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 The juxtaposition of characters full of outdated cliches annoys both the French and the Americans.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 .
