By most accounts, hiring a French maid was such a sign of prestige that if a family could not afford a French Maid, they would hire a less expensive maid and ask her to pretend to be French! American burlesque furthered the cliché with comedy skits of gorgeous, uncomprehending young French girls in skimpy little outfits in questionable situations. The outfits were risqué enough to tempt but just enough to stay off the censor's radar.
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