This is my body

Cultural elites like their countries for different reasons

Olympic opening ceremonies often don’t seem to travel well. London’s event in 2012 was hugely popular at home, indeed to a certain type of person it represents a sort of high point for liberalism before everything fell apart – but for many foreigners the focus on the NHS was baffling. On the other hand, they loved Mr Bean.

Likewise, the Paris event last Friday seemed to be popular among the French but provoked widespread dismay abroad, although - shockingly – Americans were divided along partisan lines. Everyone in Britain seemed to hate it.

Perhaps this reflects the gap between what western cultural elites view as notable and praiseworthy in their nation and what foreigners like about it. Like Britain, France has immense soft power despite its fallen status; British elites are as still influenced by their neighbour, while the Chinese are often obsessed by its allure, buying up vineyards by the Gironde and even recreating a model of the French capital back home.