Home / TV

Why we’re all secretly watching ‘Emily in Paris’

Emily in Parid

It's been hard to miss the buzz around the new Netflix show Emily in Paris.

It really does seem like everyone is talking about this show right now.

Twitter is filled with hot takes, Instagram is brimming with Emily memes and there are reviews aplenty across the Internet.

If you've been reading the reactions to this show, you'll know that none of them have been overly favourable. While some are sitting on the fence, many have been downright critical calling the show 'cringeworthy'.

And, yes, it is cringeworthy. But, we have to admit, we're watching it anyway.

Despite the totally unrealistic and numerous face-palm moments we experience in this show - Emily turning up to her office and barely knowing a word of French, or the fact that we're supposed to believe Emily has never tried a chocolate croissant before, her inability pronounce a single French word, or that she ridiculously somehow manages to take a single photo, upload to Instagram without filtering or -shopping the photo in anyway and then grows a following of thousands... I could go on. Despite all of these moments, it's charming in a very unique way.

The thing is, Emily is cringey but relatable. All of us have experienced what she's going through as she tries to fit in a luxury French brand. We've all felt 'basic' - as much as many of us would never want to admit it.

Especially if you're someone that works in marketing, media, fashion or beauty. You'll know the feeling of being on 'the out', feeling unfashionable, boring, plain and at times even classless.

You know that moment in Showgirls (possible the worst movie ever made) where Elizabeth Berkley says "Versay-ss" when trying to pronounce Versace? Or when Anne Hathaway asks how to spell "Gabbana" in The Devil Wears Prada. It's that. That moment of cringey naivety. It's what makes Emily in Paris one that you can't seem to switch off.

In our morning RUSSH team catch up, we all shared our feelings here. We all admitted to delving into the poorly-reviewed show. Because, every single one of us has had one (or in my case, many) moments where we've felt clueless and basic. For me it was mispronouncing the name of a huge French luxury brand in an important meeting when I was 22. Or smearing my fresh nail polish job in my sleep then, turning up to my job at a fashion/beauty publication and being laughed at for the red smears on my fingers that I hadn't had time to fix in the morning.

This show does have plenty of other drawcards. Of course, the Parisian setting alone would make it worth watching. Quaint cafe tables on tree-lined streets, wrought-iron balconies, red awnings and sparkling city lights. It's enough to make anyone ready to move to Paris in a heartbeat.

And then there's the fashion. Striking, stunning and absolutely covetable. This show is serving us plenty of modern killer looks, mixed in with sartorial nods to some of the most iconic fashion shows in screen history - think Gossip Girl and Sex and the City.

Then there's the Darren Star factor. He's perfected alchemy behind a TV show that will hook you and slowly reel you in. The creator behind Melrose Place, Beverly Hills 90210 and of course, Sex and the City knows how exactly how to make you feel something - whether you want to or not. And it looks like he's done it again.

But at the heart of Emily in Paris' appeal is its cringe factor. We've all been where she is, and we almost certainly will be again.

 

Stay inspired, follow us.

  • RUSSH TikTok icon
  • RUSSH X icon