In Charles Bremner’s blog: Banned in France: The 20 oddest laws
Among the things you’re not allowed to do:
– Evict a tenant in cold weather, defined as between November 1 and March 15
– Broadcast music on the radio that is less than 60 percent French. Half of that must come from “new talent or new productions and be broadcast during hours of significant audience”.
– Call Nicolas Sarkozy a “bloody Hungarian” (A demonstrator was jailed for one month for shouting at Sarko, when he was Interior Minister: Go back to China, espèce de Hongrois”. The offence was “insulting a person who holds authority for public order”.)
– Use foreign words in advertising or broadcasting without an accompanying French translation.
One of the commenters added this one:
Is there a law against happiness, smiling or conviviality in France ? If there is, most of the population seem to be abiding by it.
i m certain that a hilarious article could surely be written on mad laws in many countries including GrBritain. I d say there are some real weirdo ones in many US states and of course… Brussels!
As mentioned there: http://www.dumblaws.com/ has alot, I don’t know how trustworthy they are though.
IIRC the law about the broadcast was inspired by Canada and their Canadian Content (aksk Cancon) rule for radio stations back in the 1990s (30% Cancon). Otherwise, in both cases, Canada and France, would be 100% US pop now wouldn’t it :)
Dutch radio would friggn’ implode if they had such as law – not a compliment.
As for smiling, the French in general believe it is overrated. Americans tend to smile continuously for no reason, while the French reserve it for mostly private occasions, as do Russians and many other nationalities. It’s a cultural difference.