“France and chicken, somehow it just goes together”

[Flagg]

The Subway chain of sandwiches is currently using this ad to promote their chicken sandwiches.

“France and chicken, somehow it just goes together”

To me, this just add to the general feeling that Americans, young and old, will have for a very long time this image of the French as “cowards”, even though many of them have no idea of the actual historical facts (or they would not be saying those things)

In WWI, France lost almost 5% of its population (0.1% for the US). I can assure you: none of them died with their hands up.

Besides, why are they calling ME a chicken? Did I surrender to anybody? Yes, some people did that in France 65 years ago. They’re now all dead. Do I go around calling Americans racists because they had racist policies, including lynching, 65 years ago?

And don’t tell me it’s because we did not go into Iraq. We did not go into Iraq because we doubted the existence of WMDs, and we thought it would encourage terrorism. ‘Nough said!

Subway has 19 franchises in France. I think it’s time for them to know what their franchiser thinks of them. Marc Kreder is the contact and he can be reached at [e-mail]. In the US, Subway can be contacted through their feedback form, by email at [e-mail] or at 1-800-888-4848.

Note: Sorry for the bad picture and the reflections in the window. I’ll try to get a better one later.

[Kolesar]

1. Chirac's government lodged a complaint against the US

The bush* government had a campaign to denigrate France because France and Chirac opposed the Iraq war.

[Greeby]

2. Maybe it's because France

Actually learnt from their Vietnam? :think:

[MildyRules]

10. Which one?

Vietnam? or Algeria?

They had to learn it twice.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

3. Deplorable, and amazing that they would base a whole campaign

on this shite.

[KnaveRupe]

4. France was one of the only nations to stand up to Bush...

...in the run-up to war. I'd never call anyone who stares down a bully a coward. Remember, in Republican Bizzarro World, everything they say and do is the opposite of what it really means. That these assholes would smear your people for cowardice should be construed as an affirmation of your bravery.

Subway is just playing to the rubes. Contemptible, yes, but they're just engaging in marketing. Playing off a stereotype. The stereotype exists, however, because of the slimeballs in the GOP and their redneck bully constituents.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

5. Even Walter Jones (NC) has apparently renounced the Freedom Fries crap.

[TomClash]

6. I buy lunch from Subway once a week

Not anymore.

[Dawgs]

22. Make sure you let them know this...

[Ganja Ninja]

7. Kind of like the GOP and Chickenhawk. n/t

[jmm]

8. Subway and suck ass service, somehow it just goes together

I haven't gone to one in years and here's another reason not to go back.

[izzie]

9. How can any one call the Fr.coward? Look at the figures

After all they were beat by the Germans and lost a lot of men. I think it was in the Million mark( we hardly lost that many in both Asia and Europe) and look at world war one and how they fought;and in IndoChina. Would you call the Dutch cowards? They also were beat. And in the same places. I think it maybe they kept telling us not to go into Vietnam because we could not win a war like that and they were right. And were they right about Iraq?

[Bark Bark Bark]

11. Hello, Quizno's

"We like the subs! 'Coz they taste goooood to us!!"

Extra-greasy burger dump Carl's Jr. tried an insult-the-French campaign, which didn't last very long--not even as long as Carl's Jr.'s "without us some guys would starve" slogan, which basically said "our customers tend to be f***ing idiots who can't fend for themselves."

Quizno's subs are far superior, anyway. Subway wouldn't toast anything until Quizno's started kicking their asses. And the only thing Jared was good for was a half-decent "South Park" episode.

As sson as I hit "post" here, I'm going to let Subway have it, as hard as I can, at the address posted above.

[Taxloss]

12. The French national animal is the cockerel.

Maybe they meant that.





(note to self - do not enter "French cock" unthinkingly into Google Image Search)

[sniffa]

17. the french and cocks just go together

:yoiks:

[bicentennial_baby]

34. ....

:rofl:

[etherealtruth]

13. Utilizing ethnic bigotry/bias as an ad campaign ...

How very * administration of them.

[MetaTrope]

14. Is it a corporate policy of Subway internationally?

From last year:

Picture this: a gigantic cheeseburger (with tomatoes and lettuce) slamming into two high-rise buildings, as cartoon characters run from the flaming ruins.

It's clearly a takeoff on the 9/11 terror attacks on the World Trade Center, and according to the Virginia-based Center for Individual Freedom, the illustration appears on page 18 of a 30-page "food diary" distributed by Subway sandwich shops in Germany.

Last week, the Center for Individual Freedom launched a grassroots campaign against anti-American tray-liners at German subway stores.

The tray-liners -- a promotion for the film "Super Size Me" -- showed an obese Statue of Liberty holding a burger and fries in her hands, under a headline asking, "Why are Americans so fat?" According to the Center for Individual Freedom, the headline used the word "Amis," which is considered a derogatory term for Americans.

