I'm very late to the game, but since no one answered, from what I've read, no one is quite sure, but it might have something to do with a fellow named Maurice Chevalier.
I, personally, like to think it got its start from Lumier in the original beauty and the beast. Which would also be woefully ironic considering his voice actor wasn't French. Either way, once the Internet latches onto something, accuracy becomes irrelevant. Kind of like Australians exclusively eating "shrimp on the Barbie," Canadian's being extremely nice, and Americans occasionally erupting into flash mobs of bald eagles, waving their guns and screaming "FREEDOM!"
If people like it, it's a meme. If it's a meme, it's now your culture, and your best hope is to just accept it. Resistance is futile/will only make it worse.
I, personally, like to think it got its start from Lumier in the original beauty and the beast. Which would also be woefully ironic considering his voice actor wasn't French. Either way, once the Internet latches onto something, accuracy becomes irrelevant. Kind of like Australians exclusively eating "shrimp on the Barbie," Canadian's being extremely nice, and Americans occasionally erupting into flash mobs of bald eagles, waving their guns and screaming "FREEDOM!"
If people like it, it's a meme. If it's a meme, it's now your culture, and your best hope is to just accept it. Resistance is futile/will only make it worse.