a lot of people ask why American cities are generally catastrophical. But compared to Dutch ones, our French cities are a catastrophy too.

[@ybreton6593]

pourquoi les américains sont si gentils ? bon admettons , mais certainement pas les Texans

[@carly2981]

Not that French like us Americans a lot LOL , you can call it mutual feelings

[@jeanforest8060]

Catastrophic? Ever heard of Chicago, Detroit, New York, Cleveland, Philadelphia, Washington, their crime rate, drug consumption ou street population? Hard to find anything remotely similar in Europe, isn't ? Do you know that there are more guns than people in the US? That every year close to 50 000 people are killed with those guns as opposed to only one in Japan? And I could go on and on...

[@---ze8tc]

Last question means : why do you have to do everything by car in the US when in Europe you can do everything without it ? Why is US city planning such a catastophic failure ?

[@Rachel-rs7jn]

I'm not an expert so I can't answer with any authority, but I think it has to do with how new the country is. It takes a long time to develop, say, a rail infrastructure, and the U.S. is very spread out because the country is so big. So car culture developed too soon and too quickly for rail to keep up. That's just my personal theory though! I know it's probably much deeper than just that.

[@foxymama2003]

Plus we just didn’t grow up walking as much. Crime kept us from feeling safe to walk around bigger cities alone. And like the other poster said, their are very few railway systems. Everything is so spread out, cars are needed to get anywhere.

[@shatterquartz]

If there's something in the US that doesn't make sense, it's usually because of systemic racism. In the case of disastrous urban planning, starting in the mid-20th century, whites started fleeing racially diverse urban centers and moved to segregated suburbs, which were by design inaccessible by public transportation to keep out anyone unable to afford a car.

[@Rachel-rs7jn]

@@shatterquartz Unfortunately that is absolutely correct. In Connecticut that was the case. We are still sometimes called a "checkerboard" (i.e. towns are mainly white or black and not integrated). Also, a major highway (Route 84) cut rights through Hartford and further separates the city.

[@GorgieClarissa]

@@Rachel-rs7jn I don't think that's quite accurate. The US, while younger, didn't come after subways and trains were invented. The US just has refused to adapt because capitalism is king in the US. Cars generate more wealth than trains. It's best to keep people dependent on a system so they are required to waste money on it for all of eternity

[@destinydeems]

I have no interest in guns. Growing up in the 50s, 60s, and 70s we had guns in the home (we lived in town). Mom's 45 handgun only came out a couple of times a year when we went out to our property with a reservoir to fish. She always said she carried it in case a snake attacked (it probably was because she was alone with her five children and a hobo might have trespassed and come upon us). Dad had a rifle (I believe it was from his time in the Army). Also, a shotgun. These were used a handful of times in all those years to go to someone's Deer Lease or to hunt quail. My brother had a BB gun which he had to receive permission to use. At summer camp target practice, skeet shooting, and archery were part of the program. Guns were serious possessions, nothing to joke about; they were never glorified (except on TV and in the movies). Thankful, never around them.

[@flirtinggracefullplatypus8496]

la voix qui gresille c'est le frying voice. Les linguistes connaissent c'est quand tu parles un registre plus bas pour sonner plus intelligent . c'est plus repandu en californie. it's that annoying reality tv way of speaking.

[@AkamaiOkole]

That story about guns: did you actually research that or just wing it because that is acropryphal bull.

[@Spsr555]

Never heard anybody in my whole life saying that Americans have a crackling voice. Don’t adventure on the WWII, it’s a huge topic, very sensitive in France, and we know how Americans are totally brainwashed on this topic in general ans especially when in comes to France.

[@knucklehoagies]

Americans are also extremely limited in their sense of history thanks to our wonderful public education system.

[@proximstenvaag1072]

Remontada de la France: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iJ-2fJZ_i6msqpY

[@AndyKola]

It came when everyone got their rights and cockroaches swarmed.

