Franka Potente - Alone in LA

Franka Potente is a modestly talented German actress who - probably in hope for greater challenges - moved to LA. Her looks aren't impressive and her IQ ranks somewhere between that of a cooked vegetable and Jane Fonda, if you know what I mean.

Now she left LA and came back to Germany - disillusioned and disappointed. Poor Franka apparently wasn't noticed by anyone of importance in LA which upon her return to Germany caused her to grant this interview to Zitty, a Berlin magazine. The interview is full of the anti-Americanism that has become the rallying cry of the German Left.

Here are some excerpts:

What do you miss about Los Angeles? 
Nothing.  ... there is nothing which I miss.

What is about Los Angeles that is different? 
... If one wants to meet one in the evening,  one has to call that morning.  The same people say also when telephoned "You know what?  Let me call you right back.  I'm in the car right now ".  Then they call back 15 minutes later. "I don’t know. I’m gonna get into the shower. Let me call you right after the shower."   And then again:  "I'm on the other line now.  I'll call you right back." One must telephone up to 15 times, before one can arrange something.  And then they call again and say, they are "stuck in traffic" or have only just now left.  That drove me nuts. This  noncommitment attitude....

In the USA one must be simple, a little more tolerant, you can not ... talk about the Ukraine elections for example....  You need another approach: "This is where the Ukraine is."  One must bring one's expectations down.  You cannot expect that someone has a large knowledge of this, all you hope for is to find someone who shows some curiosity. You have to lower your expectations and be delighted if someone is interested. Someone who at least will listen, because they usually have a rather short attention span. ...

... when I was in Los Angeles, the USA marched into Bagdad.  When Schroeder said, we will not participate, I was glad.  At that moment I missed Germany.

... when you are in a country (USA), where each idiot hangs up the flag, and people have a bumper bticker with "Go Boys" on it, and the tv praises always the army. ...

80 per cent of the jobs (in the USA) are minimum wage jobs, where a 40 year old man makes advertisements for pizza in a ridiculous costume...

And so on... Franka Potente is certainly not a very bright lady, as I indicated above. But I'd like to refrain from further comments on beautiful Franka, because...

...we have this (you have to scoll down the page) delightful comment by Pato:

If anyone wants a generous helping of anti-American bullshit, read the extended interview of Franka Potente in Berlin's zitty magazine this week. She just got back from a year in L.A. and has nothing but negative things to say about her experience there. I would guess she's upset about not having achieved much success in Hollywood. No surprise, really: Lola Rennt was overrated and she's not exactly a captivating performer.

A little german barbi doll/wanna be actrees/"reporter" named Potente comes to the US, stays in LA and shares a few experiences with her readers.

She can't believe that many people say when she telephones them- "oh, I have to call you back.. I am busy etc."
  Does she not understand that she is not a priority on these people's lives? Did she consider that perhaps many people just didn't like her?
  With her looks she might get a few stares and appreciation in Berlin.
Here in LA her look is as common as a palm tree.  It's nothing for anyone to get excited about.  That seemed to hurt her greatly. 
She wonders why she has to make appointments days out in advance to get together with people for wine or song. In the US little Ms Potente - we WORK for a living and for a good life. We DO have tight schedueles as we are a "Do'er nation, not a talking board nation" similiar to the one shecomes from.  We work allot, we play allot, we live allot.  With only 24 hrs in a day, sometimes one needs to plan a few things in their life such as leisure time.

