I’ve been studying abroad in France for a month now and every time I meet someone from here, one topic that always seems to come up is Emily in Paris. I’ve quickly discovered that French people have some very strong feelings towards the show. Most of them really dislike the show, while some of them find it better than others. But one common opinion that they all share is that Emily in Paris is extremely unrealistic. Here are some reasons why many French people have a problem with the show.
Stereotypes
The entire show is filled with stereotypes about France and the French people. One stereotype that they often point out is that in the show it seems like everyone is smoking everywhere and that is not the case. There are a lot of people who smoke in a lot of places from my experience, but not nearly as many as the show makes out. The show also makes out that having an affair is normal in France, which many of the French people I have met have expressed is certainly not true. In Emily in Paris, they make it seem like every couple is involved in numerous relationships. The other stereotype that many of the French people I have met have a problem with is that the show portrays French people as being rude and judgemental. One person said to me, “It’s true, we are not the nicest people in the world but it’s not everyone. You can’t just base your opinion on all French people from a trip to Paris because the city is filled with people from places all over the world. Just because you have a bad interaction with a stranger doesn’t mean that it’s everyone in France or it was even a French person! To really experience France and get to know French people, you need to leave Paris.” I have to say, it’s true! People in Paris and people in other parts of France are quite different. Although, a lot of French people do still intimidate me!
Prices
Another point that they all seem to make is how does Emily afford to live in Paris? They first point out her apartment: the size of it and how it’s unrealistic, especially for her location in Paris. Even if Emily’s company was paying for her accommodation, it doesn’t make sense how Gabriel is able to afford to live in the same building. At the beginning of the series, he is working as a chef in a restaurant in Paris and living in a fairly large apartment by himself and given his job, they find it shocking that he can afford it. Now, besides the accommodation, they are suspicious of how Emily is able to afford many designer clothes and wear new outfits. They find this to be extremely unrealistic given the price of things in Paris. Everything is expensive in Paris, especially clothes. Many people feel that Emily’s fashion choices don’t reflect the reality of Parisian life. Speaking of how expensive things are in Paris, many French people are shocked that Emily seems to eat every single meal at a restaurant. Prices in restaurants in Paris are very expensive so eating out for every meal for months is simply not possible. The French people that I have met all think that the show is extremely unrealistic especially when it comes to the cost of living in Paris.
English
Okay, I understand where they’re coming from here but also, it’s an American Netflix show, obviously, it’s going to be in English for the most part! However, they all seem to have an issue with the amount of English in the show and find it to be extremely unrealistic. Emily in Paris, shows French people speaking English to one another, which definitely doesn’t happen here. They’re also surprised that it took Emily so long to sign up for French classes and that it is taking her so long to actually get into learning it when she is supposed to be interacting with French people every day. Finally, they find it absurd that Emily greets people by saying “hello” rather than “bonjour” or “salut“. All the French people I have met seem to have a problem with the amount of English in the show, which is understandable, but I don’t think it’s their strongest argument about everything wrong with the show given that it’s American-made!
Based on all the French people I’ve met and talked to, it seems like the general consensus is that French people aren’t fans of Emily in Paris. Many of them feel that it only encourages false stereotypes about them and their country. They also find that it is very unrealistic compared to what life in Paris is really like. So, remember, take everything you see about Emily in Paris with a grain of salt!