C'est la vie...
Today is Bastille Day and to celebrate JOE has decided to take a look at ten of our favourite French things. It's a pretty bonne list that mixes la normal, l'incroyable et la bizzare.
1 ) Music
Despite the language barrier, France has provided us with some brillaint musicians and bands, mostly in the electronic domain. Air, Justice, Phoenix, David Gueta and Daft Punk feature quite heavily. JOE is sure that France has helped soundtrack many a booze-fuelled night. We love this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2cYWfq--Nw
Clip via - Fr. Eckle Studios
2) Women
Brigitte Bardot, Marion Cotillard, Olga Kurylenko, Bérénice Marlohe and Eva Green amongst many others.
3) This Simpsons Gag
JOE constantly changes our minds about what the best Simpsons gag of all time is. This one is pretty perfect.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDOnBv0gCKg
Clip via - mark dinosuar
4) Cheese
JOE will always have a special place in our hearts for some Irish cheddar but there is no denying that the French do cheese better than most, apart from Michael Bolton.
5) These French lads
They managed to
steal a llama named Serge from the circus and bring him on a night out. Yes, you read that right.
6) Sport
France has only given us the European Championships, World Cup, Tour de France, French Open, 16 Five/Six Nations Champions, 7 Heineken Cup winners, Alain Prost, the Le Mans Tour, hundreds of gifted footballers and countless other achievements. They have also broken Irish hearts on more than one occasion but we managed to get our own back this year.
7) Language
You can't deny that French is one of the most beautiful languages in the world. JOE is having terrible flashbacks now of our secondary-school aural French exam. We probably sounded something like this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jet29TQv2uA
Clip via - Toon Tag
8) Film
The French did invent the medium after all. Although some of their films are usually associated with the snooty arthouse, coffee drinking, holier than thou crowd, it's hard to deny the brilliance of films like La Haine, A Prophet, Mesrine, Tell No One, Breathless, Nikita etc.
9) Irish writers in France
France has proven to be a fertile ground for some of Ireland's most famous writers including James Joyce, Brendan Behan, J.M Synge, Oscar Wilde, Samuel Beckett and W.B Yeats. JOE imagines that they all took a few years off to go and 'find themselves' as per the norm.
10) Parkour or Free Running
It was invented in France. Any excuse for this video really.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NX7QNWEGcNI
Clip via - StuntsAmazing
JOE agrees that all of these are really impressive but do they make up for the misery that Thierry Henry inflicted on us? If not then maybe this video is more for you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3o5SB1CfgU
Clip via - ManUtd0018