  She cannot believe all the "nationalistic flag waving" here in LA. 
This little bimbo finds it an incredibley odd thing for someone to be proud of their country and fly a flag.
(Has this little twit ever been to Denmark to see all the flags?  It is a great sight AND the Danes DO have allot to be proud of with their country)
  This being proud of one's country- It is something she knows nothing about, and has NO experience to speak of in this regard.
An American can translate that article, read her points and her observations and easily come to this conclusion-  this little bimbo did NOT get auditions when in Hollywood, she was not greeted like a cousin of Maxemillion, people did NOT fawn over her... and she is now hurt by that.
  Good.  Now Ms Potente'-  Could you please promise us Yanks that you'll stay home in the safe and sterile confines of your office in Berlin? please?
  A busy, productive, and fun life here in the US would eat a person like this alive.  There would be far too many choices for her to make-  and she would then break under the pressure and scream off the jounalistic nonsense she does so well now, even better.
The animousity this twit conveys is very similair to the Prom Queen whose quest for a date falls on deaf ears.
Try your local Berlin theater group next time Ms. Potente, and stick with the role ... of a Mime.  You may find people embrace you more.

Thank you, Pato. You made my day.

I'm just afraid in the near future we are going see Franka Potente as "expert for America" in numerous German talk shows...

Comments

[kid charlemagne]

Actually, the first paragraph quoted, and the recommendation of the article, is from moi...

[Sean]

She should have tried porn; there are a great many second- and third-rate German actresses floating around So Cal who have turned to it.

[Sean]

Oh, she's the chick from Run, Lola, Run and the Bourne Identity. She's kind of fugly. Disregard the porn comment. She's not nearly hot enough.

[Trak77]

I read a similar whine from a French woman. She was amazed that, after she returned to France, none of her American acquaintances kept in contact with her. To her, this was proof that Americans are shallow. The alternative, that they didn't like her very much, didn't occur to her.

[Sandy P]

I wouldn't miss anything about LA, either.

--One must bring one's expectations down. You cannot expect that someone has a large knowledge of this, all you hope for is to find someone who shows some curiosity.--

Pot, meet kettle.

[Charles]

So, people are kinda shallow in LA. Please say it aint true. Not LA. I mean, I could see it in Cleveland or Des Moines, but LA? No way man! No way.

Too bad LA is in one of those blue states. Had she been in a red state, she could have seen some real flag waving. But alas, no.

[Coisty]

"In the USA one must be simple, a little more tolerant, you can not ... talk about the Ukraine elections for example"

Yeah, I'll bet she had all kinds of great insights regarding the Ukrainian elections!

Most Europeans I've met know very little about the political situation in my native Northern Ireland yet it's barely an hour by plane from most of the parts of Europe I've been to. They can occasionally throw out a cliche or two but they certainly couldn't hold a conversation on the subject. Few Europeans know much about US domestic politics, never mind Canadian politics. Why would they expect the average person on the other side of the world to be paying so much attention to an election crisis in Europe. It's as if they think the world revolves around European politics. When I go back there I'm struck by the gap between how parochial people are and how sophisticated and internationist they THINK they are. I'm not saying North Americans aren't parochial, but the average person here doesn't arrogantly claim to be an expert on the rest of the world.

[lost one]

Not to have to stick up for LA here, but...

There are many more people in LA besides the Hollywood sychophant types that this small minded woman was interested in dealing with. There is a great diversity of opnion, thought, and education level. If an American had said similar words about ANYPLACE in Europe, he or she would immediately have been decried as being provencial and shallow themselves.

Are all Germans really so ignorant as to listen to her? God, I hope not.

[JKZeller]

Such pitiful irony! Fraulein Potente is embittered by being smacked between the eyes with the shallow morals and stifling vagaries of the Hollywood elitists she so recently flaunced on off to join. How sad for her to be confronted with the same putrid qualities we "Red Staters" despise in her erstwhile "Blue State buddies", and then compelled to crawl on home to cry in her beer. She knows nothing because she's learned nothing within a small portion of our society where there truly is nothing worth learning. Stay home Franka, the real America doesn't want you either. Glitter is as glitter does. Not much.

[George M]

Compare her to Dianne Kruger, who co-stars with Nicholas Cage in National Treasure as a German-born expert on the U.S. Constitution.

[George M]

I didn't know she was the bow-wow chick that picked up Matt Damon in the Bourne Identity.

Usally, co-starring with Matt Damon is a ticket to obscurity....just ask Minnie Driver.

