Weird, And Incredibly Stupid
as only the French can accomplish (hat tip: Tim Blair). Here’s the weird part:
Country and western has become so big in France
Huh?
And here’s the incredibly stupid — and oh, so very Français part:
Country and western has become so big in France that the country’s bureaucrats have decided to bring the craze under state control.
The French administration has moved to create an official country dancing diploma as part of a drive to regulate the fad. Authorised instructors who have been on publicly funded training courses will be put in charge of line dancing lessons and balls.
Line dancing developed, and exists, here just fine without state control, but hey, we’re not French. And thank God for that. More weird:
Jean Chauveau, the chairman of the country section of the French Dance Federation, said … the French shunned the square dancing that is popular among country and western fans in the United States because it involved physical contact. “They don’t want to take anyone by the hand or anything like that,†he said.
Wait. What happened to “the language of love” and all that? The French not wanting to touch? Aren’t they the nation of harcèlement sexuel? And yet more stupid:
French civil servants say line dancing should be submitted to the same rules as sports such as football and rugby … Amateur instructors will have to take 200 hours of training under the new rules. Professionals will get 600 hours
Ooo, la la! Zey weel be ze certeefahd instructeurs! Zee experts!
I’m assuming Texas Roadhouse won’t be opening many new restaurants in France now, or if they do, they’ll have to cover line-dancing training costs for all those employees.
And from one of Blair’s commenters:
Grab votre mistress do zee do.
Surrender to your enemy, here we go.
Swing your partner round and round,
Wave the white flag all around
Munch the cheese now drink that wine
Soon you’ll have a French ol’ time
Hate the Jews and smell real bad
Now you’re doin’ Le Square Dance Fad.
PeggyU:
That’s just beyond strange.
June 6, 2008, 9:57 pmRight Wing Nation » Blog Archive » Forbidden! Illicit! Subversive, Even!:
[…] not sure what’s going on in France. First, it was CW and line dancing. Now, this. EVEN if you couldn’t be on the Champs-Élysées for Bastille Day on Monday to watch […]
July 16, 2008, 12:49 pm