[etherealtruth]

16. How offensive ...

Thanks for the info ... obviously bigotry and/or BAD taste is corporate policy.

I am really stunned ...

[ohio_liberal]

15. Is this a worldwide ad campaign?

Or is it just in France?

[theHandpuppet]

18. My letter to Subway

To whom it may concern...

I can only assume that Subway is either so assured of its continued success that it doesn't mind driving away its customers, or is convinced that its customers are so shallow and uninformed as to be French-hating extremists who would gladly go along with your repulsive ad campaign, “France and chicken, somehow it just goes together”.

Just so you'll know, my partner and I have been regular Subway customers for years. No longer. Though we have enjoyed your product, we have eaten our last meal at Subway. Any company which insults its own customers by pushing some Francophobic political agenda would obviously wish us to eat somewhere else -- and so we shall. Believe it or not, there are plenty of other places to eat. Perhaps you can devise a special sandwich for the genius who fashioned that hateful ad campaign -- the Chickenhawk: a combo of bologna, spam and tripe served up with an oil garnish and good portion of lettuce.

Bon appetit!

[neweurope]

19. It confirms once more the view the rest of the world has

of the USA: unmannered, unthinking, uneducated. *shrugs*


-------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[MildyRules]

20. Generalize much?

[neweurope]

21. No. If I did, I wouldn't be here. But generalizations do exist -

as we see right here - and this is the impression the rest of the world has of your country. Thanks to idiots like those who cooked up that abominable ad.

---------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[MildyRules]

24. The ENTIRE rest of the world, huh?

Okay...

[zanne]

27. I'll lay off being snotty

until you get a few more posts under your belt. Just a word to the wise.

[MildyRules]

30. I'm not being snotty

And why are you threatening me?

[zanne]

32. Don't be precious

Sweetie, I swear I won't reach through my computer screen to "get" you. You can relax.

[MildyRules]

33. I never though you would

So why the threat?

[neweurope]

28. Oh, leave me alone. Stick to the topic.

I was merely pointing out how behaviour such as this hurts you in the eyes of the world. And no, not the ENTIRE rest of the world, there are those who merely think you naive.

--------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[MildyRules]

31. Many Americans are VERy naive at times

That I agree with.

And I was merely pointing out that you were using a generalization to bash a generalization.

[neweurope]

36. I hope you feel better now :)

------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[MildyRules]

37. Yeah, I do

Much!

[neweurope]

39. That's nice :)

---------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[zanne]

26. I don't think it's a generalization

It isn't a generalization to say that this administration, and many of its supporters, are xenophobic.

[MildyRules]

29. It IS a generalization

to say that the ENTIRE rest of the world thinks. the US is "uneducated"...especially when MOST of the ROW is much less well-educated than the US.

It's amazing how some use inappropriate generalizations to point out the stupidity(and the Subway generalization is stupid) of another generalization. Do you mean to say that it's ok to generalize as long as you agree with the generalization?

[neweurope]

38. Maybe you're thinking of countries like Zimbabwe.

If you ever honestly compare the USA with the rest of the Western countries you'lll find out that the US ranks pretty much bottom in every topic. And no, I'm not inventing this, it has been published right here on DU numerous times.
BTW I'm going to read something else now *hint*

-------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[MildyRules]

40. That's

why the rest of the Western world has so many more Nobel laureates than the US. I keep forgetting about that.

See ya later.

[neweurope]

41. What a nice parting shot! *g* But it won't help you, sorry.

Go and inform yourself. Bye now.

-----------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[MildyRules]

42. Truth

hurts?

[neweurope]

48. No, truth doesn't hurt me. Especially since truth is on my side

in this case. You have more Nobel Prize winners - please don't forget to compare the number of citizens in our respecticve countries - and you have more money. The general education though is much worse in the US, and that is a fact.

By the way: As I said above: This is not the topic. Topic here is the behavour of an American fast food chain.

A private word: You remind me of somebody I once knew who never knew when to stop, even following people from room to room nagging along ;)

--------------------

Remember Fallujah

Bush to The Hague!

[Flagg]

44. That's because you got more money, not brains.

[bicentennial_baby]

45. ...

:rofl: :applause:

[MildyRules]

46. So by your argument

Luxembourg must have zillions of Nobel laureates. Gotcha.

[Flagg]

47. I was talking about your Universities or Colleges whatever.

In France Universities ae public and tution fees about 400 dollars a year.

Isn't the situation in the US a bit...different ?

[zanne]

23. I just sent them an email.

I'm fed up with xenophobia.

[bicentennial_baby]

25. Fucking disgusting, imho

:mad: no more subway for me

[Liberal In Texas]

35. I just put Subway on the "Do Not Patronize List". n/t

[newportdadde]

43. Subway sucks, Goodcents is the way to go.

Better sandwhich, larger, more meat and cheese.. just a hell of a lot more sandwhich.