[Gabi]

Whom did Potente meet? Isn't it the "other America"? Perhaps this kind of people she met, where all pro-Kerry and not very well informed. But here in Germany this kind of people are mostly just the same. I find it interesting that Potente is bashing just this anti-Bush America as being not informed. She might be right. But "this is not America", isn'it?

I don't expect that actors are well informed no matter what nationality he/she has.

[Gabi]

Potente sagt das:

"Ich habe richtig Streitereien gehabt mit Freunden, weil ich auf diese ständige Flaggenhisserei so allergisch reagiert habe. Irgendwann hat mich jemand gefragt, warum ich denn da so anstrengend sei. Ich habe gesagt, dass das mit der Geschichte meines Landes zu tun hat. Und dass ich aus einem Land komme, wo vor nicht allzu langer Zeit aus ziemlich beschissenen Gründen Flaggen gehisst und die Ärmchen gereckt wurden. Die ganze Situation hat mich wiederum über diese ganze Frage nachdenken lassen."

Weil Nazideutschland seine Flaggen gehißt hat, kann Potente andere Flaggen nicht ertragen? Was hat denn ihr Nachdenken ergeben? Doch nur, daß sie das amerikanische Flaggen Hissen nervt.

Nun, sie weiß, wo die Ukraine liegt. Weiß sie denn auch, wo South Dakota liegt und wie die Hauptstadt heißt? Weiß sie auf welchem Breitengrad New York liegt. Kennt sie die Staaten Mittelamerikas? Ach, könnte ich doch nur einige Fragen stellen, so daß Potente erkennen könnte, daß es so vieles gibt, was sie nicht weiß. (Das mache ich nämlich stets, wenn mir ein Deutscher diesen Unsinn erzählt.) Es ist absolut schlechter Stil, sich derart oberflächlich und negativ über ein Land zu äußern, dessen Gast man war. Offensichtlich ist Amerika-Bashing guter Stil geworden.

Über die Nazizeit weiß sie Erhellendes zu sagen: "Wenn man mit Omas und Opas spricht, ist es ja nicht so, dass die alle Nazis waren." Und vorher: "Ich finde es immer schön, wenn Leute die kulturelle Identität eines Landes pflegen, da gehört dieser Teil einfach dazu, wo man gebrandmarkt ist und Angst hat, darüber zu sprechen."

Was war denn so schön an Nazideutschland???

Unsere kulturelle Identität soll also gepflegt werden, aber die der Amerikaner (u.a. Flaggen hissen) nervt sie. Ob ihr der Gedanke kommt, daß dies auch zur kulturellen Identität gehört, und es schön wäre, dies anzuerkennen, statt unsere Kultur als "schöner" über die der Amerikaner zu stellen?

Und dann dieser Widerspruch.Hier wird dann nach der deutschen Flagge unter Hitler gefragt:

"Frage: Aber was hat man denn davon, eine Flagge raushängen zu können?
Antwort: Ich glaube, es ist ein Fehler, das gleich bewerten zu wollen. Und ich meine das auch nicht böse, aber ich glaube, dass das auch sehr deutsch ist, gleich alles zu bewerten müssen. Ist das jetzt in Ordnung oder gut oder schlecht? Ich glaube, man kann eine abstrakte Ebene finden, darüber zu diskutieren, ohne sagen zu müssen: Das ist jetzt falsch oder richtig."

