When the French disagreed with the US’ decision to invade free a Middle-Eastern country, it gave an iconic snack an identity crisis:
On March 11, 2003, Representatives Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio) and Walter B. Jones, Jr. (R-North Carolina) declared that all references to French fries and French toast on the menus of the restaurants and snack bars run by the House of Representatives would be removed. House cafeterias were ordered to rename French fries to “freedom fries”. This action was carried out without a congressional vote, under the authority of Ney’s position as Chairman of the Committee on House Administration, which oversees restaurant operations for the chamber. The simultaneous renaming of French toast to “freedom toast” attracted less attention.
The French, for their part, showed great restraint (and a touch of amusement):
“We are at a very serious moment dealing with very serious issues and we are not focusing on the name you give to potatoes”
Article contains several examples from modern history, including what the British did to the German Shepherd during WW1.
This kind of quest to claim popular culture as one’s own never fails to remind me of this.