I’ve always been quite surprised to hear English swear words in songs played on the radio in the daytime in France. At the moment its common to switch on the radio to hear Lily Allen’s singing F**k You and to hear people singing the exact same words. Do they really not know?
But, my biggest moment of shock horror was when I was sitting in the rush hour traffic one morning this week, listening to Virgin Radio’s breakfast show. They were playing a Christmas tune as background music; They kept playing it over and over again. I turned up the radio to listen and was absolutely horrified by the words to the song: “I’m going to f**k him up the a**e this Christmas.”
I’m really sorry, I know these words are totally vulgar but these are the words to a song playing on a National French radio at 8:30 in the morning!
The French may not think that they are particularly good at languages, but for goodness sake, surely people can understand the words? Especially when they are played over and over again. Not to mention why anyone would like to use those type of words for a Christmas jingle anyway?
It shocked me also, I hear that Lily Allen song everywhere I go. I think the thing is that it’s not censored because it’s not a swear word in English. If there was somehow a French hit called Putain de Merde I think it would still pass on English radio without problem!
You’re right, however the French are generally much better at English than the English are at French, so surely they all know what it means? The French are a lot more liberal than the Brits anyway though, nudism on TV at 3pm would never be accepted in the UK!
Hello!! I am visiting as I saws you comments on another blogger I read (I think it was “Michelle’s Life en franglais,” but now I am not 100% certain…). Anyways, I love your posts and this one really cracked me up as I hear this Lily Allen song *every* damn time I go grocery shopping here in Paris at my local Leader Price, hahahaha! I find it both appalling and kind of hilarious at the same time. Mostly I roll my eyes and think, as David Lebovitz would write: WTF. Welcome to France.
I’ve got you in Google Reader, so I hope to be back again soon! Happy New Year!
ParisKarin (an alien parisienne)
Oh no I think they no perfectly well what the words mean. The French know much more English than they ever admit to someone who speaks English. But just look at how easily they say French curse words on television not even the cable stations. Curse words don’t really mean anything over here.