The First Lady of France Brigitte Macron (centre) with Thalia Besson (right) and Lily Collins during the filming of the latest season of Emily In Paris. — Photo: STEPHANIE BRANCHU/Netflix
Die-hard fans had barely been able to wait for brand new episodes of Emily In Paris – much to the chagrin of Parisians.
The cliche-laden series about Emily, a marketing manager from Chicago who is looking for love, success and adventure in Paris, has made both friends and foes in France. Netflix began screening the second half of the fourth season (episodes six to 10) earlier in September.
Problems on every level
Parisians roll their eyes at the fairytale version of Paris depicted in the series since its launch in 2020. Produced by Darren Star of Sex And The City fame, the series is not the first to romanticise Paris as a postcard idyll.
Harper’s Bazaar France has likened the series to a comic strip rather than a realistic depiction of the fashion world or even Paris. “There are problems on every level,” the magazine writes. The juxtaposition of characters full of outdated cliches annoys both the French and the Americans.
French women, who are portrayed as wine lovers and even drinking while pregnant, is likely to be seen as a gratuitous and pointless affront, especially in France.
And the countless product placements, which led GQ magazine to call the series “one giant billboard”, are likely to be more easily digested in the highly commercial US than in culture-conscious France.
Anti-Emily graffiti appeared in central Paris before filming of the latest season began. “Emily is not welcome” read one message on the apartment block where Emily (played by British actress Lily Collins) lives in the series. Others reportedly read “South Paris is not yours” and “F*** o**, Emily”.
The frustration is less about the countless stereotypes or the ditzy main character, but more about the numerous tourists who haunt the show’s locations. Several tour operators now let people follow in Emily’s footsteps.
And although Paris City Hall has criticised the show, be wary of idealised buildings as many Parisian buildings are actually badly insulated. The city’s tourism website now lists the most important addresses in the series for fans.
Rise of Emily tourism
Paris does not need the extra publicity, says the AlloCiné website, as the French capital is one of the most visited cities in the world. Some 24.5 million tourists – not including French people – flocked to Paris in 2022. Americans accounted for the largest group of 7.9%.
Clearly, not all Parisians are keen on holidaymakers who send rents in the city centre sky high and clog up pavements. Anyone who has watched even a few episodes of Emily In Paris will quickly realise that the American way of life can clash with French savoir vivre.
But Parisians may now be able to breathe a sigh of relief as Emily will be travelling to Italy in the second part of the fourth season. Paris and Rome, which is also already groaning under masses of tourists, will soon perhaps vie for the attention of fans.
Tourists and cliches aside, the French like and even love Emily. The latest season topped the Netflix charts in France and the US, with nearly 20 million views worldwide during the first week.
One French fan of note is Brigitte Macron, the wife of President Emmanuel Macron, turning heads in France with a season four cameo on the show.
Who knows whether the French watch out of hate and actually think the show is stupid and are annoyed by the lack of French subtitles or words like “cauchemarque”. Yet, whether the light tale and escapism will catch on in France, or even Paris, remains to be seen. – dpa
