Saturday, March 28, 2009

Oh Joy.....

A little while back I mentioned in my blog about French forums, as in forums for people who live in France. One of the forums I belong to has a section that I read more often than I should. It is supposedly for 'informal discussion about things that are non-France related'. For the most part, it seems to be peopled by boring old farts who do nothing but moan and groan about their pensions, single parents, crime in the UK, binge drinking, all the things that affect them on a day to day basis of course.

What is is about France that seems to attract such a sour bunch of folk to these forums? Aren't they all supposed to be living the dream in the sun with a chilled glass of rosé in their hands, no mortgage and oooh so integrated? And not only sour (yes, I'm going to say it.... deep breath) stupid, ill-informed and completely obsessive about what is going on in the UK. Well, not really what's going on, more like what the tabloids say is going on. Most of the people that post seem to be slightly to the right of Atila the Hun with a world view that brings new meaning to the word narrow minded.

I have to be truthful and say that the people I meet on a day to day basis are not at all sour, quite the opposite, but then most of them have proper lives and don't spend hours on the internet telling us all what we should think and how we should live our lives.

I try to keep away from this sub forum but sometimes it is a bit like a scab that you just can't leave alone. Maybe there should be some sort of Forumers Anonymous where we all sit around and say 'I'm (insert your forum ID) and I can't stop reading forums'. That would make its acronym FA, which is, in fact, very appropriate! It's about how much most of them seem to know about just about anything.

I've not had much to say recently but today took issue with someone who made a comment about single mothers on a thread about that girl in the UK who supposedly got pregnant by the 13 year old boy. It was the usual tired old chestnut.... they'll get free housing and loads of benefits all paid for by the poor old pensioners. In actual fact, single parents aren't entitled to any benefits that the rest of us couldn't get but let's not let that get in the way of a good moan. I took issue because I know a number of single mothers, single through choice and all successful in their own fields. Also the CH's ex was a teenage mother and between them they did a fabulous job of raising their child. I object to them being portrayed as benefit scroungers.

Of course anyone in their right mind would have seen through the story and realised that a boy who hadn't even reached puberty was unlikely to have fathered a child but no, righteous indignation and much 'it didn't happen in my time' (because, of course, sexual promiscuity is something that only started in the 1980s isn't it) and the 'UK has gone down the toilet' is far simpler than actually stopping and thinking about it. Needless to say, apparently this child isn't the father. No surprises there then. And of course this ONLY happens in the UK despite a link posted by a French member to an article about young teen pregnancies in France which of course was completely ignored just like any mention of binge drinking, MRSA, gang crime, stabbings and violence.

"Doesn't happen here, don't you know " they all say, as they pour their coffee into their wine glasses and place their knives and forks carefully on the table alongside the half eaten baguette.

Of course my response, pointing out statistics, benefits and experiences of family members was completely rubbished because people just want to believe what they want to believe. Hey ho. I know how a teacher in a sink estate comprehensive must feel like. It's so sad that people can still be so ignorant but secretly, now that we are heading back to the UK, I'm glad that they are all over here. France is welcome to them, bless their little cotton gussets.

Anyway, someone on the forum, one of my usual detractors I should add, dared to say the following....

"of course you never moan? Just read your own Blog. Pot calling kettle black or what"

MOAN...... MOAN..... Is that was my little ramblings are? Moans? I thought it was a humorous look at life in France. How could I have been so wrong? I'm devastated..... I may never blog again! I shall have to throw myself onto my strimmer - it's the noble thing to do.

13 comments:

KatduGers said...

Hi, once again we seem to be having similar experiences! My mum has been getting emails over the last few days from various people as a sort of discussion group about how Britain is going down the pan, how dreadful it is etc...ALL from people who haven't lived in Britain for about 20 years! How the hell would they know anything? They read crap on the internet, most of which is highly sensationalised, and take it as gospel! It's driving my mum potty - she must have had fifteen emails in the last 24 hrs, all of which get deleted immediately!

But as we all know, the UK is the worst country in the world - according to a lot of its expats!!

Anonymous said...

Crikey, I know just what you mean!

I went on one and discovered that the lunatics appeared to have taken over the asylum. Never again.

GG

A Woman Of No Importance said...

Didn't you know - The Daily Mail only ever posts online the Gospel Truth?!

Ignorance (for them) is bliss - For us, it's just strimming irritating! For your own mental health un-bookmark those sub-forums, and just fill your life with those that care and are like-minded - Leave the ignoramuses to their own company and their own devices - There are enough of them to wipe each other out, hopefully...

There, that's a rant and a moan and a half - Not that your blog ever, ever is! x

Anonymous said...

Good Lord Llamas breeding at 3 years old? Must be that damn Tibetan air.
Told you those foreign monks are up to no good.

manu said...

I think a lot of blokes who have moved down here choose to ignore all that is wrong in their own backyard.. maybe it helps them complete the French dream.. even if imaginary. You remember that motorbiker stabbing in Toulouse last year?.. after that no one will ever convince me that France doesnt have it own brand deep rooted social problems.

Minnie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
MsCatMinder said...

Moaning ? Who you ? What Tosspot ...french accent of course .....

Anonymous said...

Sorry....a bit late here!
But had to agree with you!
I used to frequent a few forums...some of the info can be very useful but I got bored with the negativity and bitchyness of it all. Any decent threads just seemed to get highjacked by the Misery Brigade!
I gave it a rest for a while, went back a few months later and yep, they were all still at it!
Keep up the blogging....I enjoy it!!
Sarahx

Shakespeare's Housekeeper said...

They know not what they say- you don't moan.
All i do is roll around with laughter when i read your stuff.
I don't know if that's good or not from your pov.
Incidentally, an escaped llama made front page news in our local rag a few weeks ago. It caused havoc on the streets of our local town, before it was re-captured.
All true.
Exciting here, you know.

SHxxx

The Accidental Author said...

Kat - ain't that the truth. Of course the same expats go rushing back to the UK the minute they need a bit of free medical treatment but yet they don't see the irony!!

NWbD - lunatics they certainly are!

AWoNI - I need to come and stand next to you so maybe some of your common sense will leech into me!!

Jonthegurka - sounds like you'd be the one who knows! Naughty, naughty llamas eh? Thanks for visiting my blog. I shall visit yours soon.

The Accidental Author said...

Hey Manu, nice to see you. I agree entirely but try telling em. We have regular stabbings in our nearest town, the latest aggressor (phew big word!) was a 13 year old girl but it still NEVER happens here. Ah well...

PHidelm, it's a weird world that's for sure. Hope you are enjoying being a redundant sofa-surfer. Sounds good to me! Shall drop by yours soon and thanks for commenting. Nice horse by the way.

Miss Catcalls - what is a tosspot in French, I wonder. Note to self to find out!

Beauregard - keep away from them! Weird places people by strange, strange people! Thanks for dropping in and shall pop over to yours soon.

SH - I shall do my level best to keep you amused!

Minnie said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
The Accidental Author said...

Hi Phidelm, I'd love to be invited. Now, e-mail address... if you click on the photo at the top of my blog of our house for sale, it will take you to a website that has an e-mail address that you can contact me on. It's not that I don't trust you with my main address, it's them out there I don't trust!!! Look forward to being invited. VLiF