{"id":1889,"date":"2020-11-21T13:00:54","date_gmt":"2020-11-21T18:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thefrench.com\/?p=1889"},"modified":"2025-01-19T19:08:47","modified_gmt":"2025-01-20T00:08:47","slug":"emily-in-paris","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thefrench.com\/emily-in-paris\/","title":{"rendered":"50 Most True and False Moments in Emily in Paris, by a Real American Girl in Paris"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In true 2020 fashion, I heard about Emily in Paris<\/em> on Instagram. The IGTV preview trailer caught my eye \u2013 a brunette American girl with big eyes moving to France\u2019s capital city? It couldn\u2019t be so…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After I shared the trailer to my story with a caption along the lines of \u201cThis looks so ridiculous but I\u2019m so<\/em> watching it this weekend,\u201d a French friend of mine wrote back to me, \u201cC\u2019est un peu toi!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yes, the similarities were certainly there \u2013 I\u2019m American, I have long brown hair, and I moved to Paris from a big American city during my late 20s. I am even a “micro-influencer<\/a>” just like Emily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But there\u2019s no way I could actually relate to such a clich\u00e9d version of the “American girl in Paris\u201d …right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It turns out that while Emily in Paris<\/em> is an idealistic version of the American girl\u2019s experience in Paris, some moments during the show were very relatable to me! What\u2019s more, is that there are just as many American<\/em> clich\u00e9s in this show as there are French clich\u00e9s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Memorable Moments from Emily in Paris<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are the moments that stood out to me the most during the series and just how real or fake I found them to be!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quick note: there are some spoilers in this article (mainly at the end), so watch the show before reading if you don’t want me to ruin it for you!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Netflix
Debating whether or not to embarrass myself by wearing this bright red beret in Le Marais, Paris<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Emily Takes Her Colleague\u2019s Job in Paris<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

False.<\/strong> Right off the bat, the show begins with a wildly impossible scenario: Emily Cooper casually takes the spot of her coworker who was scheduled to move to France in the immediate future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I laughed at the prospect of the French government simply changing the name on a working visa for an American after months of paperwork, interviews, background checks, fingerprinting, and general bureaucracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In case anyone was wondering, there is absolutely no way you can just up and transfer a long-stay visa from one person to another \u2013 no matter their relation, job, etc. It\u2019s just impossible. The French government only grants working visas to foreigners whose employers have proven that this person and only this person<\/em> can do the job required for the business to function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In reality, Emily\u2019s move would be delayed by months once she decided to go. She would be wondering if her dossier<\/em> was good enough for the French officials. She would agonize over the fact that they asked her to submit more<\/em> documents than what was required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oh, how lovely would it be if we could all just decide to move to Paris in the span of what, a week? \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emily\u2019s Apartment<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Half True.<\/strong> In the first episode of the series, we see Emily arriving to her new apartment in Paris. After lugging her suitcase up five flights of stairs, she arrives inside her chambre de bonne<\/em> \u2013 a very inaccurate description of what I think is a reasonable size apartment for an American to be living in Paris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A chambre de bonne<\/em> is a small, studio apartment that formerly served as the maid\u2019s quarters for wealthy Parisian families living in the apartments below. These types of apartments are always on the top floor \u2013 6th in France, 7th in the US. They were considered the most undesirable place to live because of the many stairs you had to walk up just to get there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emily does not live in a chambre de bonne<\/em>, but her apartment is actually reasonably sized for an employee who was transferred abroad by her American marketing firm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we learned, the apartment should have gone to Emily\u2019s older colleague Madeline, who presumably earned enough to afford such a large place in Paris. Since Emily is a mid-level executive at her marketing firm, it\u2019s also reasonable to imagine her living in a decent apartment in Paris, especially considering how much cheaper Paris is than many major cities in the USA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So my only caveat with the apartment situation is that it\u2019s not a true chambre de bonne<\/em> in technical terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emily\u2019s Wardrobe<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

