The French, hygiene and perfume: Why is the negative stereotype so hard to wash off?

[@ChrisCrook]

I think that this is mainly a US stereotype that was created with the GIs arriving in France and of course, because of the war, there was limited running water, and limited supplies of soap.

[@seybertooth9282]

And perpetuated by American ignorance of the rest of the world combined with American exceptionalism that constantly makes Americans belittle foreigners. In other words, it's just American arrogance.

[@mozi3051]

Have you ever been on french public transportation?

[@Andre.felipe84]

Actually, this stereotype that French people don't shower is also very present here in Brazil too.

[@nanelizabethjorgensen7971]

Just absurd! Who thinks French people have any such problem? I have lived in France and California for the past 20 years and there is absolutely no issue --even way out in the most rustic parts of the country-- with _les français_ having any problems with smelling bad, or unclean, even though it is a vibrant multicultural country, with many types of people. You could find many more homeless unfortunates smelling rank in California. France, at least, takes care of its population as best it can! But Grasse and the perfume companies and their concoctions the flowers and the process are a regular treasure for France and the World. I have many French perfumes, and French soaps from natural materials and will always use them. Even French pharmacies carry amazing amounts of natural products that are a fraction of the price one would find in the US. France. and its people should proclaim -- even more-- how gifted and special they are and their glorious culture!

[@Gumbypotty]

I'm in Sweden and I always could tell when a certain french customer entered the place where I worked. I could sit in the lunch room, hear the door and seconds later I smelled the perfume and knew who it was. I had not heard of the stereotype before. It was not a bad smell, just strong perfume.

[@marythoidou2352]

I love France but I don't understand why some bathrooms have the toilet in another room and without sink? It's disgusting not washing your hands.

[@kawaiidere1023]

You don’t just walk to the sink? Even if it’s a little bit away, you probably have legs or arms to walk there

[@hsbicer4339]

As speaking of stereotypes, reportage says a lot itself. 'Ethnically French people are clean'

[@vultoktok1848]

In North America, every facilities ;doctors clinic, malls, any closed spaces prohibit the use of strong perfume due to consideration of others allergy.I don't think you can enforce it in Europe as smoking, North America enforced the no smoking long way before Europe follows through.

[@YoungWooPark84]

When I visited Paris a couple of years ago, it smelled like pee everywhere. It was fine outside of Paris though.

[@jimmybutler3728]

Have you ever been around one that seems to nath in perfume and spay it on their clothes so that wanted to hold breath or leave and some perfumes can bring on anger in those around them?...

[@jimmybutler3728]

Personal experience does wonders to the memory...

[@johnsavers7545]

In re "slightly flawed being beautiful," this concept does not seem to work when the issue is French language generally, as the world has been well advised that the "purity" of the French language must be guarded. Spraying Americanisms onto ones discourse is frowned upon as virtually unpatriotic as well as more than slightly flawed.

[@tomkins7382]

I just hope they at least wash their hands before they prepare their world famous cuisine...

[@evaluna8100]

This was such an informative series about France!! I just subscribed to the France24 channel and am impressed with the quality of their reporting and feature series. What blows my mind is why they are not more widely viewed. People!! 🙄😏😆

[@seybertooth9282]

This is not a stereotype "especially" in anglophone countries, it's ENTIRELY in anglophobe countries, mainly the USA. I'm Swedish and I have never in my life heard this stereotype from any Swede, in fact, I've never heard it from any mainland European. So this is not really a stereotype, it's just ignorant American (and perhaps British) prejudice. That's all.

[@05danmea]

They did say that it was specifically an Anglo-Saxon thing

[@daninusa5297]

neither woman has bathed in weeks is the irony of it

[@johnsavers7545]

I have long suspected that the true origins of French perfumes is to be found in the "science" of preparation of food fit for a king. All the problems related to odor can be found in the condition of meats & fish over time, especially during the warmer periods of the year. Here, innovations by the cooks preparing food for the royal & aristocratic crowd could engender personal wealth and, on the downside, help preserve one's head on its neck. The benefits of creating sauces to overcome overly ripe meats and fish may well have been obvious. The French success has won special praise, and the French cuisine ruled the West. However, whether French sauces spawned French perfumes, or whether they, sauces & perfumes, are siblings -- even twins, must be determined by scholar who has time to "bring out the true aroma" which this issue demands.

[@jimmybutler3728]

But have you been around some one that seem to soak themselves and clothing in perfume that you have to hold your breath or get away from them? and some bring out anger in you mental state...

[@shantoreywilkins651]

🌞

[@MA-un1mj]

Sad stereotype. France is awesome.

[@santosh_979]

Remind me Perfume movie

[@robcrisall787]

I love France, but I have just come back from Nice and I can say, they really are a stinky lot. I had to get off a tram 3 times because I couldn’t stand the stench of BO and hair grease.

[@larkatmic]

I love the French. Its always funny to me that the women in France dress nicely, and carry themselves so well, except for their hair. 😆 it’s always a mess.

[@nicklaskowalski]

And what about the stories of French courtier doing number two by the windows and wiping their behind on the curtains at Versailles? True or urban legend?

[@aorum3589]

It is mostly an urban legend. In reality Versailles had many public latrines to avoid this kind of thing but these ancient latrines have now disappeared. The plans show that they were distributed evenly in several wings of the castle which allowed the many visitors to relieve themselves. We also know from the texts that in the event of strong crowds, pierced chairs behind screens were added, precisely to prevent courtiers from being forced to relieve themselves in inappropriate places. Of course, given the supercify of the palace and its and gardens and the large number of people who passed there for several centuries, it has certainly happened that some unscrupulous people, or people a bit suprised by a pressing urge, did their business where they shouldn't. There are some testimonies of this kind of behavior, but these behaviors were very marginal and they were reported precisely because they shocked the people of the time. And if we consider the army of thousands of valets who maintained the palace and the gardens, who were responsible for emptying the pits of the public latrines and commode chairs, and who constantly roamed the palace, there are no doubt that a few unproperly placed human wastes would have been promptly taking care of and cleaned.

[@r------]

a long essay of lying ​@@aorum3589

[@SkippyTheRedKangaroo]

In my whole entire life I have never heard of French people having a problem with hygiene. Quite the opposite in fact.

[@fav4373]

I like french people

[@GENRTS]

lol

[@okolona1]

NASTY

[@EbbaNaa]

You guys smell.

[@JogBird]

the world would be better off without purfumes