Cheese-eating surrender monkeys

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"Cheese-eating surrender monkeys" , sometimes shortened to "surrender monkeys", is a satirical and insulting phrase referring to the French, which gained notoriety^[1] in the United States, particularly in the run-up to the Iraq War.

1 The Simpsons
2 Iraq War
3 Use outside America
4 See also
5 References

[edit] The Simpsons

The phrase was first popularized in the Simpsons episode "'Round Springfield" (first aired on April 30, 1995).^[2] Groundskeeper Willie, the school janitor, an unkempt immigrant from Scotland, is teaching French due to budget cuts, dressed in a striped jumper and a beret. He greets the class with (in heavy Scots accent) "Bonjourrrrr, yah cheese-eatin' surrender monkeys!" According to the DVD commentary for the episode, the line was "most likely" written by Ken Keeler.

The "surrender" element of the phrase refers to the perceived proclivity of the French to surrender in military confrontations. The implicit characterization of the French as cowards, and the description of the Battle of France as a surrender is—as promulgators of the phrase likely intend—regarded by many as highly offensive. This was again referenced in the episode "The Blunder Years", when Lenny (while scared) said, "I'm shaking like a French soldier!"

In the European French-language version of that Simpsons episode, Willie's line was dubbed as "singes mangeurs de fromage" (cheese-eating monkeys) without any mention of "surrender". The line does not translate easily due to the adjectival manner in which "surrender" is used in the English-language version.

[edit] Iraq War

N.Y. Post cover from December 7, 2006

The line was first picked up and used predominantly by Republican American politicians and publications. They were led, according to the British national newspaper The Guardian, by Jonah Goldberg, a popular columnist for the U.S. bi-weekly National Review and editor of their website National Review Online.^[3] Goldberg's online-only column, the G-File, is written in a more casual, personal manner and in the late 1990s often contained Simpsons (and other pop-cultural) references. Goldberg's repeated aggressive use of the phrase "cheese-eating surrender monkeys" led to its more widespread use amongst his readers, although Goldberg had stopped using it by the time the phrase was gaining mainstream popularity post-9/11.

France opposed many U.S. positions and actions, in particular, the 2003 invasion of Iraq.^{[citation needed]} Some argue the phrase's success reflects deep antipathy in the U.S. towards countries such as France who oppose the U.S. in international forums.^[4] The phrase, and similar opprobrious comparisons, have been used more frequently^{[original research?]} by some U.S. media outlets, such as the New York Post and commentator John Gibson of the Fox News Channel (both owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, which also owns The Simpsons), and commentator Mark E. Hyman of the Sinclair Broadcasting Group.^{[citation needed]}

The New York Post resurrected the phrase "Surrender Monkeys" as the headline for its December 7, 2006, front page, referring to the Iraq Study Group and its recommendation that U.S. combat brigades be withdrawn from Iraq by early 2008.^[5]

[edit] Use outside America

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In December 2005, the phrase was used by British Eurosceptic Nigel Farage who said of the French President, Jacques Chirac, "No cheese-eating surrender monkey, he", in his unflattering comparison to Tony Blair during a European Parliament session following Blair's brokering of the EU budget deal.

Edouard Lapaglie, faux-French comedy sidekick to broadcaster Martin Kelner on BBC Radio in Yorkshire on a Friday and Saturday night, is frequently referred to jocularly as a "soap-dodging cheese-eating surrender monkey".

In his X-Statix book for Marvel Comics, Peter Milligan introduced a supervillain of French descent known as Surrender Monkey. His super power was the ability to "quit at just the right time".

On the popular satirical British TV show Have I Got News for You, former Conservative leader William Hague has used the phrase when hosting the show on two different occasions. On the first of those, however, he said that he didn't agree with it, as they had left out "wine-guzzling".

On another popular British TV show, QI, Graeme Garden turned the phrase around, referring to Americans as "Burger-eating invasion monkeys". The phrase "haggis-eating suspender monkey" was also used by Garden, as his character, Dougal, on an episode of radio programme You'll Have Had Your Tea to describe his friend Hamish, who is Scottish and was wearing ladies' clothing at the time.

British TV show presenter Jeremy Clarkson described the Renault Clio V6 as a "surrender monkey" in terms of handling at its limits on BBC 2's Top Gear, and the Renault A610 Turbo as a "cheese-eating surrender monkey" on his DVD Supercar Showdown. Again, in season 10 of Top Gear, he described a panel of judges including Jay Leno, Carrol Shelby, and Jean-Michel Cousteau by "imitating" Shelby telling Cousteau "shut up Frenchie you cheese-eating surrender monkey"

Irish comedian Dylan Moran referenced the use of the phrase by Americans in his stand-up DVD Monster, in which he comments on anti-Americanism in Europe in early 2003.