Everything Bad in Emily in Paris : The Netflix Series
The Parisian Fantasy You Love to Hate
Although the show is called Emily in Paris, I am highly convinced that the show is more like Emily in- not so Paris. It is indeed glossy, chic, fancy - but definitely with an Instagram filter over it.
If you’ve watched it, you’ve probably asked yourself at least once (or a thousand times): "What is going on here?" .Emily, is the overly optimistic American, who stumbles her way through Paris, wearing questionable outfits.
She is incredible at making baffling decisions, and somehow.....we’re still watching.
Maybe, it’s just because we love the filtered life more than the actual reality. Which after-all keeps us entertained
But at this point, I just had to break down everything terrible about Emily in Paris and why it’s the guilty pleasure we love to hate. I just can’t keep these thoughts ,hidden in my mind anymore!
1. Emily’s Magical Career Rise (aka, How Is She Still Even Employed?)
First of all, Emily does a marketing job in Paris with basically zero qualifications for anything other than having an Instagram account and an oversized collection of Eiffel Tower keychains.
She arrived in Paris, knowing absolutely no French, and somehow skyrockets to social media fame by posting selfies.
In real life, she would have been back on a plane to Chicago by her second week.
Her job at the marketing firm is like some fever dream where she miraculously saves campaigns with the genius idea of... hashtagging things!!
2. Her Fashion Choices: What Are Those?!
Emily’s outfits are... something else.
It gives me kind of a feeling that someone raided a high-fashion closet in the dark and just grabbed whatever felt like ‘faux Parisian chic’, and threw it on her.
Her wardrobe is trying really hard to speak of “Parisian fantasy", but utterly failing at it.
Seriously, no actual human (French or otherwise) wears sequined jackets to lunch or mixes berets with clashing patterns in broad daylight.
That's insane dude! I wouldn't have stopped laughing if I saw someone meeting me dressed like that.
All I see is a walking meme of "what not to wear when you visit Paris."
3. The Paris Stereotypes: Baguettes and Cigarettes, Oh My!
Emily in Paris is packed with every tired stereotype about Parisian life. For example, people have this concept that Parisians are all rude, they smoke like chimneys, and apparently do nothing but drink red wine, have affairs and judge Americans.
And how can I forget to mention about the unrealistic picture of Paris, where Emily’s tiny salary gets her a gorgeous apartment with a view (sure, Netflix, we believe that).
It’s definitely fun to look at, but also wildly unrealistic.
4. Emily’s Love Life: More Drama Than a Soap Opera
Now, coming to the most awaited part of this post. I am sure you were eager to read about the love-life-drama of the show.
Well, I am not denying the fact that romantic tension is a key ingredient in shows like this.
But I can’t deny the fact that Emily’s love life is a Hot Mess.
First, there’s her borderline inappropriate crush on her neighbor (who, oh surprise! already had a girlfriend).
I get it, who wouldn’t drool over a handsome chef- who looks like Gabriel!
But then, she jumps from one relationship to another, often breaking hearts without a second thought.
It is as if just living another day in the life of an Instagram influencer.
The writer of the show was definitely watching old rom-coms on a loop, while writing.
Every man she meets is a walking fantasy- who would remain a fantacy even in a romantic novel.
5. Where’s the Real Struggle?
For a show about an American woman adjusting to life in Paris, Emily didn’t seem to struggle at all.
Surely, she occasionally butchers the French language, but where are the real challenges of living abroad?
My question is, where’s the frustration of trying to figure out French bureaucracy or the pain of being far from family or the loneliness of being in a new city?
Emily breezes through every situation, as if Paris was waiting for her to arrive and grace its streets with her overly enthusiastic hashtags.
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She faced little to no real obstacles which made the show feel more like a daydream than an actual narrative.
So Bad, It’s Good (Kinda)
So yes, Emily in Paris is bad. I mean....like, really bad.
However, it's definitely a sugary escape into a glittering version of Paris that doesn’t exist.
The storylines are indeed cliché, and the fashion choices are questionable but somehow, that’s exactly what makes it so addictive.
We watch because it’s ridiculous and deep down we all want to live in a bubble world like that. After all, it’s always fun to pretend, right?
In the end, I would like to address the fact that The Guardian has done an amazing job by calling the show- 'Delightfully Delulu’. Exactly this should have been the title given to Emily.
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