Eva in Paris!

For the Spring 2025 semester, I embarked on a journey by going abroad to Paris, as many NYU students do. Having never traveled this far away alone, I was excited yet afraid to face Paris. I heard from friends and family many positives about the Parisian culture and food. Still, I also heard a lot of backlash from some people about how Parisians can be rude to Americans and find a distaste for Westerners infiltrating French culture. After arriving in Paris, I had many friends mention the well-known American Netflix Series, Emily in Paris. Many people told me to watch the series, but I refrained from doing so until recently. I watched half of the first season of Emily in Paris, and the show was rather ridiculous, I found. It was not the type of show I would watch again, but Emily in Paris gets some things right about what living in Paris is like for a young American girl. The popular American show infiltrated the media to the point where more and more American girls dream of having an experience abroad like their favorite character, Emily. However, Emily portrays the type of person that many should not necessarily model themselves after when abroad. However, one aspect of Parisian culture that the show does get right is the architecture. 

When watching the first few episodes, I felt that the architecture I saw in person was very similar to what is shown in the show. Additionally, I even passed the same sites, like Gabriel’s restaurant, that the show filmed at. Emily regularly indulges in French pastries as well. She tries the famous pain au chocolat, and it blows her mind. When I tried the pastry in Paris, I thought it was the best pain au chocolat I had ever had. I had mine at La Maison d’Isabelle, which is right near NYU Paris's location site, and I highly recommend the reasonably priced and delicious pastry shop for students going to Paris. Emily is also usually seen in the Jardin du Luxembourg or surrounded by famous Parisian-style gothic architecture. I find myself around the Jardin a lot in Paris. The show also somewhat gets right how some of the French individuals act towards Americans. Many French people I've met are slightly rude towards me, especially since I don’t speak French. I have had a few French people mock my way of speaking or completely ignore me if I ask a question. The stereotype holds to some degree in my experience but not to the extent of rudeness that Emily is faced with in the show. However, there are also so many nice French people I have met who were happy to help me if I got lost or confused in the bustling and vibrant city. 

The show also depicts that French people work less. I would say the French seem to be more nonchalant with working than when it comes to Americans. Americans are more stressed about work and indulge less on their lunch breaks when compared to the French. Leisure time in France is more important, where the common work week is 35 hours vs. 40 hours in America. Additionally, the French have a designated, by law, 1 hour lunch break, and many find themselves out of the office during lunch instead of eating at the desk like many Americans do. I also noticed that the party culture is different in France. French people don't chug down alcohol or do shots like Americans. They sip and savor their wine to enjoy it more instead of their purpose of drinking based on the feeling of alcohol. Emily in Paris gets right that the French love their wine, and more importantly, they love to smoke! The smell of smoke is everywhere in Paris, and many people are seen smoking cigarettes, whereas in New York, other smells are more common. When Emily refuses to smoke in the show and her French colleagues mock her, it is because they are so used to smoking, while in America, there is more of an emphasis on smoking cigarettes being unhealthy for the lungs. But one of my biggest issues in Paris so far is the lack of heat or air conditioning in many rooms and places. Emily is seen fanning herself a lot in the office during the summer because of how hot it gets, and that is because Paris is more environmentally friendly, so they have less air conditioning or heat due to laws. According to The Local, only 64% of offices have air conditioning, but only 5% of homes do. Compare that to 90% of homes in the US, which I am used to. That is a major difference, but at least France is more environmentally conscious of our planet. In many public bathrooms, the lights also only turn on due to movement. However, one thing the show gets wrong, in my opinion, is how people dress in Paris. Maybe it is because Emily works in the fashion industry, but everyone around her seems to be very vibrant, colorful, or over the top with their fashion. While in Paris, I find that true Parisians dress more simply and wear neutral colors or shades more than anything else. Color in clothes is lacking in Paris, which I don't mind at all, but many American students abroad feel they look like tourists if they are wearing too much color. I have been able to spot tourists more easily in Paris because of the people who are wearing extravagant outfits like those seen in Emily in Paris. 

The series also fails to account for the true diversity in Paris. Paris has so far been one of the most multicultural and diverse cities I have been to, but in Emily in Paris, I find there is a lack of representation of what I see in real life. Another thing the show falsely mentions is how clean and proper Paris looks. Paris has garbage on a lot of streets like NYC and is not as glamorous and sunny as Emily makes it seem. It also rains a lot in Paris, if anything, and feels muted in color in the colder seasons, especially. Emily in Paris can be a funny, heartfelt show for many people, but it is important to remember, like all shows, that what is depicted of French culture is not 100% accurate of the people or the atmosphere and what is expected. Many young people, though, fall into the trap of what is portrayed in American media and take it as fact, which is false and leads to cultural stereotypes. The media influences a lot of people’s decisions when travelling abroad, and it's not just Emily. Movies like Notting Hill loosely portray what it is like for an American to be in London. All in all, Emily in Paris is accurate to a certain extent after living here for a bit. But like anything, there are nuances to that degree. I did not enjoy the show and would not keep watching, but I understand people who do like the unrealistic romances portrayed in the show, as the show can be very humorous. Now, if you are looking for recommendations before you go to Paris, please actually make sure to go to Jardin du Luxembourg as it has incredibly beautiful scenery all around, especially on a sunny day!