False.<\/strong> I don\u2019t know anyone \u2013 French or American \u2013 who dresses like Emily. On her first day, she wears a button-up shirt with the Eiffel Tower printed on it. (To the show’s credit, it’s actually sold out at Farfetch<\/a>.) I don\u2019t think any American girl would be daft enough to wear this type of outfit in Paris<\/em>. She pairs it with a green snakeskin print skirt. Mais, pourquoi?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have no idea what decade we are in regarding fashion on this show!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The costume design reminds me of a mix of the characters from Gossip Girl<\/em> and Sex and the City<\/em> when they went to Paris, but here\u2019s the thing \u2013 we\u2019re in 2020! Has fashion not changed since then? Those multi-colored, mixed-print outfits worked in the 2000s, and ok, maybe the 2010s. Do we not have fresh<\/em>, minimalist style in the year 2020 to share?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not to mention, Emily seems like she only wears stilettos when she\u2019s not jogging, a very impractical choice for the city\u2019s narrow and uneven sidewalks. Walking in stilettos on cobblestones is insanely difficult and very uncomfortable \u2013 as any New York girl who has gone clubbing in Meatpacking can attest to!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patricia Field was in charge of costume design on Emily in Paris<\/em>. I don\u2019t mean to be critical of someone who is obviously incredibly accomplished but… Could the producers not hire a younger stylist to take on this role?! Did they really need to hire the same<\/em> woman who has been working for the last half-century? Give someone else a chance!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wish a younger stylist could have had the chance to work on this show and bring us good<\/strong> fashion. It\u2019s truly the biggest shame on this show. Hopefully, they\u2019ll go with a fresh face for Season 2 who will give Emily’s wardrobe a better transformation arc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monsieur Brossard, the founder of Savoir<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

False.<\/strong> When Emily meets the founder of Savoir, Monsieur Brossard, in episode 1, the first thing he does is insult her hometown of Chicago \u2013 their deep-dish pizza is degueulasse<\/em>, the people are obese, and they create medications to treat their self-inflicted diseases. This wouldn\u2019t happen in real life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

French people can be rude, but no one would start off a conversation with direct insults. This shows a lack of manners and a lack of education on their<\/em> part. If there\u2019s one thing the French value, it\u2019s manners. In fact, if you want to insult someone in France, tell them they are mal \u00e9duqu\u00e9<\/em> \u2013 they\u2019ll go nuts. This guy was not bien \u00e9duqu\u00e9<\/em> at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having a Hot Neighbor<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Probably False.<\/strong> Ok, sure, you could get lucky and have a hot neighbor living below you. But here\u2019s the reality: you\u2019re far more likely to have an old married couple, a young American girl, or a student with bad taste in loud music as neighbors. I\u2019ve had all three! \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Masculin\/Feminine Words<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

True.<\/strong> When Emily orders a pain au chocolat<\/em> for the first time, the woman running the boulangerie corrects her saying \u201cpas une!\u201d<\/em> to signify she has used the wrong gender pronoun. This is my biggest struggle \u2013 remembering whether the word I want to say is masculine or feminine! However, people won\u2019t correct you on this. It\u2019s a very minor error and not a huge deal. They will correct you on bigger words, though.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emily\u2019s Co-Workers Avoiding Her<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

False.<\/strong> I don\u2019t think French people are so snobbish that they wouldn\u2019t agree to lunch with her. Are they going to invite her to their summer homes? No. But lunch is reasonable. I wish Emily had at least one ally at the office in the series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You see French people are fascinated by Americans way more than they will admit. Someone would have definitely taken her up on her lunch offer, even if just to tell their friends, \u2018I had lunch with une am\u00e9ricaine aujourd\u2019hui!<\/em>\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFrench people \u2013 mean to your face\u201d \u2013 Mindy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

True.<\/strong> Emily makes her first friend in France at the Jardin du Palais Royal in central Paris. Mindy expressly claims that Chinese people are rude behind your back, but French people are mean to your face. I have to go with true on this one! French people are very direct, and it can come across as quite mean or unpleasant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Work Ethic in France<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Somewhat True.<\/strong> From showing up late in the morning to long boozy lunches, Emily gets a taste of the supposed lack of work ethic in Paris. Her experience is somewhat true, though very exaggerated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou live to work. We work to live.\u201d \u2013 Luc<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emily runs into her coworker at a cute caf\u00e9 with Berthillon<\/em> ice cream on the \u00cele Saint-Louis. The two begin a conversation on American and French work ethic. I found this quite stereotypical of the overworked American and the laidback French person. French people do work hard, but no one judges you if you don\u2019t. In the US, I think there is a higher level of judgment if you are not hard-working, even though some Americans are not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Americans also find happiness and self-satisfaction in their work. \u201cWork makes you happy?<\/em>\u201d Luc says, full of bewilderment. 100% true of the cultural differences!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emily Gets By Without Speaking French<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

