| Fringe Blog – Writing on Film, Culture, and Things on the Fringe

Scarf Ban

By jelewis8 ⋅ October 20, 2004 ⋅ One comment

France demonstrates its religious tolerance by expelling Muslim girls who wear their headscarves in defiance of a new ban against “conspicuous religious symbols”. I think this could only be topped if France began sanctioning the burning of Jews right in the street.

France and Sudan

By jelewis8 ⋅ July 9, 2004 ⋅ Post a comment

The French oppose sanctions and military action against Sudan in the Darfur genocide (that the UN, BTW, won’t call a ‘genocide’ because that would require military action). By the way, the French have oil interests there. It must be all about the oooooiiiilll! You gotta love the French. Oh wait, no you don’t.

France Loves F9/11

By jelewis8 ⋅ July 8, 2004 ⋅ Post a comment

The French, on the whole, love Fahrenheit 9/11. But not all is well in Gaul… “To affirm…that it was crowned (in Cannes) for its cinemagraphic qualities is either proof of incompetence, a pure lie or a cynical joke,” [daily newspaper Le Monde] wrote, questioning whether the movie was what it is touted to be ? [...]

Leaving France

By jelewis8 ⋅ June 21, 2004 ⋅ Post a comment

Joe Gandelman reports that Jews, sick of growing anti-Semitism, are leaving France in record numbers. I guess “Never again” has different connotations over there.

35 Hour Failures

By jelewis8 ⋅ May 19, 2004 ⋅ 8 comments

The French have finally learned that a 35 hour work week just doesn’t work. Oops! Hard work? Nah, we’re le French! As long as we can be smug about our enlightened system of only working 35 hours a week, and half-assed at that, we’ll show those captitalist pig-dog Americans what true freedom is. Then again, [...]

American Islamist Hegemony

By jelewis8 ⋅ April 16, 2004 ⋅ 3 comments

Oh, this is good. French intellectuals believe Islamism is an American hegemonic enterprise designed to destroy national borders and increase global reliance on commercial capitalistic markets. They also believe that political and economic interests are controlled by a powerful Jewish lobby whose personal project is nothing less than the total theocratic realization of Israel. Forgetting [...]

French Lawyer to Defend Saddam

By jelewis8 ⋅ March 29, 2004 ⋅ 2 comments

Well, someone had to do it. I’m sure Saddam prefers a friendly face anyway.

More French Wackiness

By jelewis8 ⋅ February 11, 2004 ⋅ Post a comment

A French woman married her fiance, who just happened to be dead. The marriage had to be approved by the French president. According to French law, a marriage between a living person and a dead person can take place as long as preliminary civic formalities have been completed that show the couple had planned to [...]

It’s A Quagmire!

By jelewis8 ⋅ September 9, 2003 ⋅ Post a comment

The French heat wave death toll is up to 15,000, says the country’s largest undertaker, exceeding government estimates of 11,500. It’s funny. You sure aren’t hearing much about 15,000 people dying in France, but when less than 300 servicemen and women die in Iraq, it’s all over the news. I have trouble reconciling this fact [...]

French Opinion