French, One Curiosity at a Time
There's no shortage of podcasts about France, but the smaller details rarely get their own spotlight. French, One Curiosity at a Time looks at French culture and language through the eyes of someone discovering it from the outside, exploring the little stories that make it so distinctive. Each episode follows a single question, idea, or cultural detail, from films and food to language, history, and everyday life, one curiosity at a time.
All Episodes
What’s Actually Behind the French High School Protests
The French high school protests have been all over the news this autumn. Not enough teachers, 36 kids to a class, no AC in a heatwave. Those are the headlines. Underneath them is a 17-year-old who fainted during her exam, a teacher who walked away after twelve years, and one odd fact: French high schoolers don’t have the right to strike. So what exactly are they doing out there?
The Story of French Comics Starts With Mickey Mouse
Why do French people love comics so much? I've wondered that for a long time, and it turns out there isn't one answer, there are a few, and they're all good stories. So I'm doing this one as a few short episodes instead of one long one. This first one is the origin story, and it surprisingly starts with Mickey Mouse.
Why Are So Many French Book Covers Blank?
I've seen these book covers all over France. Cream colored or white, basically blank, just a title and the author's name. For the longest time I assumed they were for really old classics. But that’s actually not true. This episode goes into why so many French books have blank looking covers.
Why Does France Put a Rooster on Everything?
What's up with the French rooster? I've seen it everywhere, on jerseys, on restaurant logos, in store names, but I was never taught what it means. This is a short episode about where the bird actually comes from, about the emperor who turned it down, and about the word cocorico, which French roosters say and French front pages shout. A short and light one.
The Philosophy the French Learn in School
Can you be happy when other people are not? This past June, more than five hundred thousand French eighteen-year-olds opened an envelope with that question inside, and got four hours to answer it in writing. Philosophy is mandatory in French high school, and I've wondered for a long time what they actually learn in there. So I dug in, and then went one step further: I took this year's exam myself, cold, and had it graded the French way.