False.<\/strong> \u201cYou came to Paris and you don\u2019t speak French. That<\/em> is arrogant\u201d \u2013 Luc<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luc rightfully calls out Emily\u2019s lack of French as arrogant, albeit in a light-hearted way during their brief run-in. I\u2019m going to say it clearly: the French don\u2019t tolerate a cutesy avoidance of their language. They may cater to you when you\u2019re buying something, but if you want to have any sort of relationship beyond a transaction, you need to speak French. There\u2019s no way everyone will go around accommodating your lack of language skills the way that they do in this series!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What bothered me most is that Emily refuses to even try<\/em> to speak French. It doesn\u2019t help when Sylvie shakes her head in disgust saying \u201cPerhaps it\u2019s better not to try,\u201d something no French person would say. French people love when Americans make a solid attempt at speaking their language. They don\u2019t care if you make mistakes – the important thing is that you care enough to try.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It made me so mad when Emily says \u201cwhat a relief\u201d as she sits at Ralph Lauren\u2019s restaurant upon learning that \u201cthey\u2019re not even allowed to speak French here.\u201d She gives Americans a bad name when she refuses to show any sort of admiration for the French language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the flip side, it\u2019s equally unlikely that Emily\u2019s entire office and friend circle would speak English as fluently as they do. The French people in the series speak very good English, which isn\u2019t the case for most French people. They may have a basic level of English that is far better than your average American who took three years of French in high school \u2013 but it is still nowhere near as fluent as it appears on this series. If the series were real, every person on it would have had to spend at least a few years living abroad to attain that level of English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not offended by anything.\u201d \u2013 Luc<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

True.<\/strong> I love that this line was included in the series. In comparison with American safe spaces and microaggressions, Luc captured the French spirit of anti-offendedness perfectly here! When you admit that something bothers you in France, you admit utter and total defeat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLonely in Paris\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

True.<\/strong> After her coworker Luc departs, Emily is left alone at the \u00cele Saint-Louis caf\u00e9. She posts a selfie and captions it \u201cLonely in Paris.\u201d This was the only time the show depicted the reality of being a single expat in Paris. The loneliness is far too real. While being lonely doesn\u2019t make for great television, I wish the series could have captured this feeling a little bit longer and a whole lot better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have sat at Parisian caf\u00e9s for hours by myself. You may say, but you\u2019re sitting at a caf\u00e9 alone in Paris<\/em> and yes, that may be true, but the older I get, the more I realize that there isn\u2019t much of a point to magical experiences if you don\u2019t have anyone to share them with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stepping on Shit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

True.<\/strong> I liked this reference to Sex and the City<\/em> when Carrie Bradshaw goes to Paris and her beautiful day is ruined by stepping in dog poop on the streets of Paris! Yes, you have to watch out for dog poop in Paris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Art of Mystery<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

True.<\/strong> \u201cYou want to open doors. I want to close them\u201d proclaims Sylvie as she explains why Emily won\u2019t be working on the account of one of the firm\u2019s most prestigious clients, \u201cYou have no mystery. You\u2019re very obvious.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The French art of mystery is one that many women desire but few can replicate. Sylvie was the personification of the elusive French woman with that je ne sais quoi<\/em> effortless charm. I loved the character of Sylvie and adored the French actress<\/a> who played her so well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having a Cigarette for Lunch<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

False.<\/strong> I don\u2019t know anyone who just smokes for lunch. When Emily starts devouring hors d’oeuvres at the De l\u2019Heure<\/em> party, Sylvie advises her to \u201chave a cigarette\u201d if she is so hungry. I hate that this narrative was perpetuated because it\u2019s totally false. Yes, French women eat less than their American counterparts, but no one is puffing on cigarettes instead of consuming something<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re at a soir\u00e9e, not a conference call.\u201d \u2013 Sylvie<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

