The 2020 Debut

Paige Dupont Host, “Ex-Pat Community” Newsletter
Bonsoir! Welcome to coverage of ‘Emily in Paris’ the romantic comedy début coming to you live from Netflix. I’m joined by my (remotely!) interested French husband and Eugenie, our bilingual dog. What are your predictions for this evening?
10:34 PM CEST

Remotely Interested French Husband Le Parisien
As a Parisian, I’ve learnt to expect the unexpected. In other words, I have no expectations at all.
10:34 PM CEST

Eugenie King Charles Spaniel
Woof.
10:34 PM CEST

Paige
According to reports, a lot will be riding on a long-running joke that Emily cannot speak French. In a nod to the indigenous people of Paris, the producers have issued a statement to confirm that even when dubbed into French, Emily really cannot speak a single word. This feels like an unnecessary distraction. The show wasn’t conceived with Parisians in mind.
10.35 PM CEST

RIFH
The obvious question is, why are we watching it in the first place? She’s not even in Paris!
10:35 PM CEST

Paige
True. So far, all we’re getting is shots of the Chicago skyline. We haven’t seen anything like this since the opening season of ER. Emily is running circles around Lake Michigan, before segueing neatly into her office downtown.  She’s clearly on familiar territory.
10:36 PM CEST

Paige
First topic! Healthcare. Barely out of the starting blocks and Emily’s pitching an app for IBS patients, and putting pre-existing conditions right at the top of her agenda. This is Emily at her strongest–marketing the heck out of things.
10:35 PM CEST

Paige
Here is a case in point. Emily is leveraging the unfortunate timing of her boss’s pregnancy and repackaging it as destiny: “I know it’s crazy, but when will we get a chance like this?” A feminist litmus test, this is a stark choice between supporting working mothers or prioritizing private enterprise? 
10:38 PM CEST

RIFH
Socialism vs Capitalism.
10:38 PM CEST

Paige
Exactly. If you’re only just joining us, here’s what you missed. An attractive white American woman is leaving her partner behind to pursue a lifelong ambition of living in Paris.
10:39 PM CEST

RIFH
No-one could accuse Emily of being original.
10:38 PM CEST

Paige
Emily seems very comfortable out there tonight. There’s no sign of the anti-terror walls surrounding the Eiffel Tower. Perhaps that’s an indicator of what’s to come, a myopic view of the French capital that appeals to US backers. It was a winning formula for her predecessor Carrie Bradshaw. If it ain’t broke…
10:39 PM CEST

Eugenie
Ouaf.
10:39 PM CEST

Paige
Eugenie, I agree. There is a disproportionate number of small dogs per capita. It’s worth noting that none of the owners possess a pooper scooper. It’s not the first time E.I.P. has relied on stereotypes, but let’s hope it’s the last.
10:39 PM CEST

Paige
Historically, fictional American women have often failed to integrate into Parisian society. Emily has made a few early glitches, notably, an awkward moment where she mistook the 4^th floor for the 5^th floor of her apartment building. It’ll be interesting to see how she navigates the next big topic of employment.
10:40 PM CEST

RIFH
A luxury office in the 1^st arrondissement. Very predictable.
10:42 PM CEST

Paige
I don’t think this will have much sway with middle class Parisians. Emily has been widely criticized for being out of touch with the reality of their day-to-day lives. Wearing a shirt with the Eiffel Tower printed on it in seems particularly tone deaf.
10:43 PM CEST

RIFH
I’m surprised she’s not wearing a béret.
10:43 PM CEST

Paige
There’s still plenty of time. I wouldn’t rule anything out at this point. We are witnessing a record amount of clichés coming from both sides of the Atlantic. If tonight is anything to go by, the French are pleasure seeking chain-smokers averse to hard work, fidelity and foreign policy.
10:44 PM CEST

Paige
The Americans haven’t fared much better, characterized as fat, overly-medicated cultural colonialists with an unhealthy obsession with social media strategy. It’s hard to imagine anyone coming out of this unscathed.
10:44 PM CEST

Paige
“Perhaps you have something to learn from us, but I’m not sure if we have much to learn from you.” This from Emily’s new boss. Yikes! It’s going to take a lot for Emily to recover from that swipe.
10:45 PM CEST

RIFH
Do not underestimate her level of insouciance.
10:46 PM CEST

Paige
Right. She just pivoted from the worst marketing roundtable in history to an evening stroll along the Seine. “It’s amazing, isn’t it? The entire city looks like Ratatouille.” Did Emily really just compare Paris to a Disney Pixar movie!?
10: 47 PM CEST

RIFH
This. Is. Ridicule.
10:48 PM CEST

Paige
But totally in line with her relentless promotion of corporate America. I wonder if she can keep this up as we head into day two and a Parisian institution: the boulangerie. This is much less comfortable terrain for Emily. Bakers are notoriously difficult subjects to tackle, even for incumbent residents.
10:48 PM CEST

RIFH
I agree. At last a cliché that rings true.
10:49 PM CEST

Paige
Wow. The baker is not letting Emily get away with anything. “Une pas un. Une bonne journée!” This is humiliating. Emily is clearly unprepared for this kind of confrontation. She did manage to come away with a pain au chocolat though, so there’s still hope of a comeback among her supporters.
10:50 PM CEST

RIFH
Let her eat pastry. It will take more than that to win over the French public.
10:51 PM CEST

Paige
Twitter appears to back up this argument with viewers calling it a “shit show that descended into cliché”.
10:053 PM CEST

RIFH
For me, this went beyond cliché. This was caricature. It’s not the same thing. Clichés exist whereas caricatures deform reality into something grotesque.  
10:53 PM CEST

Paige
You’re right. This was ugly. I keep asking myself what Darren Star was hoping to achieve because I fail to see–
10:53 PM CEST

RIFH
– Darren Star! That explains everything. I used to love Beverly Hills!
10:54 PM CEST

Paige
Couldn’t it be argued that 90210 was a clichéd representation of wealthy kids from upscale L.A.? That’s my take.
10:54 PM CEST

RIFH
Non. Not at all. Beverly Hills was about relationships. It was about the characters.
10:55 PM CEST

Paige
I think I need a drink. Eugenie, fetch the Chardonnay. 
10:55 PM CEST