Can't we all just get along France? I guess not.
The French have banned using the names of specific social networks like "Facebook" and "Twitter" on TV and the radio unless they are somehow part of a specific news story.
Pourquoi France? Why would you do something so ridiculous?
Well, it all goes back to a 1992 decree that states that you are not supposed to mention specific brand names on TV or the radio because it could be considered as advertising... but as The Huffington Post points out... it goes deeper than that.
A French spokesperson tried to explain the ban, "Why give preference to Facebook, which is worth billions of dollars, when there are many other social networks that are struggling for recognition. This would be a distortion of competition. If we allow Facebook and Twitter to be cited on air, it's opening a Pandora's Box-- other social networks will complain to us saying, 'why not us?'"
So let's say your company runs an ad on TV and at the end it says "Find us on Facebook & Twitter"... you'd have to change the add to something more generic like, "Follow us on your favorite social networking sites." Trés lame France. Trés lame.
The French government hates the spread of American culture. Sites like Facebook and Twitter are American sites. One Ex-pat blogger wrote, "In France, they are regarded -- at least implicitly -- as symbols of Anglo-Saxon global dominance -- along with Apple, MTV, McDonald's, Hollywood, Disneyland, and other cultural juggernauts. That there is a deeply-rooted animosity in the French psyche towards Anglo-Saxon cultural domination cannot be disputed."
France can hold a grudge as long as it wants, but technology and social networking sites are a product of modern society and America just happens to be on the cutting edge when it comes to that kind of stuff. Facebook isn't popular because it's American, it's popular because it serves a purpose and makes our lives better. If it gets dark are you gonna burn candles because an American discovered electricity? Of Course not, so why impose some insane rule that makes it more difficult for people to do their jobs?
Why does the French government insist on grinding this ancient axe? I'm sorry, but young people don't give a crap about your bygone feuds and grudges. We're all equal on this planet. I love my French friends, French roast, French toast, and French fries and I'm not gonna let the French government and their stupid old moth-eaten grudges taint my feelings or sway my opinion.
What do you think about this French media ban of mentioning specific social media sites and networks?
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