True.<\/strong> Emily went way overboard in sharing the details of tracking each and every social engagement for her previous marketing clients during an encounter at a fancy soir\u00e9e<\/em>. Sylvie rightfully scolds her for this, \u201cAre you crazy? You don\u2019t talk about work at a party.\u201d Furthermore, user tracking is not something French people are interested in. They just passed a huge privacy law called GDPR to restrict company\u2019s access to citizens\u2019 data, for Christ\u2019s sake!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emily Holding Her Champagne Glass By the Bowl<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

True.<\/strong> Few American girls realize that you must hold a champagne or wine glass by the stem to avoid changing the temperature. Emily naively holds her champagne by the bowl at the De l\u2019Heure<\/em> party \u2013 a mistake a bonafide French woman would never make. One of my good friends from Spain was the first person to correct me on this when I was living in New York! I continue to meet Americans who hold their drinks this way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think he was just being French.\u201d \u2013 Emily<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

True.<\/strong> Emily nervously stutters this line when Sylvie accuses her of being a little too friendly in her interaction with their client, the night before. It\u2019s true that French men do have a way of flirting with women in a completely casual way. It makes you wonder if they are truly interested or they are just having fun. Most times, they are just being French!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe\u2019s married!\u201d \u201cHe\u2019s a client!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emily pulls out just about every<\/em> American excuse in the human resources employee handbook as to why she isn\u2019t interested, but the French know that none of that really<\/em> matters when it comes to love…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Antoine<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

True.<\/strong> I only need to write his name. The character of Antoine was necessary to this series. From his sexual innuendos like referring to his company\u2019s perfume as an \u201caphrodisiac\u201d to his bold confidence, Antoine is the epitome of the flirtatious French businessman. The fact that he hits on Emily, thus cheating on his mistress Sylvie, with whom he is cheating on his wife made him all the more fran\u00e7ais<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Extramarital Affairs: \u201cI think it\u2019s probably tolerated more than discussed\u201d \u2013 Mindy<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Rarely, but True.<\/strong> Emily is in total shock when she discovers that Antoine\u2019s wife is probably fully aware of his affair with Sylvie, her boss. Mindy tactfully explains that it\u2019s basically an unspoken understanding in French marriages that affairs happen because \u201cno one wants to have sex with the same person forever.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Antoine\u2019s is the only marriage we get to see in this season, so we are left thinking that all marriages in Paris must be unfaithful ones! I don\u2019t think this is 100% true. If I had to generalize, I\u2019d say that most marriages in France are monogamous, while some marriages, particularly in Paris, can be more subtly \u201copen\u201d as depicted on the series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As Mindy says, \u201cthe French are romantics, but they\u2019re also realists.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emily\u2019s Encounters with Taken Men<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes True.<\/strong> From Antoine to Gabriel, fidelity doesn\u2019t seem to be a thing on French men\u2019s minds. I hate to say it but this one is sometimes very true!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t have at least 2 married or taken French men hitting on you, are you even really<\/em> in Paris?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fidelity seems to be an abstract concept to many couples here. I\u2019m not saying every<\/em> Parisian man is a cheater, but I have found myself questioning if anyone truly<\/em> understands the concept of a committed relationship here in Paris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That being said, I do think that French love, love, love<\/em> to flirt \u2013 BUT that does not<\/em> mean they will jump into bed with you. Without going into too much detail, I\u2019ve found myself in this sort of situation before and I can definitively say that just because a French man is flirting doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re ready to leave their partner or even hop into bed with you. Sometimes, they just want to know they still have what it takes to \u201cplay the game.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNope, here the customer is never<\/em> right.\u201d \u2013 Mindy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

True.<\/strong> Emily\u2019s steak isn\u2019t cooked to her liking, so like the American she is, she decides to send it back. When the waiter insists that the chef has properly cooked it, she utters that oh so classic American business customer service phrase, \u201cthe customer is always right!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mindy quickly corrects here in a funny moment I related to all too well. In France, the business is always \u201cright\u201d and many businesses do in fact, treat customers as if they are privileged to be a client of theirs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the Netflix version of this learning moment in French culture results in a cute interaction between Emily and her hot neighbor, the real-life version can leave you departing a business in tears as I\u2019ve learned one too many times!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The employee at SFR tells you a function will work on your phone, but it turns out he was wrong and even admits it? No refund for you, Mademoiselle!<\/em> You need to buy one thing at 7:45pm when the store closes at 8pm? Sorry, but we\u2019re already closed, Madame!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is the reality of being a customer in France. You are never<\/em> right. You are never<\/em> important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emily\u2019s Social Media Growth<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