Daß sie selbst ganz spontan und reflexartig alles aber auch alles Amerikanische einschließlich Flaggen benörgelt, fällt ihr nicht auf. Sie bewertet und bewertet und immer negativ. Da ist kein Verständnis, sie reiht alles Negative zusammen und nennt das dann "Amerikanisch":

"Das habe ich sicher in dem Jahr in L.A. gelernt, weil ich immer auf mein Deutschsein insistiert habe. Ich habe sicher auch Eigenschaften, die man als deutsch bezeichnet. Ich bin halt pünktlich. Ich bin halt effizient. Und ich finde das gut! Das habe ich auch am Umgang mit Handwerkern in den USA gemerkt. Wenn zum Beispiel ein Rohr verstopft ist. Da kommt einer, stellt sich davor, macht "hmmm" und kratzt sich am Kopf. In Deutschland kommt einer vom Fach und macht das einfach. In den USA bezahlt man hingegen unheimlich viel für solche Typen, die sich am Kopf kratzen. Und das gilt ja auch für andere Bereiche. 80 Prozent der Jobs sind Mindestlohnjobs, wo ein
40-jähriger Mann in einem albernen Kostüm da steht und Werbung für Pizza macht. Oder die Parking Lots, diese Leute mit den Stäben, die da immer so machen (wirbelt mit ihren Armen). Was ist denn das für ein Job?"

[beimami]

Potente is just another witless spoiled little wannabe who couldn't make it in the Land Of The Free, because she couldn't deal with freedom. She grew up in a social cocoon in Germany, detached from reality, and indoctrinated in Leftism and resentment of America. You can't teach an old dog new tricks. It would be like raising a little puppy in a two room apartment, then leaving it in the woods at the age of seven - no way it will survive.

So what can you do as a German who has failed in America? Go back with your head hanging in shame and begin psychotherapy? No way! You go back and tell the crowd what they want to hear, that America is all screwed up and things are much better in Germany. The crowd will love it! And then you begin psychotherapy.

As far as the comment about Ukrainian elections is concerned, well, does anyone believe that she knew anything about Ukrainian politics prior to the election controversy there? I don't. It sounds like she spent a lot of time in front of the TV while she was in LA - time that others spent working. I suppose watching the news is better than watching tripe like "Survivor." Though come to think of it, she might have been a good candidate for "Buttaface." Go back Franka, you might make it yet.

[KathyD]

In the same vein, here's a delightful commentary about another such "Foreigner abroad in America" article.

Notes from the Olive Garden

Happy reading :)

[Phil]

I hate to disagree with the majority of this blog but... I think she's a good actress (Lola Rennt was a brilliant movie). And I think she looks quite good.

You're spot on with the rest of your comments though:-)

[Phil]

Oh... and it seems pretty normal for actors and actresses (good or bad) to dislike flying the flag and to protest about the war in Iraq. Think of stars like Tim Robbins, Sean Penn etc.
I am a little surprised by the outrage about just another actress being against Bush. Don't tell me you guys are surprised or shocked. I would just be very annoyed if Franka would be invited as an 'America expert' like Ray D. predicted.

[beimami]

@Phil

Where is the Bush-bashing? This was a screed against America; compensation for her obvious inferiority complex.

P.S. I couldn't make it all the way through "Lola Rennt." I found the film extremely tedious. I will say that it was innovative, though brilliant is going way too far. I did like "The Bourne Supremacy" though. It wasn't brilliant either, but it was entertaining and I wasn't bored.

[Cerb]

Hm I dunno....she wasn't that unsuccessful in Hollywood. So i wouldn't say it is an inferiority complex.
Defenitely not polite to moan about her time in the US in a newspaper...

But I understand where she is comming from. There ARE cultural differences, especially between Germans and Americans. The Americans are easy-going and very friendly. That's weird for Germans, a person you know for about 10 minutes tells you stuff about her life you'd never tell a person you don't know well in Germany. Is that bad? No, just different.
I like the american way, but I see Potente's point too...you get to know many people pretty easy, but there are not many you'd consider real friends.
In Germany it takes a longer time to get to know people, and you only have a a few very good friends.
If you'd live in germany for a while you'd probably feel most germans to be cold and snobbish, although they probably don't even mean it.

I don't see Potente's remakrs as America-Bashing, but as lack of cultural tolerance. Not a one-way street though.

[beimami]

@Cerb

Somehow I doubt that Potente would have displayed the same "cultural intolerance" toward France, or let's say, Mozambique. I stand by the American-bashing.

