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"Anyone but the French" t-shirts. British tabloids stoking anti-French sentiment.

Dionysus

Apparently, The Sun is now promoting an 'Anyone but the French' campaign and selling t-shirts with this on it. There were Irish and French people ringing in to that Liveline radio show giving out about it when I was in the car yesterday.

http://www.rte.ie/radio/liveplayer2_av.html?1_real,http://dynamic.rte.ie/av/live/radio/radio1.smil,real,

Where do these arseholes individuals get off? The idea that the most rightwing anti-Irish media in the world, British tabloids, are now using the Ireland-France soccer game as a means to stoke up anti-French opinion in Ireland is surely breaching some laws on incitement to hatred.

It's all part of the same europhobic British nationalist worldview of these people; any opportunity they have to attack the EU, the Euro, the French and anything else that clashes with their cesspit world they'll do. Now, gallingly, they are portraying themselves as defenders of Ireland! With friends like these ....

My question is obvious and, in the spirit of The Sun's campaign, is really a political one. In the light of this campaign, who do you support: France or England?

I'm strongly pro-France and think the EU is the best thing to have happened to Irish society. It has modernised this society beyond belief and opened us up to influences beyond Britain. The way the media has gone on about that soccer match you might get the impression that Irish people are anti-French. I have yet to meet a single Irish person who does not have a generally positive view of the French.

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General Zod

I love France, the country, and French people and culture.

However, I'm going to be cheering on all their opposition in this world cup, because when it comes to football I'm bitter and vindictive.

Cookie_Monster

England to trounce France in the semis only to be hammered in the final. The build up and hope and all the crushing disappointment will be delicious

prinz

I won't be paying the slightest bit of attention to the French at the World Cup tbh. It's just a nonsense marketing ploy in fairness. Won't be shouting for England or France.

EDIT: Poll is ridiculous. Are we talking World Cup here or politics?

alwaysadub

Where's the neither option??

Dionysus

General Zod wrote: »

I love France, the country, and French people and culture.

However, I'm going to be cheering on all their opposition in this world cup, because when it comes to football I'm bitter and vindictive.

Fair enough. But the media campaign is about a lot more than a sport. And it seems few if any media outlets are actively pro-EU these days.

Starting an anti-French campaign is using this country to advance the long-standing political agenda of the rightwing British press.

Aside from that, this country receives a huge number of French tourists each year.

Dionysus

alwaysadub wrote: »

Where's the neither option??

That option will be found on the thread which is concerned about that view.

metalgear2k2

Where's the "fu*k them both" option?

Pace2008

Bit of a false dichotomy there OP, non?

pickarooney

Well, for one thing not a single person in France would give a flying **** what anybody in Ireland wore so this is purely about Murdoch marketing trash to idiots, which is no departure from the norm.

General Zod

Dionysus wrote: »

Fair enough. But the media campaign is about a lot more than a sport. And it seems few if any media outlets are actively pro-EU these days.

Starting an anti-French campaign is using this country to advance the long-standing political agenda of the rightwing British press.

Aside from that, this country receives a huge number of French tourists each year.

I won't be supporting any rupert murdoch sponsored campaign, or joining facebook groups. I'll just be exercising a little personal schaudenfreude.

Dionysus

prinz wrote: »

EDIT: Poll is ridiculous. Are we talking World Cup here or politics?

Not ridiculous at all. As I said in the OP: 'My question is obvious and, in the spirit of The Sun's campaign, is really a political one'

Hence (pro-EU) and (anti-EU).

thebiglad

How about the option for develop a sense of humour - get over it...

England v France has been around for ages, no one takes it that seriously.

Would be exactly in Scotland/Wales - anyone but England

Bazzy

wheres the atarti jaguar option?

This place is gone to the dogs I SWEAR

ejmaztec

Must be time for me to get my "Murdoch is a Wanker" t-shirt out again.

He's just a jumped up Aussie.

Dionysus

Pace2008 wrote: »

Bit of a false dichotomy there OP, non?

I don't think so at all. I couldn't care less about a soccer match, but I do mind when these tabloids project their anti-EU political views into a campaign against one of the two leading EU states.

Atlantic Dawn

Henry's goal was worse than 800 years of oppression

problemchimp

people wearing anti French T shirts are arse holes whether the tabloids rags are behind it or not. Thierry Henry handled the ball and it was hard to take at the time but Damian Duff took a dive to win a penalty in 2002 world cup and we didn't complain. I've met many French who were embarassed about the incident but we have moved on now. Nobody died. I personally would like to see Holland win.

