Are French men sexier?
Without question, I am dating myself as someone in the older generation. But I grew up thinking that Charles Aznovor and Maurice Chevalier were soooo sexy. They exuded charm and style and spoke English with that veeerrryyyyyyyyy charming accent. I was such a fan of the great Asnovar that I persuaded an older friend to take under-aged me to watch him perform at a now-defunct ballroom in Washington, D.C. We even had a glass of champagne, which made an ineligible impression.
That
outing did the trick. I was convinced that French men were more
romantic than any others in the world. Not that I had seen much of the
world but c’est la vie. I had seen the Eiffel Tower when I was 13 but
was so jetlagged that I only remembered it and not the males walking
down the street. Come to think of it, I went to Italy and thought those
“guys” were kind of cute. Eventually, I married a man of Italian
origin. Still, French men were reputed to be ever so charmant and
seductive.
When I moved to
France 15 years ago, the French men I met did not overwhelm me. The men
at the vegetable stands and the butchers were not sexy and clearly felt
the same about me. The salesmen in the basement at the BHV looked
though me as if they wished I would disappear. My male companions in
the metro were too busy reading newspapers to bother looking up. Plus,
had they said anything, I wouldn’t have understood.
What
was this mystique about French men? As a journalist, I felt I had to
make it my business to find out. It didn’t take long after I took my
blinders off.
Just walking the
streets of Paris unveiled hardcore evidence that French men are more
romantic. They hold hands with their female companions, help them cross
the street and even open car doors. American women (often feminists) of
my generation generally don’t encourage that and interpret it as a
symbol of “submission.” (FYI – I am not a member of that club).
As
I walked through the many Paris parks, I would see couples intensely
embracing. The French are not embarrassed by a public kiss. Onlookers
did not stop and gawk, unless they happened to be tourists where such
acts of intimacy are not the norm. I found myself looking enviously at
these usually young couples. Love seemed to be in the air in spite of
the City of Light’s pollution.
Other observations: Enter any of the omni-present florists after 6 PM and more often than not, the clients will be men rather than women. Wrap the flowers pour offrir is the general request and somehow, it’s evident that these flowers are not being taken home to their mothers.
Other observations: Enter any of the omni-present florists after 6 PM and more often than not, the clients will be men rather than women. Wrap the flowers pour offrir is the general request and somehow, it’s evident that these flowers are not being taken home to their mothers.
Ditto when it comes to buying wine and chocolates. Most French men choose quality over quantity.
Based
on the number of lingerie stores NOT selling Carter’s white cotton
underpants and bras, there’s a big business story here. It doesn’t take
a rocket scientist to figure out the supply and demand rule. Judging
from the prices listed in the window, you could be forced into
bankruptcy if you were to go on a serious shopping spree. I can’t tell
you the numbers of times I have seen couples shopping ensemble for some
of these dessous that will probably never see the light of day.
French
men flirt because it’s a sport they love and in which they excel. It’s
not necessarily a precursor to hitting the sack. However, what woman
can’t help but be impressed by a man who appears to have eyes for ONLY
her-- even if she happens not to be his wife.
If
I were to single out a main difference between French and American men,
it would be the quality of eye contact. French men look as if they are
in rapture over what a woman is saying – even if she happens to be
reciting that week’s grocery list!
Even
though Valentine’s Day (a relatively recent phenomenon in France) is
celebrated with a vengeance in many of France’s restaurants, (thanks to
marketing), a French man does not wait for February 14th to say, je
t’aime. Love is a yearlong affair!
© Paris New Media, LLC - Karen Fawcett
