This week my wee little home country received some serious pummeling in the British press, not just in tabloids like The Daily Star but also in reputable mediums as BBC's Newsnight. In the latter, every possible cliche about Belgium got pulled out (beer, chocolate, Hercule Poirot, and of course Jean-Claude Van Damme!) to create an image of a somewhat backward, ridiculous nation. All of this in an attempt to introduce (or discredit?) Herman Van Rompuy, our current Prime Minister who is well on his way to become the first ever EU President. I can't say he strikes me as a particularly charismatic man, but calling him a 'dullard' on BBC news doesn't come across as objective journalism. A case of sour grapes that Tony Blair didn't get the job (no surprises there considering he antagonised half of the EU by supporting the Iraq war, speaks only one of the EU languages & failed to introduce the Euro in Britain...)? Then again, Belgium has always had a reputation in the UK for being 'boring', which frankly speaking I'm sick of hearing as this stereoype couldn't be further from the truth. Us Belgians might lack a sense of national identity and patriotic pride, but our cuisine, art, history, nightlife and music scene are some of the best I've seen anywhere in the world. Don't worry, I haven't gone all nationalistic but just want to set the record straight ;-). Newsnight also took a swipe at Belgium's reputation as a country that hasn't produced any noteworthy people. Sigh... I wholeheartedly agree with the quote from this guy below:"What is behind this world-wide perception that there are no famous Belgians? In most cases, people have heard of the names but will swear to you that they are either French or Dutch. Other people remain convinced that Belgium has never produced anyone significant. They will tell you that Belgium is famous for its products, rather than its people, and therefore they will tend to be more enthusiastic about Belgian beer, waffles and chocolates."
In light of this, here's a subjective list of some famous countrymates from both side of the linguistic divide:
- Adolph Sax, inventor of the saxophone
- Herge, creator of the Tintin comic book series
- Father Damien, Flemish priest who was recently made Saint Damien of Molokai for his work among lepers in Hawaii
- Rene Magritte, painter and theorist of surrealism
- Kim Clijsters & Justine Henin, two former World No. 1 ranked tennis players
- Jacques Brel, singer and chansonnier (who is always thought to be French!)
- The Antwerp Six: group of influential Antwerp fashion designers (Dries van Noten, Ann Demeulesmeester, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk Bikkembergs, Dirk Van Saene & Marne Yee)
- Eddy Merckx, legendary cyclist who won the Tour de France five times (only Lance Armstrong won it six times)
- Dardenne brothers: fillmakers who have won several Palme D'Ors at the Cannes Film Festival for their gritty, realistic films
- Soulwax/2 Many DJ's: influential musicians and DJ's who have mastered the art of remixes and are known globally for their original approach