False.<\/strong> No, you can\u2019t get a thousand followers overnight just because you shared a picture of a pain au chocolat<\/em> or the Pont des Arts. There are millions of other tourists who shared the same picture. And don\u2019t even think about Brigitte Macron retweeting you. That\u2019s not happening either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis was a big mistake. I should never have come here!\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

True.<\/strong> After Emily\u2019s boyfriend dumps her and she gets stuck marketing a female vaginal suppository at work, Emily regrets her decision to move to Paris. This one was resoundingly true. Every expat questions her decision to move to Paris at least once.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI like Paris, but I\u2019m not really sure Paris likes me.\u201d was another line in the show that every foreigner can relate to at one point or another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cParis is the most exciting city in the world. You never know what\u2019s going to happen next.\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

False.<\/strong> Mindy tries to raise Emily\u2019s spirits by telling her what everyone wants to hear \u2013 Paris is exciting and full of twists and turns! I am going to go with false on this one. I know that sounds crazy for someone who moved to Paris to disagree with this line, but it just didn\u2019t resonate with me. I think that life in general is exciting and mysterious, and it\u2019s about what you make of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You could put \u201cNew York\u201d in place of Paris and it would have been more appropriate. Paris isn\u2019t about living an \u201cexciting\u201d life the way that LA and New York are. It\u2019s not a flashy city. It\u2019s a city with rain, heartbreak, and disappointment. It\u2019s about dealing with the bad things and rising up above them. Paris can break you down, and it can also build you back up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re single in Paris? Your life is croissants and sex!\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

True.<\/strong> Madeline is gushing with delight when she learns that Emily is single in Paris. It\u2019s true that being single in Paris is quite fun \u2013 during non-pandemic times of course!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emily\u2019s Electricity and Shower Problems<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

False.<\/strong> Paris is an old city. As Gabriel says, \u201cThe plumbing is 500 years old. Literally.\u201d But it’s not falling apart! While things break down often for Emily, you don\u2019t have to worry \u2013 it\u2019s rare to have the extensive infrastructure issues that Emily runs across during her time in Paris!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf you keep smiling like that, people will think you\u2019re stupid.\u201d \u2013 Sylvie<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

True.<\/strong> Sylvie aptly tells Emily to quit smiling before the start of their workday. I loved this moment! As Americans, we are taught to smile. It\u2019s our way of saying to the world \u2013 hey, I\u2019m friendly and nice! In France, not so much. I\u2019ve definitely found myself smiling far more often than my French friends. Especially when you don\u2019t speak the language well enough to join the conversation, it\u2019s the only way you have to communicate. A smile says \u201cI may not be talking, but it\u2019s not because I\u2019m a bitch, it\u2019s just because I don\u2019t speak your language!\u201d The French just aren\u2019t into smiling the way that Americans are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Corporate Culture<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

True.<\/strong> The \u201ccorporate commandments\u201d scene was a hilarious part of the series! Two of Emily\u2019s French coworkers are shocked to discover the American management style corporate commandments from the Chicago office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThou shalt always maintain a positive attitude?!\u201d Luc exclaims in horror. French people love complaining. This rule didn\u2019t go over well with him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emily emphasizes that they are a team and must work together. She pulls out the childhood phrase every American kid hears, \u201cThere\u2019s no I in team!\u201d to illustrate her point. Sylvie quickly claps back with the smart line, \u201cWell, the French word for team is \u00e9quipe<\/em>, and there\u2019s an I in \u00e9quipe!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I thought that line was so clever on the part of the show\u2019s writers!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scene finishes with Luc exclaiming, \u201cYou would like to destroy<\/em> our French soul!\u201d and storms off in all of his Frenchness. Brilliant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emily\u2019s Red Beret<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

False.<\/strong> No, most French girls don\u2019t walk around Paris wearing bright red berets<\/a>. Only foreigners do this! It would be like a New Yorker walking around in a white \u201cI Love NY\u201d t-shirt. This is just one of the French fashion clich\u00e9s<\/a> that Emily seems to have not got the memo on! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

