Like many young adults around the globe, I was very excited to binge watch Emily in Paris, and I was even more excited to see how my life compared to hers, as I too transformed from a foreigner to a local in the French capital.
The storyline follows an American twenty-something young woman who spontaneously moves to Paris for a job opportunity at a French company. The series was created by Darren Star, producer of Sex and the City, as well as Lily Collins, the actress portraying Emily. The reviews of the series are mixed, some hate it, some love it, and I frankly have a love-hate relationship with it. Following An American in Paris, Moulin Rouge, Funny face or Amélie Poulain, Star and Collins further expanded the fantasy of the city of lights.
Emily’s fashion sense is described by Pierre Cadault in the series as “ringarde”, or just “basic”. However, if Emily could share the secret to how she can be in her early twenties and afford to go on her morning jog in a 500 euros Chanel t-shirt, or wear a 400 euros dress from Maje to work, or even accessorize her outfit with a new designer bag every day, I would be extremely grateful. Talking about fashion, the only people I have personally witnessed to wear a beret, or any item of clothing with the Eiffel Tower on it, were foreigners. Needless to say, I wish I had a few items of her closet.
Having grown up in the South of France and spending a substantial amount of time in the French capital, I can confidently say that Emily would not have survived a year in Paris without speaking a word of French. The citizens of France are very proud of their culture, language and roots. Even if they do speak English, they will stand by their language and make any non-French speaking person struggle during a conversation. Although I understand how that could be hard, let’s agree that Americans or British people do not really make an effort at learning another language and just assume that everyone will understand theirs. The series shows Sylvie, Luc, Gabriel and Antoine freely speak English in the presence of Emily at lunch while they indulge a bottle of red wine, this would never happen in real life.
On the subject of language and mannerisms, the French are often described as rude, and this is clearly depicted in all the episodes. However, nothing is considered ruder in France than the assumption that everyone will accustom themselves to speaking English to you all the time. I have worked multiple jobs with ‘Sylvie’ women and ‘Antoine’ men and was taken aback by French directness, even though I grew up in the land of croissants. There needs to be a more general understanding that French people are not rude, they are honest, do not like to play pretend and are wary of strangers. They are not big fans of fakeness or people who are “faux-cul” as they call it. It is pathetic for them to observe girls put on a fake smile as they say “oh my god, you’re so cool, I love your hair like we’re totally friends now, let’s go for a girls night out next weekend”, despite knowing they will never meet again. But with French people, you can be sure of where you stand. Nobody is going to go out of their way to be kind and interested in your life until they decided they actually like you. If you’re in, you are totally in. And this is portrayed through the loyal friendship that Emily creates with Luc and Julien in the office.
The boss, Sylvie, is a perfect representation of a middle-aged French woman who is well respected, owns her power, and is often a subject to the male gaze due to her sex appeal. The whole debate Emily brings up on whether an idea is “sexy or sexist” was to me one of the most interesting conversations in the entire season. However, for Emily to assume that French people do not care about equality is perhaps the most absurd American opinion of the show. Most French women are forward-thinking on feminism and have long tried to fight back at the outdated clichés that only their physical appearance is seen in paintings, poems and everyday life.
Concerning dating, yes Paris is the city of love where couples come to put a lock on the Pont des Arts and throw the key into la Seine. But watching Emily in Paris, it feels like there is no shortage of charismatic, well spoken, attractive men. The chances of meeting a middle age, tan and rich investor, an intellectual Sorbonne professor from Café de Flore (who would never go there because a cappuccino is not worth 8 euros), a really cute chef who also happens to be your neighbor, and the nephew of a big fashion designer who invites you to St Tropez, all within a month are extremely slim. For them all to have the Prince Charming “je ne sais quoi” are even slimmer. It is true that French men are very direct and blunt with flirting, they are assertive in what they want, but Emily in Paris projects a very false hope to foreigners about dating in France. And on that note, I have never met a French couple both with another lover which everyone is completely okay with. Yes, French people do not consider sex to be taboo but even then, a man bringing his mistress to Saint Barth while his wife stays at home is a bit absurd.
Paris carries a sense of belonging and relaxation, whether you sit on a terrace or walk along la Seine and across the bridge as the Eiffel Tower is peaking behind the trees. You savor the feeling in the Atelier des Lumières as you are immersed in an artist’s masterpiece. The city of lights embodies a unique energy; struggling to speak french with a florist is part of its charm, being approached by a young, charismatic man at a bar in Saint Germain is part of the romantic atmosphere and coming across a strong middle-aged woman is part of character development. So unlike Emily, if you are in Paris, do not wear a beret, be open minded, do not take anything personally and you will be immersed in its’ magic.