JerryHandbag

I wouldnt support ANYTHING to do with that rag. Its like its being run by braindead monkeys. I dont blame France, or Henry, its the stupid referees fault.

I almost hope France win the cup now, just to rub the english noses in it

bonerm

They can both f-off tbh.

I think I'll support New Zealand this time. Should be a laugh (even if they are going to lose every game 0-5).

Mr. Presentable

The English are notoriously xenophobic. They're afraid of the French, the Germans, the Italians. It betrays their deep-seated inferiority complex. Disappointingly, Irish people (particularly soccer fans) ape this attitude.

On a side note, is it coincidence that the word "racist" is an English one?

Andrew Flexing

Well firstly I think the French public reaction the whole Henrygate was fantastic, I think we looked like sore losers (asking to be an extra team in the world cup). I don't have any resentment against France as a team (except Thierry!) or nation. Why aren't we focussing our bitterness towards Platini/Blatter for modern technology to eradicate this type of play?

Secondly, if France meet the English in the WC? I'll be cheering on Les Blues!

Would have been grerat to be at the WC again but sin e an saol!

As Betrie Ahern once said (about the Englsih) " I hope they do well, but don't know if I could stomach them winning it"

ejmaztec

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Henry's goal was worse than 800 years of oppression

That was the longest game in history and the referees were all sh1t.:(

prinz

Dionysus wrote: »

Not ridiculous at all. As I said in the OP: 'My question is obvious and, in the spirit of The Sun's campaign, is really a political one' Hence (pro-EU) and (anti-EU).

In fairness if we'd been knocked out under the same circumstances by any non-EU country the t-shirts would still be promoted by rags. They appeal to a certain mindset, it's irrelevant what country they target tbh. Could as easily been Russia for example.

Pace2008

Dionysus wrote: »

I don't think so at all. I couldn't care less about a soccer match, but I do mind when these tabloids project their anti-EU political views into a campaign against one of the two leading EU states.

I and many others compartmentalise football and treat it as a completely non-political issue. I'd boo the English or the French as a I would a pantomime villian; it adds a little fun to the proceedings, especially as we won't be represented by our own nation.

I think the t-shirts are ludicrous by the way, and anyone who wears them is a classless whore.

Dionysus

pickarooney wrote: »

Well, for one thing not a single person in France would give a flying **** what anybody in Ireland wore so this is purely about Murdoch marketing trash to idiots, which is no departure from the norm.

Oddly enough a single person from France was very emotional about these t-shirts on yesterday's radio. If the French started a similar anti-Irish campaign, how many Irish people would be keen to visit their country when they found out about anti-Irish hostility?

Diabhal Beag

Again all the non-football fans come on a bandwagon. It is strictly a football sentiment. They don't want them to win the World Cup. Nobody in their right mind could want to piss France off ahead of any other country. The French were one of our main allies in history.

They should have had Thierry Henry on the t-shirt. That was their mistake but The Sun will hardly ever do the right thing. This is pure publicity and all the complainers are giving them the publicity.

Groinshot

This is bull****. Absolute crap.
http://www.keithruffles.com/2010/02/police-fears-over-anyone-but-england-t.html
Didn't read this exactly, but its the story I was looking for.

So the british are allowed promote the selling of anti french t shirts, but its racist to promote anti england?

F**k off would you, seriously

prinz

Dionysus wrote: »

If the French started a similar anti-Irish campaign, how many Irish people would be keen to visit their country when they found out about anti-Irish hostility?

The only one dragging it down to a level of hositility is you. I have French family and have been giving them a slagging ever since about cheering on anyone they come up against. They take it for what it is, a bit of a slagging. It's a tabloid doing what tabloids do best, exploiting something to make money.

pickarooney

Dionysus wrote: »

Oddly enough a single person from France was very emotional about these t-shirts on yesterday's radio.

Different prepositions makes it a different proposition. I didn't consider French people in Ireland (and the very easily offended).

Thepones

This is typical tabloid sh**e.
I work with a load of French people, they were all sympathetic of the result of the match. It was only a football match though. I am a huge football fan (was at first leg in Croker) and even if that goal was disallowed we were not guarenteed to win.

As Keano said "Get over it"

This is trying to be a "Who do you hate more / less" thing. Pointless. waste of time. Aimed at mindless idiots. football, as someone else mentioned, is seperate to politics so dont be bringing crap like this into it.....