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During the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003, some Americans angry at France’s opposition renamed French fries to “Freedom fries”. The term originated in Beaufort, North Carolina, and was covered in the press, attracting national attention. The French response was minimal, pointing out that the fries are from Belgium. The renaming was reversed in July 2006.
Freedom fries is a name given to fries by some Americans angry at France’s strong opposition to the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. Anti-French sentiment, known as Francophobia, has led to calls to boycott companies and french products. Another culinary casualty included French toast.
The term originated in Beaufort, North Carolina, when private restaurant owner Neal Rowland swapped the word French for freedom on his menu. The renaming was covered in the press and attracted national attention. Numerous others followed Rowland’s lead, including members of the United States Congress.
On March 11, 2003, the insult to the French came directly from the US government. For Walter B. Jones Jr. and Robert W. Ney, both Republican members of the United States House of Representatives, the French name was replaced with Freedom on the office building menus of the House of Three Representatives. Ney’s position as chairman of the Committee of House Administration allowed the change to happen without a congressional hearing.
Freedom fries didn’t come without controversy. Several US media reporters found the measure ridiculous and called it an attempt to demonize a longtime ally. The French response to the culinary snob was minimal; they point out that the french fries are from Belgium. Nathalie Loisau, spokeswoman for the French embassy in Washington DC, said: “We are in a very serious moment dealing with very serious issues and we are not focusing on the name you give to potatoes.” These changes reflect similar events during World War II, when hamburgers became Liberty Cabbage sandwiches and sauerkraut. Critics have pointed out that Germany was a direct enemy of the United States during World War II, while France is a NATO ally.
Along with the Freedom fries, other critiques have garnered a lot of interest. The expression “cheese-eating surrender monkeys” became a familiar phrase used by conservative journalists in the pre-war days. The phrase first appeared in a 1995 episode of American TV shoe The Simpsons. Several media outlets have used the phrase, including the New York Post and National Review. The phrase reflected an American view of France’s military success, or lack thereof, in the mid to late 20th century.
When jingoism gave way to reason, Rep. Jones called for a reversal of his french fries policy. In July 2006, House of Representatives restaurants returned “French” to their French fries and toast. Jones expressed regret and was quoted as saying, “I wish it had never happened.” As of 2007, a nod to Neal Rowland’s patriotism was still on his restaurant menu.
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