Warning: parts of this piece will be insufferable
Damnit, they are advanced. Even for being so snooty and needlessly difficult. I am struck by how la France moderne seems focused and able to advance, year by year, while America sort of trundles on.
Paris, and now Europe by my association, more readily embraces what I see as important changes regarding sustainability, in regards to both the environment and the humans in it. It is prevalent everywhere, and becoming as embedded in the day-to-day as time-honored traditions like soufflé. Go jump in a river you might say — gladly !
And I’m not just talking about paper cups at Starbucks (ugh, God), but everywhere has something with an element that defies you the purest form of convenience because it involves trash and/or another human person. They are not as decidedly commercial. This is my idiot brain speaking, by the way !! I will not help but reduce things to their simplest form (recap: Paris=Europe, America=New York, commerce=bad).
I TRULY LOVE what I see as French focus (fuckass in French) on a human experience, rather than simply consumption. Acknowledgement at every beginning and end, a “bonjour” and “au revoir” if you will — wow I am easy to please. Blocks of TV adverts clustered about once per hour, so as not to ruin a movie-watching experience — maybe little more niche. Most (more) space and deference in cities dedicated to people just walking around — my own hill to die on.
I should definitely disclose to you that most my recent perspectives are limited to roughly two weeks per year, staying on the soulless Champs-Élysées, but also including little jaunts to the suburbs, and a beach day at Deauville. Are you insuffered yet ? Visual pause.
Personal strife aside, I want to ask: why does Europe so much more readily embrace change ? Are they just better educated ? More willing to act “in a collective”? Aren’t they supposed to be stuffy and clinging to traditions ? You’ll be happy to know cigarette smoking is still alive and well.
What is going on? I think their foundation is stronger, maybe that helps move things along.
I’m sure someone’s grandpa would read this, and start shaking their head, grumbling about a downward trend that started when they put the glass pyramid in front of the Louvre.
But now, c’est emblématique !
Etphonehome 