Are You a Lover or a Hater? The Polarizing Nature of Netflix's 'Emily in Paris'
Netflix's "Emily in Paris" is that show you either unabashedly love or love to hate. Created by Darren Star, who is best known for creating shows like "Beverly Hills, 90210" and "Sex and the City," "Emily in Paris" follows Lily Collins' titular Emily, who unexpectedly gets the opportunity to work abroad in the City of Lights after the person who's supposed to go learns that she's pregnant. The series follows Emily as she adjusts to life in Paris, meets cute Parisian boys, and struggles to navigate Savoir, the French marketing firm that's her new workplace.
While some of the controversy surrounding "Emily in Paris" could be due to how the show inadvertently unearthed the suspect voting campaigns studios hold for Golden Globe nominations, bring up the show in mixed company, and you'll immediately hear a variety of very strongly-held opinions over whether the show is the absolute best or worst. And, now that the season two drop is right around the corner, let's revisit why people love or hate "Emily in Paris."
I Know Why You Love (or Hate) "Emily in Paris"
Love
1. "Emily in Paris" Is a White Girl's Escapist fantasy
In "Emily in Paris," Emily's character is a young, attractive woman, who gets the once-in-a-lifetime chance to work abroad in Paris. Despite being a working millennial in the present day, Emily has an unending array of cute outfits and can afford a beautiful apartment with an amazing view. All the hot men in Paris instantly fall in love with her, despite Emily having an actual boyfriend back at home in the States. Emily lives her life to the fullest, with seemingly little to no consequences. If you're a man reading this, the escapist fantasy "Emily in Paris" provides straight, white women is equivalent to the escapist fantasy James Bond provides straight, white men.
How so? If you couldn't tell, Emily's lifestyle as depicted in "Emily in Paris" is highly unrealistic, especially with the economic inequality of modern-day Paris. By identifying with Emily, audiences can vicariously live in a fantasy world, where life is glamorous and easy. However, under the surface of this glittering lifestyle, there's the pervading uneasy feeling that such a Parisian experience is inherently reserved for other white women. The constant stream of good fortune and privilege Emily benefits from, and then Emily's resulting entitlement and audacity, feels more like a natural extension of a dream scenario for white female audiences, but is severely off-putting for women of color. But, more on that later.
2. "Emily in Paris" Is Ultimately a Young Woman's Journey to Find Love
If you're a huge romantic, the greatest appeal of "Emily in Paris" is probably its love stories. As previously mentioned, as soon as Emily steps foot in France, nearly every attractive French man Emily encounters becomes attracted to her. This includes everyone from a pretentious French philosophy professor, her friend Camille's 17 year-old brother, and Gabriel, who happens to be Camille's boyfriend.
Emily's love interests and trysts make up romantic adventures that intrigue both romantics and fans of the romantic comedy genre in general. It's the reason people are fans of shows like "The Mindy Project" and "Sex and the City" or films like "Failure to Launch" and "The Princess Diaries 2." And, while it can be messy to have so many love interests in such a short time frame (more on that later, as well!), it's hard to deny that a secret fantasy people have is being in the position to receive multiple attractive chances at love. Who wouldn't want a city full of handsome men vying for your attention?
3. All of Emily's Looks Are to Die for
Despite supposedly being a struggling millennial, Emily seems to have an endless array of fashionable clothes. Every time Emily steps out, she looks like she works for a fashion magazine, and not merely as a social media specialist. These outfits combined with the beautiful Paris scenery help make "Emily in Paris" a feast for the eyes thanks to costume designer Patricia Field, who had previously cultivated Carrie Bradshaw's looks for "Sex and the City."
Since TV is a visual medium, Emily's outfits are certainly a reason some may decide to continue watching her adventures. The fashion in "Emily in Paris" is so integral to the show that Netflix even released a featurette about it, highlighting some of Emily's best looks.
4. "Emily in Paris" Is Easy to Watch (And Sometimes We Just Need That)
While there are many critically-acclaimed shows out there, like "Peaky Blinders" or "I May Destroy You," these shows are not always easy to watch. After a long day of work, sometimes people just want to go home, throw their feet up and watch something entertaining that they don't have to think too deeply about. "Emily in Paris" is one of those shows.
Joining the ranks of other "guilty pleasure" TV shows like "Riverdale" or "The Bachelor," "Emily in Paris" is a comforting watch that lets people travel to Paris and enjoy the Parisian lifestyle from the comforts of their home. And, in a time where there's so much uncertainty and constant bad news, can we blame people for gravitating towards a show like "Emily in Paris?"