And she certainly did get a few roles in the relatively successful "Bourne" movies, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't have an inferiority complex. What else would make her rail about a "...40 year old man mak[ing] advertisements for pizza in a ridiculous costume..."? Apparently she hasn't seen this gem (http://www.prosieben.de/lifestyle_magazine/swan/moderatorin/), hosted on German TV by none other than Verona Feldbusch, or Pooth, or whatever she's called now-a-days. Though to be fair to Verona, she may host some trash, but I don't think she would ever go off on another country or another people like Potente did.

On second thought, maybe it was simple vulgar cultural intolerance. She might well make similar nasty remarks about France and Mozambique, if she knew that she would not only get away with it, but would even gain the sympathy of the German media and elite. On third thought, maybe it was neither an inferiority complex or cultural intolerance, but rather a cultural inferiority complex. Whatever it was, she is a public figure, and her comments were public and ugly (not to mention false), and she should be publicly spanked for it. Though I would rather spank Verona.

[roman thomas]

If you ask me, she worked with Matt Damon tooooo long. This is the same guy who bashed Bush, and basically got on his knees and kissed Michael al Moor on the hand. He's super liberal, but will tell you how he believes in values. An oxymoron at best. Gave tons of money to anti-Bush websites, only to bitch and cry when John sKerry lost. Then in typical liberal fashion, went on to bash sKerry. Saying how he wasted his $ backing him. The entire Ocean 12 cast look like a John sKerry campaign. You know the ones that the liberal media makes into superheros, that don't have one family moral to speak of.

[Downer]

Mal etwas, eine Ausnahme wird doch wohl gestattet sein, zum Thema Israel. In einen fulminanten Essay beschreibt ZEIT-Mitherausgeber Josef Joffe in der aktuellen Ausgabe von "Foreign Policy", bei weitem kein Blatt für pro-israelische Tendenzen, was alles an Ressentiments und Autismus über die einzige Demokratie im Nahen Osten existiert:

A World Without Israel

By Josef Joffe

January/February 2005

Imagine that Israel never existed. Would the economic malaise and political repression that drive angry young men to become suicide bombers vanish? Would the Palestinians have an independent state? Would the United States, freed of its burdensome ally, suddenly find itself beloved throughout the Muslim world? Wishful thinking. Far from creating tensions, Israel actually contains more antagonisms than it causes.

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/story/cms.php?story_id=2737&print=1&PHPSESSID=2051e326ad99046a751c456297bd418a

Dumm daran ist nur, dass die dejenigen, die antisemitische Klischess verbreiten, solche Texte in der Regel nie lesen werden.

[Joe N.]

They might criticise US patriotism, but then again, what the hell is all of their "national identity" crap about? It borders on fanatical racism!

Maybe she's coming home because she just can't compete in a media hotbed like LA. Disillusioned, she offers us sour grapes.

[Joe N.]

The real irony is that as a European, ler last name is something of a misnomer.

[beimami]

@Downer
Am besten schlägst Du "denjenigen" solche Texte auch nicht mal vor. Ich persönlich bin mütig genug um Amerika gegen die hohlköpfigen Beschwerden mancher Europäer zu verteidigen, aber ich mache mich auf den Weg, wenn es um Isreal geht. Ich sehe wie ihre Gesichter rot laufen, wie ihren Nasenlöcher sich ausbreiten and wie ihre Lippen und Stimmen vor lauter Haß beben, und mir wird schon anders.

[Doughnut Boy Andy]

It seems a bit of cultural intolerance and a lot of US bashing to me. After all she says that the anti-smoking thing bugged and she missed her bread. Fair enough. Thatd get me too and the beer of course, though Czech beer is better ;-)But when she says she doesnt miss anything then that is sheer pig ignorance. For example: Ive never been to the States but I cant believe you cant get a decent coffee there. WTF! Thats one of the things my American friends miss about home is the lovely unendless supplies of hot strong coffee. I cant think of anywhere I have been that I dont miss anything about or where I couldnt think of anything positive to say about. I bet you can get anything in LA as well. I bet theres even a German bakery if you look!

