What do you think of Netflix’s ongoing hit show Emily in Paris? Is it a visually stunning escapist rom-com masquerading as a travelogue that explores intercultural exchanges, or is it a relentless stream of offensive clichés about the French that should be discarded into the trash bin of humanity before anyone else is subjected to more harmful drivel about an ignorant, vapid, and irredeemable American millennial mimicking Carrie Bradshaw? This character not only refuses to adapt to the country that welcomes her but also spreads mind-numbing nonsense that only appeals to delusional Instagram enthusiasts with Disneyfied visions of Paris, making you want to hurl hardback copies of Honoré de Balzac’s “La Comédie Humaine” at the titular heroine, who embodies white privilege, in a desperate attempt to make her and her creators realize they’ve crafted the dystopian equivalent of “cringe” in serialized form?
(By the way, Emily – 'poubelle' means 'bin'. Just making sure, since you haven’t bothered to even attempt to learn the sodding language after four sanity-corroding seasons.)
Judging by the length of the self-indulgent rant above, you can guess where we stand here at Euronews Culture. However, we know that French President Emmanuel Macron might not share our disdain, as he’s publicly stated that he believes the show is “good for the image of France,” and that it’s “super positive in terms of attractiveness for the country.”
In a recent interview with Variety, Macron revealed that he’s “super proud” of his wife Brigitte’s cameo appearance in the fourth season of the show. She plays herself in the second half of Season 4. “I was super proud and she was very happy to do so,” Macron said. “It’s just a few minutes, but I think it was a very good moment first for her.”
However, he draws the line at making a guest appearance of his own. “I’m less attractive than Brigitte,” the French leader said in the interview published Wednesday, when asked if he’d been invited to make an appearance.
But there’s trouble brewing. In the second part of Season 4, Emily heads to Italy for a “vaycay.” And Rome, be warned: Macron wants Emily to return to the French capital in future seasons. “We will fight hard. And we will ask them to remain,” Macron said. “‘Emily in Paris’ in Roma doesn‘t make sense,” he added.
Rome’s Mayor Roberto Gualtieri responded to Macron’s comments. “Dear Emmanuel Macron, don’t worry: Emily is doing very well in Rome,” Gualtieri said on X. “And then you can’t control the heart: let’s let her choose,” he added.
Gualtieri also mentioned that he discussed Macron’s comments with Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo. “We see Emily’s move to Rome as confirmation that our city is becoming more and more important, and we are quite relaxed about Netflix production decisions. They know what they are doing,” he said, adding: “To be honest, we think Mr. Macron should just relax.”
How about everyone takes a chill pill? Where there was once discord, allow us to sow harmony. How about we invite everyone to sit down, watch a couple of episodes of Emily in Paris, so that European leaders realize that while the show may boost tourism, it’s nothing short of the stereotypical kiss of death for your respective countries. Let’s not fight. Instead, can we not all collectively say Adieu / Buonanotte to Emily in Paris once and for all?