French Intellectualism<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

True.<\/strong> During a debriefing on the De L\u2019Heure<\/em> commercial shoot, Sylvie quips back at Antoine that Emily \u201chas no references\u201d when he mentions that surrealism is a long tradition in France, noting artist Man Ray and writer Jean Cocteau. This was a quick example of the French intellectual elite<\/a> in Paris who look down on people who can\u2019t discuss the work of famous art and writers of the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This pretentious intellectualism is later personified in the character of Thomas, who feels he is better than Emily\u2019s friends from outside Paris due to his education and upbringing in the capital. There is even a word \u201cprovince\u201d to designate all the area of France outside of Paris, further highlighting the mild disdain for those not from the capital city. Thomas highlights this when he says to Gabriel and Camille, \u201cThe two of you have something in common. Neither are from Paris.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Ch\u00e9rie<\/em>, I\u2019m a woman, I\u2019m not a feminist.” \u2013 Sylvie<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

True.<\/strong> While the #MeToo movement and its French equivalent #BalanceTonPorc certainly made the news here in France, it never really took off the way it did in the States. In fact, many prominent French actresses denounced the movement altogether. It\u2019s no surprise that Sylvie is not on board with Emily\u2019s sexist take on the De L\u2019Heure<\/em> commercial shoot featuring a naked model who dreams of being the object of men\u2019s desires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDesire does not mean lack of respect. In fact, quite the opposite. It is a sign of respect. There is no bigger compliment.\u201d \u2013 Antoine<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

True.<\/strong> I liked this line from Antoine in explaining his choice to feature a woman dreaming of being desired by men while wearing his perfume. It highlights the differences between American thoughts on sexual desire and French view on romantic interest. In America, desire is absolutely seen as a lack of respect or sometimes even an insult. In France, this is not the case at all. Desire is validation, approval and a sign of esteem and admiration. It was a quick moment that was necessary in light of feminist movements in both countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, Sylvie isn\u2019t having any of it and she doesn\u2019t hesitate to call Emily the \u201cprude police.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Impossible!”<\/em><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

True.<\/strong> French love telling you \u201cnon\u201d and \u201cimpossible.\u201d It was a great moment when the plumber came to fix Emily\u2019s shower and of course \u2013 he simply cannot<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s the French way. They\u2019re very disagreeable.\u201d<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

True.<\/strong> Mindy is in shock as she reads Emily\u2019s positive-attitude no-workplace-romance corporate commandments even saying, \u201c…You told French people this?! No wonder they hate you.\u201d This one was true! French don\u2019t value agreeableness the way that Americans do. They have no problem stating their thoughts even if it isn\u2019t in line with the person who is receiving them. Emily struggles with this as her strength is her likability \u2013 a highly valued American trait.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drinking Before Noon<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

False.<\/strong> No, French people don\u2019t drink wine at all hours of the day, despite what the series might have you believe. I\u2019ve never heard of Sancerre as a \u201cbreakfast\u201d wine. A glass of wine at lunch is acceptable, however.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

French Reluctance to Be Friends With Americans<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

True.<\/strong> Sylvie expertly articulates the reason why so many expats find it hard to make French friends in Paris saying, \u201cAfter a year of food, sex, wine, and maybe a little culture, you\u2019ll go back to where you came.\u201d Sadly, yes, many French people don’t invest in deep friendships with foreigners for this reason. But don\u2019t give up hope, there are exceptions to this rule.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fabien<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

True.<\/strong> At a party that Mindy throws for her, Emily meets the young and charming building painter Fabien. They start out by cutely exchanging French and English words before the conversation takes a sharp turn when Fabien says \u201cI like American pussy.\u201d While they may not be as blunt about it as on TV, there are a ton of Parisian men who want nothing more than sex from the (foreign) women they meet. This interaction could very well be real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cParis seems like a big city, but it\u2019s really just a small town.\u201d \u2013 Camille<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

True.<\/strong> Paris is such a small city once you live here. Everyone knows everyone. It\u2019s far smaller than New York! One day I ran into 3 people I knew in just one day<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s one thing to cheat on your wife with your mistress. It\u2019s another<\/em> thing to cheat on your mistress with a young American!\u201d \u2013 Luc<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

True.<\/strong> Don\u2019t mess with your boss\u2019 boyfriend!<\/p>\n\n\n\n