The ‘Meta-emptiness’ of <em>Emily in Paris</em>
When the first season of Netflix’s Emily in Paris debuted in October 2020, it was met with both delight and ridicule: delight at its escapism into sunny France and away from the election and pandemic, but also ridicule at Lily Collins’s bubbly American abroad blithely Instagramming her croissants by the Seine. (“The whole city looks like Ratatouille!”)
These reactions are not mutually exclusive though, as Emily in Paris’s many conflicted fans can attest. So with the arrival of a second season, three writers with very different opinions of the series sit down to laugh at, and with, the show. They also attempt to process its exact appeal: guilty pleasure? Hate-watch? Self-aware commentary on luxury?
Listen to staff writers Sophie Gilbert, Spencer Kornhaber, and Megan Garber discuss here:
The following transcript has been edited for length and clarity. It contains spoilers for Emily in Paris.
Sophie Gilbert: Today we are talking about Emily in Paris. This is the most literal show I think I’ve ever seen. The premise is there in the name. Emily in Paris follows Emily Cooper, a young marketing executive played by Lily Collins. As part of a last-minute opportunity at work, Emily moved from Chicago to Paris. She doesn’t speak the language. She doesn’t understand the customs. She is charmed by France and, with notable exceptions, France is vaguely charmed by her.
Emily makes friends. She has triumphs and failures. She eats croissants. She gains a bazillion Instagram followers by posting pictures of herself in front of the Louvre (which has never worked for me, so I respect the hustle). Mostly, she enjoys Paris as only an American can and, of course, everything is there on Instagram. The show has been a hit, at least according to the metrics Netflix uses, but it’s also. Megan, what did you think of the show?