But she goes over the line of just sheer dummheit when she starts going on about the Americans, their ignorance and way of life. She is just reeling out lots of tired, but sadly widely held, cliches of the USA. Perhaps she is a stupid cow who cant see beyond her German superiority and blinkered stereotypes? Or perhaps this is a clever attempt to slime back into German public opinion after coming back as a failure? After all, the current government won the election on not very much more than this and a flood in Dresden.

I think the proof that this is USA bashing is brought up by Gabi: "sie reiht alles Negative zusammen und nennt das dann "Amerikanisch"". American is what she doesnt like and that is what she is looking for solely in order not to like it. Its far more easier than selbstkritik and truth. She didnt make it, nobody liked her, people couldnt stand her dumbass views and politely ignored her.

Ironically i believe quite a few German stars live in the States. Jürgen K and that Wetten Das guy spring to mind. They say positive things about the relaxed and friendly life there. Thomas G said it was "From hero to zero" meaning he loved being a nobody in America and just living the life. I guess that wasnt what Franke was looking for?

[Sean]

Speaking of German cinema, I just watched "Goodbye, Lenin" and was quite taken by it.

[Pato]

...So, many germans hate americans and America, yet the struggle continues by a group of germans toclaim that one Yanks blood is indeed more german than it is english.
And new economic potentials are explored by exploiting the one time precense of a singing Yank, a guy who lvoed Gospel music no less.
How completely insane this is.
How many germans will go to stroke the pillow in which Elvis laid his head?
http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,1564,1451059,00.html
"At the time, officials worried that Elvis's visit would corrupt the area's youth. Now, the town is tapping the Elvis myth to help keep itself on the tourism map."

[Sandy P]

--In Germany it takes a longer time to get to know people, and you only have a a few very good friends.--

Same in America, we're just friendlier to strangers.

[Mike]

Well... I've lived in the US for 2 years, and I can only affirm what she says. She's not a bright lady?

"... when I was in Los Angeles, the USA marched into Bagdad. When Schroeder said, we will not participate, I was glad. At that moment I missed Germany."

I can relate to that. When Schroeder announced his opposition to the war against Iraq, it was the first time that I really felt proud for my country.

... when you are in a country (USA), where each idiot hangs up the flag, and people have a bumper bticker with "Go Boys" on it, and the tv praises always the army. ...

This always disturbed me the most. In the US there is so much tolerance and support for violence and aggression that it really sickened me.

Not a bright lady?

I think she hits the nail right on the head.

[Coisty]

Mike, you seem to be confusing patriotism with support for violence and aggression - a very German trait. Perhaps you need to be more tolerant of other cultures and not project your own historical hang-ups onto others. In the part of Canada where I live there are flags everywhere just like in the US, yet as an immigrant to this country it doesn't disturb me in the least, nor do I find it to be a sign of tolerance for violence. In some countries patriotism and civic-mindedness often go together.

[Sean]

One can't blame a German for being sickened by patriotism, because after all...well, you know. I think it's safe to say you've gotten your self-esteem back. Congratulations, Mike.

[Anne Franka]

Franka can't be dumb because Mike shares her views.

That's not terribly persuasive, Mike.

[Gary]

So here's a second- or third-rate actress spouting off in the German media and she's covered like some head of state. This is like giving Sean Penn or some such moron press for his anti-war drivel.

Don't Europeans trash the US for being culturally shallow for making a big deal over celebrities?

[Joe]

Mike,

Then I am sure you will look forward to returning to the fatherland.. if you have not already done so.

I am equally sure there is someone who would like to take your place in America.

And would please again state your reasons for being so proud of being a German? Was it your admiration for someone like Saddam?

I know it has nothing to do with freedom for the people of Iraq. This is a concept as difficult for you to understand as Americans flying our flag.

[Scott]

You know what they say..."Hell hath no fury..."

