If you’ve been paying attention to any of the important news in the world, you’ll know that Netflix recently released a series titled Emily in Paris which has since been widely discussed. Emily is a young woman of an unknown age who is spontaneously sent by the company she works for to Paris in order to strengthen the ties between its American and French offices.
As the daughter of a Parisian, I have spent a lot of time in France visiting family and friends. I also just came back from a gap year in Paris, so I was thrilled when I heard of the new series that takes place in the very city I so adore. And I was not disappointed when I began watching; it was exciting and nostalgic to see a familiar street or building or restaurant in practically every shot!
The location accuracy, however, is just about the only thing on which critics of the new series have not commented; Emily in Paris has proven to be incredibly controversial. Among other things, people deem the whole show one big cliché while others find it a charming form of “escapism” during the COVID-19 pandemic. Consider this the trustworthy review you’ve been waiting for: who better to determine the accuracy of a French-American TV show that follows a young American woman than a French-American young woman?
To start off, I will admit the show addressed pretty much every cliché about Paris one could think of. But clichés are cliché because they actually happen! In Emily in Paris, the way things always fall perfectly into place for Emily may seem unrealistic and even utopian, but things like that tend to happen in Paris — things really do just work out. You can so easily be going out to the market, and while you’re there the woman next to you will compliment your bracelet. You’ll thank her and tell her where you got it, then you launch into a lengthy discussion about how you both adore jewelry. Next thing you know, this perfectly nice stranger is inviting you to meet her at her jewelry gallery tomorrow where she plans on showing you her finest pieces and giving you a discount! Paris is a city of connections; they are so easily made.
Similarly, romantic experiences and interactions are easy to come by in Paris. I certainly didn’t fall in love while I was in Paris this past year, but I had a handful of incredibly sweet, romantic, love-like experiences and moments. However, in episode two of Emily in Paris, Emily goes on a monologue about how Paris is “filled with love and romance and… passion and sex,” which is a stereotype about the city I feel is inaccurate. My mother says this is because I’ve never fallen in love before, but to me Paris offers no more of a sense of love than does Rennes, Madrid, Majorca, or Berlin — well, perhaps more than Berlin. I’ve spent a lot of time in Berlin, and I find it hard to believe many people could fall in love in Germany. The point, though, is this: the producers of Emily in Paris pushed it a little bit with this talk of Paris being the city of love. Frankly, I think that sentiment is more likely just a capitalist scheme to get people to spend money. But I could just be cynical.
But those who claim Emily in Paris is one big, inaccurate cliché are more cynical than I am. Critics who claim the Paris portrayed in Emily in Paris is not the true Paris are wrong. In a BuzzFeed interview, one of the actors from Emily in Paris, Lucas Bravo, responded to these critics. “At some point, if you want to tell a story about Paris, you have to choose an angle. You have to choose a vision,” Bravo says. “Critics… they’re like, ‘Oh, this is not what Paris is.’ Of course. Paris is many things.” Paris is a diverse city in more ways than one. Emily in Paris is just one story, but that doesn’t make it untrue.
Another cliché people likely latched onto was the overwhelming dazzle of the ballet in episode six. Once again, those people are simply being cynical; Paris is said to be spectacular and elegant in every way, and that includes spectacles like the opera and the ballet. I’ve been to both types of performances in Paris, and I am still absolutely stunned each time. Even if you’ve been to the art performances in top American cities like New York or Boston, going to a show at Le Palais Garnier beats anything you’ve ever seen. The experience lies not only in the performance itself, but it is also so much fun in becoming your most elegant self as you get ready. And it is just as exciting to see what everyone else has chosen to wear as you all come together to enjoy a particular form of art.
The issue of fashion is not something to fear in Paris. While it is true that Paris is the fashion capital of the world, people are not prone to judge what you are wearing so frequently and aggressively as Emily in Paris makes it seem. In more than one episode, Emily’s Parisian boss, Sylvie, makes a passive (though sometimes outright) remark about Emily’s outfit. The truth, though, is that so long as you’ve put clear thought and effort into what you are wearing, no one will judge you negatively for it. And this sentiment is not limited to certain styles; if you consider it fashion, you can truly wear whatever you want. That being said, there is no such thing as “casual” in Paris. Unlike in the United States, the only time you will see someone wearing athletic clothes or sweatpants is when they are actually running or at the gym. Honestly, it is rare that even in the comfort of her own home a Parisian will lounge in athletic shorts and a T-shirt.
While there is no fashion judgement, it is important to note that only tourists wear berets — and it is likely you will be judged for that. If you wear a beret in Paris, you may as well have taped “I am a tourist” on your forehead. In Emily in Paris, Emily wore berets which makes sense because she is a foolish American, but the show also had French people wearing berets, which simply does not happen. As my Parisian mother enjoys reminding me at any opportunity, berets aren’t even French; they’re Basque. So touristique.
So perhaps if you are an American in Paris wearing a beret, you will get a few odd looks and maybe a few laughs (certainly from me), but Parisians are not mean. Emily in Paris made a serious effort to drive home that stereotype which I found to be distasteful. Of course, my mother’s side of the family is from Paris, so I could be biased, but whenever I am in Paris, everyone is very nice. The only thing they will be upset about is if you do not at least attempt to speak French. In one of the first episodes of Emily in Paris, Sylvie chastises Emily for her arrogance because she moved to live and work in a country without even bothering to learn the language. This is something Parisians do not tolerate, but other than that, you can expect them to be as kind or unkind as the inhabitants of the next European city.
Et voilà!
There you have it: a fool-proof guide and review to Netflix’s Emily in Paris — brought to you by your favorite French-American.