[@carly2981]

Houses made on wood you being an American should know ...... earthquakes and other natural treats for example

[@selin8274]

Your explanation on the second amendment needs clarification…. I am not an expert, but I had a close friend who was a constitutional scholar and lawyer, and my comment is based on what I absorbed. Politicians and popular media have changed the narrative from what it was in the 80s, before we lost our minds. The US Constitution was built off principals in British law. Our founders were concerned about a centralized government, the federal government, having too much power. They believed if the States could be guaranteed their on militia, as there was no standing army at the time, an overbearing federal government would prevent a centralized government from holding too much power. (The federalist papers were written during this time if you want to better understand their thinking. They are one or two pages each, and not hard to read; readily available online). It wasn’t until the Heller decision in 2008 that the Supreme Court radically changed the meaning to an individual right. And this year they expanded an individuals right even further. The states have also adopted stand your ground laws that make it legal to murder someone just because you “feel” threatened. Rather chilling.

[@michaelthorn5161]

The Second Amendment is part of Bill of Rights the rest of which protect individual liberties. Furthermore, authors of Federalist Papers left no shadow of the doubt that gun ownership is individual right designed to protect citizens from potential government tyranny. Case closed.

[@carly2981]

I though Obama care solved the health problem !!!!

[@kelkelly9038]

I just happened to see one of your videos here for the first time in a year or so after I quit watching because you make so many things political. What’s the first thing I see? Your making things political. You have a lot of audacity to pretend to be an expert on things you obviously know nothing about. That’s tantamount to fraud, and tantamount to lying. Healthcare in the US is so expensive due to greedy companies? You’re sure? Then why aren’t companies who make TVs, cars, clothing, cell phones, and toys greedy? The prices of those products have fallen over the last 20 years. There is a thing called economics. You should learn about it. Healthcare costs in the US are so high because of the rigged socialist healthcare system where the supply of doctors and hospitals is intentionally artificially restricted in the name of greed (AMA), while the demand for healthcare is artificially increased by because of the 3rd party payer system. Nobody pays for their own healthcare. Companies and the government pay for almost all healthcare, and since it is “free” if you have insurance, people use way more than they would otherwise, and get others to pay for it. As that drives up prices, we keep pouring more and more money into the healthcare system, driving up prices still further. When it becomes more of a problem, we put in more regulations, rigged systems like Obamacare and pour still more money into the system, driving prices up further. None of this happened before the AMA monopoly and especially before WWII when companies started offering free healthcare as a benefit since they were not allowed to pay workers more, due to the wage and price controls as a result of the inflation that was the result of the government printing money to pay for the war it intentionally got itself into. All of this is manmade and there is no reason why prices should be more than people can afford-they are not in other industries. They could not be in a free market for healthcare. Insurance is for extraordinary against-the-odds events-like your home or car insurance is, not for paying for everything you want. If we had “foodcare” or “carcare” insurance to pay for those things like we have healthcare insurance to pay for healthcare we could not afford food or cars. If we made those things a “right” as you propose, we would have a crisis there too. It is less so in France, but most countries that provide government-funded "free" healthcare have an overwhelming problem of a greater demand for healthcare than they can provide. Thus, they don't have enough money to spend and they have long wait times -- months and years often. And they often deny treatment in the name of cost saving. Look at Canada and the UK for example. Healthcare is not a whole lot less expensive in France (11% of GDP) than it is in America (17% of GDP). France has one of the most expensive systems in the world. It is NOT free. People pay for it. Like it’s not free in the US if you have insurance. All French citizens and all American citizens pay for their healthcare-you just don’t see it! Both systems have more demand than there is supply. Both systems have problems. They are both centrally planned systems. France’s is government funded while the US’s is 55% government funded. They are two different rigged systems where free markets are not allowed to operate, where supply and demand are out of whack in both. Healthcare is a problem only because people like you think it should be free and manipulated in order to “help" people, instead of letting the market solve the problem as it does everywhere markets are allowed to work. In short, YOU have created the problem. Just about every problem we have in the world is due to your mentality and politician’s doing something (rigging something, manipulating something, controlling people) in the name of helping and solving the problems they already created by “doing something.”

[@lilly6766]

Tha lack of preparation is beginning to annoy me. The videos are not as good as they used to be.

[@adrienhb8763]

The spontaneity of the video is what makes it good.