French-bashing with overtones of racism has reached new heights in the US following French President Jacques Chirac's refusal to back a US-led war against Iraq, reports Conor O'Clery in New York.
Late-night talk shows relate jokes alleging cowardice as a national French trait. Jay Leno, on the NBC Tonight show, said: "I don't know why people are surprised that France won't help us get Saddam out of Iraq. After all, France wouldn't help us get the Germans out of France."
His competitor, David Letterman, on the CBS Late Show, remarked: "The last time the French asked for 'more proof' it came marching into Paris under a German flag."
Now the US Congress has institutionalised a fad that started in a North Carolina diner of removing the word French from menus. The House of Representatives has changed its cafeteria menu so that French fries are now called "freedom fries" and French toast has become "freedom toast".
The order came from Congressman Bob Ney, chairman of the committee on House Administration, who called it "a small, but symbolic effort" to show displeasure with the actions of "our so-called ally, France".
Democratic Congressman Barney Frank objected, saying, "This is making Congress look even sillier than it sometimes looks," and his colleague, Mr Jose Serrano, asked: "If Mexico votes No, should Mexican restaurants also be banned?"
The French embassy in Washington declined to comment, except to point out that French fries actually come from Belgium.
In New Jersey a restaurateur poured $1,000 worth of Dom Perignon down the lavatory.