@Mike:

I think that your problem is that you have not experienced a major act of violence in your country for the last 60 years. A large reason for this run of good luck was substantially due in part to 150 thousand American and other NATO troops stationed in Germany. It is easy to be judgmental.

If your Heimat or your capital city were attacked, you would become "spiessig" just like any other American. I have personally experienced Germans becoming militant any time there are threats to the local peace by outsiders. These threats include: American soldiers dominating the local disco-tech; Turks taking over the Hauptbahnhoff, or English soccer fans breaking the glass mirrors at the local Gasthaus.

Saddam Hussein and Baathist Iraq were exporters of terror throughout the middle east and elsewhere. There demise was justified. I am sorry that Germany is again on the wrong side of history.

[Doughnut Boy Andy]

Have just been chatting to my friend Dan in San Diego about this and, although this may come as a surprise to Franke and perhaps Mike too, he was interested, informed, on the ball and managed to keep concentration! What surprised him wasnt the rubbish opinions of FP but the way the interview was steered like this. After all this is Medienkritik and not 2nd rate actress Kritik. He pointed out that he has never read an interview like that of any American actor who has been filming in Europe or even visiting for a premiere. Imagine:

Interviewer: So Mr Nicholson, please tell us how bad Germany sucks.

Jack: Yes gladly.

Can anybody think of any such incident? Of course the cynic would have to argue that US film stars are appealing to the european market and being nice and polite for PR reasons. Trouble is, that this cynicism cuts both ways and we would then have to conclude that FP is aiming at the German market after flopping in Hollywood.

"I'm just afraid in the near future we are going see Franka Potente as "expert for America" in numerous German talk shows..."

I think I therefore have to agree... FP might be annoying us on TV and at the cinema for a while here in Germany.

As far as the flag-waving goes I get the feeling that US patriotism is linked to a constitution and the freedoms it gives and the political system it sets up, whereas waving the flag of a european country seems somehow linked to an ethnic or racial group as in the term Volk. Anyone agree or disagree?

@Mike

" I've lived in the US for 2 years, and I can only affirm what she says."

All of it? Surely not?

[Pogue]

So Mike - you can relate to how American's who have lived in Europe feel about a place that has so much tolerance for third world dictators - as long as the oil keeps flowin and the JEWS are the number 1 enemy

I did like the Lola flick btw - but Goodbye Lenin was God-Awful - about 90 min too long imho

Of course, if I was German, or better a former East German, I probably would have loved it

[Stephan]

reading her remarks i´m asking myself why do i just enjoy so much talking on the phone with a friend from orange county. i mean she´s republican and she´s still a badass bitch and funny as hell. i must be sick. i should hate her and all the other flag waving morons in the us.

so much for the irony. i really wonder if franka potente can follow me in a discussion on photographers like helmut newton, larry clark and irving penn as well as fashion designers like karl lagerfeld helmut lang and others, in fact i dont really wonder, if i was as single minded as her i would go to an interview and say: see when you´re talking to franka you have to lower your expectations. you cant have deep discussion about fashion and art photography. she simply knows shit, well at least when i want to have a good talk on such things i´d rather hang out with my republican friend from cali.
:)

[beimami]

@Mike

Read the interview again bud, she bitched about a lot more than the war against Saddam. And most of what she said was either wrong (80% in minimum wage jobs) or just plain stupid (the guy in the pizza commercial). Do you agree with that to.

I still don't understand how you can be proud of Schroeder for siding with the French oil interests against the Iraqi people. I find that utterly repulsive. On the other hand, I suppose its not surprising that you and Franka agree that it was wrong to oust Saddam. I mean, he was a brutal Jew-hating Nazi dictator with a mustache - what should the Germans have against him?

[beimami]

Aw heck, let me add to that Mike. We Americans have (mostly silently) tolerated latent and open anti-Americansm in Europe and elsewhere almost since the Revolutionary War. That tolerance got us 9/11 and we are not going to take it any more. We are watching, listening and above all responding now. It won't be as easy for you and Franka to blame your hang-ups on the US as it used to be.

