Our North American CHUD is likely a superstitious, landowning boomer who identifies with white nationalism and Christianity. I imagine the Chuds of other settler colonial areas have a similar profile (e.g. Brazil, South Africa, Australia). But to those who live/have spent time abroad, what is the local stereotype of a reactionary?
In France, we call them "the beaufs", from the words "beau-frère", which means stepbrother in French. I don't know what started it, but there's a cliché that there's always that one guy from your GF's family who just can't help but hold reactionary positions, not caring about anyone or anything but himself. While it's far less political than say, CHUD, a "beauf" can live either in the cities or in the countryside. Beaufs can be of any age, but mostly older, male and white. They typically have very "basic" needs, consume trash-quality media, and clearly have been left behind in terms of education, childhood, healthcare, and so on.
In the cities, the beaufs are the perfect examples of the lumpenproles, living an average life, working an average job, with an average pay, with an average failing marriage, an average alcoholism, and so on. Basically, he's affected by literally every ill from capitalism, and yet is likely to either be completely apolitical, or to be a fervent nationalist by simply pinning most of it on immigrants and minorities. When it comes to the countryside, the "beauf" lives in a village or small town that has been decimated by globalization, where no one is left but the elders. The beauf wants a return to the glory days, and to traditions, which were destroyed by modernity and globalization. Both kind of beaufs are likely to hold very xenophobic attitudes, especially against people from other cultural backgrounds or ethnicities, and will without the shadow of a doubt vote Le Pen.
If this sounds like a painful portrayal, it's because this is the case. I will never hate these people, because I can't. They're victims, unlike macronists who absolutely know what they're doing, but simply do not care. Macronists are the exact equivalent to the American democrat, with the same false sense of moral and intellectual superiority found in literally every single neolib the world over. My only hope is that even the most miserable "beauf" is far more economically left-wing than the American chud, and that one day, they'll finally get it, and fight capitalism with us.
American here, and Francophile / every-country-phile. It’s always astounding to me that France has chuds. Americans have this weird relationship with France where we think that you suck (always cracking jokes about how you haven’t won a war in forever—project much?), but also think that you rule (sipping wine for two hours every day for lunch while arguing endlessly about philosophers we haven’t even heard of). I romanticize the French countryside as a region of spectacular natural beauty, and Paris as the city of light and love, but I also know that it’s all full of reactionaries. Just had to comment like the idiot American that I am.
I mean, I once had this vision too when I was like 10 years younger, so don't feel ashamed to view positively a country that is viewed positively in the media. There's a good reason the Paris syndrome exists though, because behind the magnificent pictures and reputation for a fine way of life, France is what it is : a fading social democracy, and an ex-colonial empire trying desperately to maintain its geopolitical relevance. looking more and more like the USA every day. Our economy has suffered the exact same fate as the US' : brutal deindustralization, loss of competitiveness, high unemployment and poverty rate, only aleviated by the ever-disappearing safety nets (which isn't the case in the US because there are none lmao). But really, I'd genuinely like people to stop thinking we are living in some kind of paradise, as some kind of aetheral beings, or on the opposite side of things, that we're just some lazy, surrendering frogs who never stop rioting for some reason.
Stereotypes, positive or negatives must always be destroyed to gain a better understanding of the world. No one is ever free of propaganda and stereotypes, for example, I used to first love Americans, then absolutely hated this country with my guts, before getting finally more knowledgeable with the anglosphere as a whole through my studies. The reality, while still sad, is far more complex, and leaves quite a room for hope. It's good that you're trying to destroy your pre- conceived notions though, not a lot of people are capable of that.
Well, the riots are really cool. That's not something that I think should stop.