Emily in Paris

Last updated on Dec 4, 2020

By Whitney Moran, Staff Writer

Netflix dropped a new show, “Emily in Paris”, on Oct. 2, and it has gained popularity on social media platforms such as Tik Tock, Instagram and Twitter.. Lily Collins stars as American Emily who gets sent to France for work, and how she navigates Parisian culture and the change of lifestyle. Soon, as Emily learns to adjust to Paris, she finds herself becoming a social media influencer through her Instagram @emilyinparis; although not picked up through the initial title this is supposed to be a play on words “Emi-lee in Par-ee. ”

Many students found themselves fascinated with the show and the introduction into French culture. Freshman criminal justice major Anna Hughes said, “ I liked that the show  took place in France. I’m very into other cultures and languages and want to visit other countries as much as possible which is really why “Emily in Paris” drew my attention.” 

The French aspect definitely drew in viewers, just as Emily being an Instagram influencer; Alexa Cohen, freshman education major said, “My favorite part of the show was getting an insight into the french culture and seeing how Emily made a living off of social media.”

Sophomore musical theater major Sara Wally, “I’m really conflicted about the show because I both loved and hated it. I feel like it had a really great cast, I love Lily Collins but the writing was very mediocre. I couldn’t tell if the show was meant to be satire or not but it’s definitely one of those shows that you love and hate too.”

Wally was disappointed in the clothes too, “The fashion was very Rue 21, i’m not even gonna lie. Not all of the outfits were bad but some of them were pretty questionable. For a show about fashion and marketing I was expecting better.”

However, many critics online argue the feasibility of Emily’s life in the show. Some argue about how she lived there for so long and never adapted to a bit of French Culture, or how unrealistic her Instagram fame was in correlation to how many followers she was supposed to have. Other’s saw the stereotypical portrayal of the classic ‘French attitude,’ as cliche.  Freshman biology major Brianna Tribble said, “Many of the French characters definitely were very standoffish and rude to Emily when she first arrived in Paris, really highlighting the trope of French snobbiness.”

Sara Wally said, “The way that french came across was very stereotypical and I don’t think it was in any way realistic. Like I said it was almost a satire and almost campy.”

Tribble felt the best part of the show was the romance, “My favorite part of this show was probably the love triangle that was going on, it definitely made things interesting and kept my attention.” 

Hughes, Tribble, and Cohen all recommended “Emily in Paris” to other students, “ It is only one season and is really easy to get into,” said Cohen. Hughes even got her roommate to watch. 

“Emily in Paris” recently got renewed for a second season that should premiere sometime next year.