[Pato]

hey amihasser, you little slim-skulled freak-
Anyone who stands in a pizza man suit here inLA more than likel yis a mexican/south american who at $7/hour makes more in one day than he does in a month down south of the border.
They come here and perform a job like that for 60 days and then they move on, passing it to the next guy (or ms potente, based on her skill set).
What kind of background does Ms Potente have that made her have to get involved with this pizza guy?
I tell you why- it was all that was offered to her for employment.
That sad thing is- that a guy like you can sit in his own room within gemrany all by yourself, while wearing a dman pizza man suit- and it is you who makes about $7 an hour and luckily no one can see nor smell you.

[Joe]

QUESTION:

Is there a line one gets in to spank Verona Feldbusch?

[Pato]

Ms Potente had an issue with americans and their plumbing. for ms potente self-examanination, at first, would have been more respectable.
"I do not understand the purpose of this toilet. It does not save water - you must flush it eight or ten times to remove every last scrape and smear. It is not hygienic - the smell is ungodly. The only conceivable explanation is that Germans love to inspect their stool, so the German toilet of necessity features a built-in stool inspection shelf. I wouldn't be surprised if the more expensive models include a digital scale: "Mein Gott, zwei kilogram!" exclaims Günter, joyful and relieved.
the story on german toilets- read it all-
http://www.leenks.com/redirect.php?lid=6331

[Thomas]

She's not unattractive, but the first two things I thought of on seeing the black & white head shot were:

1.) unitard (grey in color)
2.) medicine ball (a big one)

Franka Darling says:

you must flush it eight or ten times to remove every last scrape and smear.

Those low-flows are dreadful, but it's our enlightened lefties who make us use them. I keep a secret 12 liter unit in the basement, cleverly hidden away from the water police.

Also:

It is not hygienic - the smell is ungodly.

Well, then you should consider a change in your diet sweetheart.

[beimami]

We have a normal toilet in our residence, but my mother-in-law has one of those fascinating "inspection toilets." We were visiting her a few weeks ago, when my 5-year-old son came running to me and told me with some excitement that he couldn't get the toilet to work. It turned out that he had left quite a log on the ledge and the water was just running around it, unable to budge it a bit. I finally had to take some toilet paper and "help" it.

@Joe: 01188, Da werden Sie geholfen.

[Mike H.]

Pato,

ROTFLMAO. It's good to see Gunter actively involved in Quality Control.

[George M]

American feminist writer, Erika Jung, in her decent book, Fear of Flying, devotes a whole chapter to lampooning European toilet habits.

She not only lampoons the German inspection platform, she takes a good shot at the French Bade'.

The French are apparently too lazy to wipe themselves, so they have a device that just sprays your butt so you don't have to wipe.

[beimami]

Just checked in on my friends at SPON. Of the five top stories on their site, three (that's over 50%) are negative stories about the US.

http://www.spiegel.de/panorama/0,1518,336364,00.html
http://www.spiegel.de/wissenschaft/mensch/0,1518,336375,00.html
http://www.spiegel.de/wirtschaft/0,1518,336340,00.html

The first story is about a German citizen who claims he was abducted at the Serbia-Montenegro border and taken to a US prison in Afghanistan, where he was tortured for six months. No evidence is presented other than his claims.

The second story harps about sex education in the US under the Bush administration. Actually, Focus had already reported this story back on Dec. 3, 2004, but I guess SPON wanted to keep it fresh in everyone's memory. Actually, it's fine if they want to report the story, but the prominent placement on their website, and the pejorative nature of the report are disturbing. Moreover, I don't recall SPON ever reporting on some of the more bizarre anecdotes on leftist sex education, like the Fistgate scandal (http://www.massnews.com/past_issues/2000/Schools/fistrep.htm).

The third story rehashes anecdotes about stupid product warning labels in the US. This is not even news.

SPON is relentless.