5. "Emily in Paris" Has Some Beautiful People in It
When your show inspires a guide to all the hot men in it, you know you've got a beautiful cast. While it's shallow to watch a show entirely because of the alluring eye candy in it, it's undoubtedly a huge reason that drives people to watch certain pieces of content, especially if it's the romance or romantic comedy genre.
Think about it. Where would "Bridgerton" be without Regé-Jean Page's dashing Duke of Hastings? Why else would people sit through the majority of The CW's teen dramas? Attractive people sell, and when your cast includes members like Lily Collins, Lucas Bravo, and Victor Meutelet, these gorgeous actors will inevitably become a big draw for viewers.
Hate
1. "Emily in Paris" Is a Story of American Entitlement
Throughout her time working at Savoir, it's constantly emphasized that Emily is there to bring an American sensibility to the French firm. Emily's belief implies that "the American way" is superior, and that the French have a lot to learn from America. While characters like Emily's coworker Luc try to tell Emily that there are some ideas that Americans can learn from the French, these anomalies seem like halfhearted attempts to level the playing field since Emily doesn't really take these lessons to heart. Put it this way: There doesn't seem to be a sincere cultural exchange going on here.
2. Emily Is a Messy Bitch
Despite being our series protagonist, it's sometimes difficult for audiences to get behind Emily's actions in the show because Emily is a messy bitch. One look at Emily's relationships makes it immediately clear that Emily is the originator of her own destructive drama. Despite almost every French man falling instantly in love with her, Emily chooses to engage in a relationship with Gabriel, her attractive neighbor and the boyfriend of Camille, Emily's best friend in France. Emily even ends up having sex with Camille's 17 year-old younger brother. Like, why? What did Camille ever do to Emily for Emily to mess with her life like this? And more importantly, how can we, the audience, get behind a protagonist like this, who is willing to set her and her supposed best friend's life on fire. Thankfully, it seems that Emily's messiness is going to be dealt with in "Emily in Paris Season 2."
3. "Emily in Paris" Centers the Obnoxious American Expat Experience
This may be a gripe that a specific subset of "Emily in Paris" viewers, but one of the most irritating aspects of watching the show was how starkly it centers the "obnoxious American expat experience" in the narrative. As an American who has lived abroad, you are very aware that there is a stereotype that depicts American expats as ignorant, privileged people who think their view on how life works is default. The way Emily carries herself while living in Paris exemplifies this, and solidifies this stereotype in the popular consciousness. This sucks. This portrayal of American expats makes life more difficult for the Americans living abroad who don't behave like Emily does and actually respect and learn from the cultures they're now living in. By making Emily the protagonist, the show seems to endorse her way of life.
4. "Emily in Paris" Has the Tone of Boomers Writing a Show About Millennials
Another irritating part of watching "Emily in Paris" comes from how it feels like a show written by boomers for millennials. Within the first few minutes of the pilot, Emily is on a run in Chicago, using a mystery app to track her fitness progress. It feels like the show is screaming at the audience "Hey, look! We're young and hip - just like you are!" If I'm being charitable, I would say that this scene's inclusion was meant to show how Emily is a driven, modern woman. However, considering the running never makes a second appearance, this scene ends up feeling contrived and an easily seen through example of pandering. Maybe it's time to bring in new writing talent that's actually the age group you're trying to capture?
5. "Emily in Paris" Is a Stereotypical Portrayal of France and French People
When the first season of "Emily in Paris" was released, the New York Times asked a group of more than a dozen Parisians from the ages of 22 to 81 about their reactions to the show. Many of the respondents found Emily and her lifestyle as depicted in "Emily in Paris" as cliched and ridiculous. One respondent said, "The clichés are so many and so concentrated that they pile up like a collection of little stories that become comical in their exaggeration."
The same respondent later mentioned cultural inaccuracies, such as a French director of a company smoking indoors when meeting Emily, saying that smoking isn't allowed in French offices anymore. Despite never having been to France, these observations and inaccuracies lead me to believe that the creators of "Emily in Paris" have a cursory knowledge of France and French people, knowledge that also seems dated and rather insulting. This stereotypical portrayal of France and French people is exactly why some viewers hate "Emily in Paris" and how it caters to ignorant American audiences.
So, that does it! Do you agree with these opinions on "Emily in Paris?" Will you tune in to the second season of "Emily in Paris" when it drops December 22, 2021? Let us know! For more entertainment news and commentary, check out Enstarz! We bring you the latest on your favorite celebrities, TV shows, and films.
